Anza-Borrego

Sculptures of Anza-Borrego

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BORREGO SPRINGS

Activity: Sight Seeing

As part of an Off-Road experience in the desert, Anza-Borrego Spring Off-Roading Trip with my friends, we had several goals in mind. Fun Off-Roading in the sand dunes of Superstition Mountain in southern portion of the State Park, Camping and hiking at Bow Willow Campgrounds in a more central portion, and then checking out the Sculptures of Anza-Borrego mostly located in the more northern section of Borrego Springs.

The Sculptures of Anza-Borrego also known as “Sky Art” was the vision of Dennis Avery, a landowner in Borrego Springs. He wanted to bring this wonderful metal sculpture artwork to the beautiful natural desert setting of Anza-Borrego with the splendid Santa Rosa Mountain as the backdrop. Animals, dinosaurs, people, and whimsical creatures all seem too spring to life at his Galetta Meadows, were many of the 130 pieces of art can be found.

Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep
Big Horn Sheep squaring off

Mr. Avery generously brings this fun outing in Anza-Borrego to us free of charge. He collaborated with self taught artist Richard Breceda who created the incredible pieces found at Galetta Meadows. This venture began in 2008 thru 2012, but once in awhile another piece magically appears to refute that the artist has retired from this endeavor of love.

Sabertooth Cat chasing a Horse

The metal sculptures can also be found at the Borrego Springs Visitor Center as well as Anza-Borrego Visitor Center, where you could purchase a map showing all of the sculptures.

Galena Meadows Elephant
Aiolornis Incredibilis
Sabertooth Cat

Richard Breceda was inspired by the Jurassic Park movies and he got started when he created a dinosaur for his daughter. The “Sky Art” found scattered throughout the Anza-Borrego Desert represent dinosaur fossils found in and around the area, animals that live in Anza-Borrego and the people of this desert. And of course some of the creatures created by Mr. Breceda are pure whimsical fantasy.

Sea Dragoon is the largest 15′ tall x 350′ long. It crosses the road.

As you seek out the sculptures you will find that many are just off the road, but others you might want to have a 4×4 to view as even the artist had to be pulled out of soft sand four times. Otherwise free becomes hundreds of dollars in towing bills and Triple A doesn’t cover getting pulled out of sand that is 50′ off the road, so keep that in mind.

Toyotasaurus
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

When you are out ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ many times you come across some really cool stuff. The Sculptures of Anza-Borrego might not be nature, but they are in Nature and they depict Nature both ancient and modern and maybe a little beyond. There is alway more fun to be had stay with us by doing this: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu above shows other locations that PBTA travels to on your behalf. These locations are all separate websites and thus need to be FOLLOWED independently. The posts are meant to give you inspiration and get you thinking about the type of place and location that you want to be for your next adventure. I have a whole line of top quality PBTA Adventure Wear at SHOP APPAREL check it out.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursing Balance Through Adventure

Anza-Borrego

Bow Willow Creek Camp Ground Hiking Trails

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ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK

Activity: Day Hike

5 miles, approximately 400’ elevation gain, 2 hour duration, rated Moderate

Date: April 6 & 7-24

There is fantastic hiking near the Bow Willow Creek and Mountain Palms Springs Primitive Campgrounds in Anza-Borrego off of the S2. The whole area is beautiful, but when I set out on the hike I was not expecting my little jaunt to be extraordinary.

After Off-Roading all day I thought that I would get in a little hiking before dinner. The Bow Willow Creek Camp Ground Hiking Trails turned out to be something special.  

Loren, my Off-Roading friend had been to this campground before and he suggested that I take off from our camp at Bow Willow Creek and head into the desert towards the other primitive camp in the area called Mountain Palm Springs Campground. Since dinner time was not far off and also the fact that Loren wanted to checkout the Palm Grove that was above that other camp, he offered to pick me up in the Jeep at the other end. 

The area has rough rocky hills all around with little canyons and in the other direction looking out over vast desert. That was a given as I began my walk. The surprise started with all of the wonderful desert flora different types of cactus, scrub brush and the star of the show were they excellent Ocotillo plants, tall and blooming with beautiful bright red blooms.

I was on the Bow Willow Trail and I hooked a left at the fork onto Bow Willow-Torte Grove Trail. This led up into the hills climbing a bit in elevation adding the slightly more challenging aspect to this venture with rocks and boulders and moving up and down along this rocky desert hillside with marvelous views and desert fauna.

I dropped down into this superb dense grove of magnificent palms which unquestionably seemed out of place as there was nothing like this anywhere around. It was certainly out of character, but a welcome sight to behold. This oasis in the dry desert was supporting these massive palms too many to count.

After my Jeep friend Loren and I checked out this very nice stand of palms and another one as well. We headed back to camp to dinner.

Not feeling satisfied and feeling that I had missed out by not doing this hike as a loop returning back from whence I had begun, I headed out onto the desert trail the following morning for a quick hike while my friends packed up.

This time I took the fork to the right that being Bow Willow-Southwest Grove Trail. This hike was entirely different from the previous trail. The fork to the right was flatter in elevation, not the climb up into the rocky hills. This trail had more sand and less rocks. The vegetation was similar, but this trail had a whole different feel. I was very glad that I got to experience both sections of this special hike. I was limited in time and I just about made it to where it joined with the other trail before I ran out of time and needed to head back to my friends at camp. I would suggest that someone wanting a fantastic desert hike put my 2 hikes together as a loop for a tremendous hike to a splendid desert palm oasis.

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Thanks for joining Loren and I as we explored an outstanding desert oasis in Anza-Borrego State Park by ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ in this desert spot filled with some much wonder. There is alway more to come so stay with us by performing a few easy, but important exercises: COMMENT, LIKE. FOLLOW and SHARE. I hope that these pictures and descriptions of this special place get you psyched for your own adventure in Nature. You will need some Adventure Wear and it just some happens that I have just what the Doctor ordered check it out SHOP APPAREL. If you peruse the menu above you will see that the arid deserts to the East of San Diego are but one type of adventures enjoyed by PBTA. The menu is categorized by location and sometimes by activity each of these locations throughout this great West of ours is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Cleveland National Forest, Mount Laguna, Mountain Biking

Champagne Pass Viewpoint via Noble Canyon and Indian Creek

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CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

MOUNT LAGUNA

Activity: Mountain Biking

9 miles, 1,280′ elevation gain, 2.5 hours duration, rated Moderate

Date: 9-15-23

I am starting to realize that there is some overlap in the bike trails that I have chosen during my couple days of riding in this magnificent place known as Mount Laguna. Link to my other rides during this trip: Meadows Trailhead Big Laguna Trail.

Today I started out in Noble Canyon, I’ve been on at least a portion of this trail the day before and I love it. Nice views, twists and turns, up and down and all around. Rocks, roots and other obstacles come up suddenly. In an instant you have to decide how to maneuver either jetting around or bouncing over roots. The area is loaded with wonderful trees. An abundance of fun! When I turned onto Indian Creek it was less fun. Turns out the trail is less used and overgrown with some of the brush being stickers. I hit a big rock and sounded out with a loud, “OOF!” A big quick reaction I seem to have to psych my self up for a difficult event I suppose. The bump almost tossed me off the bike. Some hikers up on the ridge must’ve heard my overly enthusiastic outburst and inquire to my safety. That was nice that they showed concern and I relayed that I was fine. Afterwards I crossed the Indian Creek and it was a long arduous steady climb on loose rock, overgrown brush, and stickers reaching out seemly in an attempt to tear skin. At least for me and my ability going uphill at this section became a hike/bike.  

I will say after relaxing in the cooling shade at the park benches strategically placed at the top of the pass I felt recuperated, and ready for the wild ride down. This fast and furious bike down which was much more fun than the hike/bike up, that is except for the sticker brush from time to time and the loose rock skidding the bike from side to side.  But otherwise it was a fantastic sleigh ride down to the creek.

Back the way with some more climbing and more downhill and finally a steady climb up through my favorite portion of the ride Noble Canyon back to where I had camped in my rig.

My camp spot.

It was a beautiful drive out of the Mount Laguna area with superb vistas looking out at Anza-Borrego far down below. Then lunch and dessert in Julian a quaint and cool little town and tourist attraction topped my adventure of the past couple of days.

On my way out of Mount Laguna there are lovely views of Anza-Borrego and distant hills and mountains.
I don’t usually advertise without some sort of return but this dessert is to die for and Julian is a great spot to celebrate a great couple of days of riding in the area.
“Mountain biking is a perfect blend of thrill and relaxation.” – Todd Wells
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Thanks for joining me on this awesome mountain bike trek in the beautiful area known as Mount Laguna as I found myself ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. Mount Laguna with its fantastic views, trees and trails provides great hiking, and in my case mountain biking. I reveled in the super mountain biking adventure. There is more to come, there always is and that is the way a person can find Balance through Nature and what it can provide a body and soul while seeking Adventure. Stay around for more and the best way to accomplish that is by these very easy steps: FOLLOW, LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE. The above menu lists places throughout the West that are excellent for the rest from the chaotic, busy lives that we all lead in the modern world that we all desperately need to put it all back into Balance. Each entry is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. For Adventure Wear please go to SHOP APPAREL for my top quality gear with the ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ logo and mantra.  

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Mount Laguna, Mountain Biking

Meadows Trailhead to Wooded Campground via Old Country Road

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CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST 

MOUNT LAGUNA

Activity: Mountain Biking

7 miles, 650 elevation gain, 1.5 hour duration, rated: Moderate

Date: 9-14-23

This hike, or mountain bike ride which is what I opted for, journeys through a lovely forest of pine, oak and cedar. This whole area is loaded with plenty of trails so you can really mix and match and come up with different ideas.

Different ideas is certainly what happened to me from the get go. I missed the planned trail right off the bat. I discovered this fact down the trail a piece when I came to the realization that I was experiencing a dejavu moment. The trail I was currently on was the furthest part of the first trail that I had biked on earlier Big Laguna Trail and not the planned trail. I should have went hard right instead of straight. So instead of just turning around I thought I would power on and try and work my way onto the correct trail by a side journey and thus catch back up with the intended route later. I could go on an on, but the jist of the story is that I bungled my way onto an animal path, did some retracing, and ultimately found a trail that would finally get me back on track.

The intended ride.
The improvised ride.

It ended up a very different ride with my add ons. The top portion of my improvised ride links. The track doesn’t show it as I inadvertently turned off the tracking for a bit as I was trying to figure out where in the hell I was and how I was going to get back on track, lol.

Part of my off track fiasco encompassed picking up the bike
and tip-toeing across this wall or damn to avoid a marshy area.

I supposed to look on the bright side the track I took was fine and it was interesting and certainly a less traveled path. I finally joined the right trail. Funny thing is the right trail actually sucked as it was sometimes dirt, but mostly an old broken black top country road from a bygone era. At least the country was beautiful, and I could go pretty fast.  I ended up at a deserted camp called Wooded Hill Camp. I suspect that the camp is open during the Summer, but I am not sure of that.

A lot of the Old County Rd is broken up asphalt from a bygone era.
I chose the road less traveled, and now I don’t know where I am.  

Thanks for joining me as I was definitely ‘Pursuing BalanceThrough Adventure’ off the beaten path. The one thing to take away from this is I was exploring, almost bushwhacking with my mountain bike at times, but that is not what is important. What is important is that the whole area of Mount Laguna is pretty darn cool, and you can’t go wrong by just being there. There is more fun to come of my trip to Mount Laguna so stay with me and the best way to do that is to COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. If you go up to the Menu you will discover that PBTA ventures all over this Great West of our seeking that Balance that we can experience when soaking up Nature in an Adventurous manner. Breath in Nature exhale stress, breath in Adventure exhale anxiety. I have ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ Adventure Wear. It is fun, top quality, and available for purchase at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure 

Cleveland National Forest, Mount Laguna, Mountain Biking

Big Laguna Trail

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CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

LAGUNA MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA

MOUNT LAGUNA

Activity: Mountain Biking

11 miles, 860′ elevation gain, 2 hours 10 minutes, rated Moderate

Date: 9-14-23

I have hiked and camped in this area previously when I ventured to Garnet Peak and it left such an indelible impression on me that I was anxious to return and this time bring my new mountain bike.

Just 50 miles from San Diego this area delivers. Mount Laguna has a varied landscape from dry chaparral of the low lying zone, shady oak wooded sections, mountain meadows, small but picturesque Big Laguna Lake, (Doesn’t live up to it’s name, but still nice lol), to the stately pines. Not to mention simply incredible views off to the East- of the Sawtooth Mountain Wilderness and the Anza Borrego Desert beyond that grabs you in such a manner that you have to take pause and just breath… feeling the recharge envelope as you drink in nature.

The mountain bike trek that I started on was supposed to be a little longer, but I found a way to not do some of the backtracking that the GPS map called for, which to me is always more interesting.

The map I was following called for the trailhead beginning at the Laguna Camp Ground. Well, that is fine if you are camping there, but I was camping off the grid. You need to have an Adventure Pass for parking anywhere in the Cleveland National Forest, but the campground is going to charge an additional $15 for day use, according to what I heard. So the Pro Tip is to leave from the Penny Pines Trailhead instead.

Penny Pines Trailhead along this roadway are some amazing views of the
Sawtooth Wilderness and Anza Borrego.

I left from the Penny Pines Trailhead and from there took the first loop counter clockwise on Noble Canyon Trail, which by the way I loved. This was single track winding up and down and all around through woodlands and with some nice views of the hiking peaks, grasslands and chaparral covered rolling hills. Then I turned onto Filaree Flats Spur which led to Big Laguna Trail. My route left Big Laguna Trail to explore El Prado Spur which led toward the Camp Ground as I wanted to check it out to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I rode through a pine forest on a rough path that had been torn up by the winter storms. This would have been an out and back, but I looked at the map and decided to take a detour on Laguna Campground Spur and make my trek a loop instead. By the way, there seems to be some mixing and matching that can be done in this area as there are some criss crossing trails. I would imagine this last winter there was a little pond like lake known as Little Laguna Lake, but now at the end of Summer it was completely dry, just a large field in it’s place. I did some criss crosses back onto El Prado- Big Laguna Trail- Kemps Spur Trail to cross behind the Southern End of Big Laguna Lake and finally onto the furthest part of this ride on Water of the Woods Spur which lead to Meadows Trailhead. Then I just backtracked to the lake again and along the Western Edge of the water on Meadows Spur Trail and this ran back into Big Laguna Trail returning where I started. Anyway like I said, there is a lot of criss crossing trails and once you know the boundaries you can ride all over this spot.

I zoomed around the corner and there was 900 pounds of beef standing in the shadows on the trail.
The Winter Storms had roughed up this particular path
heading towards the campground.
Big Laguna Lake
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“Mountain biking is a thrilling adventure 
that allows you to explore new trails and terrains.” – Alison Dunlap

Really fun ride encompassing a lot of different terrain and sights, good stuff!

Thanks for joining me on this fun ride. I loved the trees and the meadows, the little lake, and the different views. Wonderful place to be ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ and get away from it all in order to entertain joyful repose. There is more to come regarding my trip to Mount Laguna so stay tuned.  The best way to stay in touch is to COMMENT, FOLLOW, LIKE and SHARE. If you checkout the menu above you will discover that PBTA goes to many spectacular locations to give you inspiration. You don’t need to thank me, that’s my job. Speaking of which, if you would like to support PBTA then just buy a darn T-Shirt or a Cap, lol! Click here for: SHOP APPAREL. 

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

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Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop via Glider Port

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TORREY PINES STATE NATURAL RESERVE

Activity: Beach Hike

8 miles, 1,162′ elevation gain, 3.5 hour duration, rated Easy

Date: 7-9-23

I put two hikes together for my outing to Torrey Pines, starting at the Glider Port near UCSD. This route is pretty cool as the views of the Pacific and the Paragliders are exceptional. There is plenty of free parking in a dirt lot at the Glider Port. The hike down the bluff is steep and you will need to watch your footing.

Be forewarned that at the bottom of the cliff is Black’s Beach, which is a nude beach with every shape and size, only a lot less of what you might actually want to see, lol. The beach with it rugged cliffs and broad golden sand is certainly one of the best in San Diego. The southern portion is a surfer favorite with good waves, the rest is a whole lot of suns out, buns out.

Along the route you will get to a rocky point, this ends the nudity about 1.5 miles into the hike. When doing this hike you will need to check the tides. There are sections in this area that are impassable at high tide. I went through a couple hours before the high tide and I still had to remove my hiking boots and walk through some waves lapping at the base of the cliff. I put the boots back on to deal with the rocks, and then timed the waves and ran through some sections. It is all very beautiful, but certainly be mindful of the tides. I wish that I had gone at low tide as I forced to take a different route back.

Once I arrived at Torrey Pines State Beach I started the second portion of my hike. Just passed the end of the bluffs is where the journey heads up off the beach and onto the road way heading up the bluff. If you wanted to have a shorter hike you can park here or on top of the bluff in the Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve for a nominal fee. There might also be beach parking in the direction of Del Mar or I have heard that there might be free parking along Torrey Pines Rd. However on a nice Summer weekend that might be hard to come by.

I was there on a nice Summer Weekend and there were lots of people at the beach and lots of people on the trail. The trails are broad, well maintained and the views are out of this world. There are the evergreens that Torrey Pines is famous for, which seem out of place, but very cool all the same and lots of coastal chaparral. There was several off-shoot trails that looked interesting and inviting, but since I was doing an extended hike already I just sticked to the planned route.

The only draw backs that I have for this hike is that it begins along the shoulder of the roadway up the hill, and all of the people, but as I said once you get on the trails they are fairly broad and it’s fine.

After completing the route known as Torrey Pines Beach Trail Loop I jumped on Broken Hill Trail and then onto South Fork Trail for more of the beauty of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. This dumped me on to Torrey Pines Park Rd which provided a glimpse of the famed Torrey Pines Golf Course, but otherwise the west of my hike was pretty urban, but my only choice due to the now high tide and the beach access being cut off.

Sky above, sand below, peace within.

Thanks for joining me on my beach hike to Torrey Pines Natural Reserve where I found myself ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ on the chaparral covered bluffs overlooking the blue Pacific on one of San Diego’s most popular hikes. There is more adventures to come. So stay tuned by doing this: COMMENT, LIKE, SHARE and FOLLOW. When you go up to the menu above you will see that PBTA ventures all of the West seeking Balance through exhilarating experiences in nature, each location and activity is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. If you want to look good on the trail then checkout SHOP APPAREL for you Adventure Wear needs.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Peak Bagging

Stonewall Peak Trail Loop

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RANCHO CUYAMACA STATE PARK

5.5 miles, 5,730′ elevation, 1050′ elevation gain, 2.5 hour duration, rated Moderately Strenuous

Activity: Day Hike, Peak Bagging

Date: 5-9-22

It was a beautiful Spring day. My 8:30 AM start found the air a bit crisp, but delightful especially when considering this hike was rather steep right off the get go. The switchbacks however, certainly made it quite manageable. The area was adorned with shady oaks, and sycamores trees along with desert chaparral and manzanilla.

The Long and Winding Road is steep and pocked with loose rocks so sturdy hiking boots would be beneficial.

As I climbed higher in elevation I was afforded wonderful views of the park with each footfall. That last portion was a slight scramble, but a handrail and carved steps aided the final ascent to the top. Once on the Summit it was a 360 degree view of Rancho Cuyamaca State Park including Cuyamaca Peak, which I have climbed previously, the Laguna Mountains, the Santa Rosa Mountains, Anza-Borrego, the Salton Sea, Palomar Mountain, San Jacinto Peak, even Mexico. It was pretty astounding.

The front portion of the hike is one of the most popular hikes in the Park. I wanted to add some additional mileage, plus I always like a loop if there is that possibility. So I dropped down the backside which is a “road less traveled”, as the saying goes. This is more of a path and it is a little less cared for than the front section, but you will have the place much more to yourself. The trek decends in elevation to a meadow lined with fir trees. Flowers were saying hello to Spring with welcoming brightly colored blooms.

The hike wanders down Stonewall Peak Trail then takes a left on California Riding and Hiking Trail, a left on Cold Stream Trail and follow that to where you began.

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“You can’t climb uphill with downhill thoughts.” – Zig Ziglar

Thanks for joining my Peak Bagging excursion while I was out ‘Pursing Balance Through Adventure’ in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park. If you look at the menu above then you will discover that PBTA ventures to many fine places throughout the West in order to inspire others to put down the clicker, get off the couch and discover what adventures might await. The hope is to put a little Balance into a life that might otherwise be ho-hum at times and stressed out at other times. We can quickly get over taxed with appointments, deadlines, and responsibility. Nature can provide that needed breather. Breath in Nature… breath out stress. The menu is categorized mostly by location. Each is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. Speaking of which please: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The hat on my head can be yours for a nominal price. It is part of my Adventure Wear Line and carries the PBTA Logo. I invite you to check it out at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Cleveland National Forest, Peak Bagging

Garnet Peak

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CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

NEAR MOUNT LAGUNA

Activity: Day Hike, Peak Bagging

4.5 miles, 5899′ elevation, 730′ elevation gain, 2.5 hour duration, rated Moderate

Date: 12-10-22

Exquisite views for moderate effort. This spot is where the desert meets the mountains. From Garnet Peak you look down at Anza-Borrego and mountains all around.

After climbing McGinty Mountain the day before, I spent a chilly night camping in my rig.

It was a super day and time to hit the trail. Bluebird sort of day, rugged mountainside, with the desert sprawled out in front of me. It really was quite stunning, a view so nice it was hard to pull away.

It is a fun hike through terrain that was somewhat desert and somewhat coastal type chaparral. The summit obviously had the killer views, but there were plenty of peaking down a ravine to see the desert floor down below.

Final push to the Summit of Garnet Peak.
Summit
Not one day you are here has been promised you, so make the most of
every day as if it was your last and every breath, as if it was the same. 
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Thank you for joining me on this hike in the Laguna Mountains to Garnet Peak while I was out ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. Please stick around for more adventure by doing some simple tasks: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu above shows hiking areas all over the West and is mostly categorized by location. Each is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. In the picture I am wearing one of my PBTA caps, checkout my line of Adventure Wear at SHOP APPAREL.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Peak Bagging

McGinty Mountain Trail

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SAN DIEGO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

JAMAL

Activity: Day Hike, Peak Bagging

5.5 miles, 2139’ elevation, 1580’ elevation gain, 2.5 hour duration, rated Hard

Date: 12-9-22

Rising out of a rural community you can’t really get away from the sprawl of man. So being a nature lover of wilderness it isn’t my favorite type of hike. That being said the trail is rugged dirt and rock, steep in places, and covered in chaparral. The area is beautiful it’s just that everyone else thought so too and moved here. 

Little scramble at the top over some boulders to the summit provides great views of San Diego all the way to Mexico, Mount Laguna, Cuyamaca Peak, Palomar Mt and the Pacific Ocean. 

This hike isn’t as popular as some of the other San Diego Peaks so you should be able to find parking in the small lot, but beware there are some reports of break ins and I am always wary of that after my rig has been broken into before.

“If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.” – Hippocrates
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Thanks for joining me peak bagging Mt McGinty, one of the San Diego 100 Peaks List, as I found myself “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure”. We all need Balance in our busy world of appointments and deadlines, squeezing time in for this and squeezing time in for that. Balance can be discovered during adventurous outings in Nature even on a rather urbanish hike. It’s still worthy effort to the top, a good trail, and great views- even it the view is urban sprawl, it’s all good. If you happen upon the menu at the top you might checkout hikes that are a little more wild, if that is what you are looking for, as you seek that all important Balance. I invite you to stay informed on all things PBTA by doing these easy things: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu is categorized by location or activity, each is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. If you like my hat then why not purchase one at SHOP APPAREL, where you will find my line of Adventure Wear with the PBTA Logo and Mantra.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

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Annie’s Canyon via North Rio’s Trail. San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve

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Activity: Day Hike

Date: March 8, 2019

Solana Beach, California, 2 miles, 134’ elevation change, 1 hour duration

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is a pleasant walk beside a saltwater marsh area, along a trail filled with lush greenery. It is fairly flat until you venture upon Annie’s Canyon. What a delight working through this little slot canyon. It was so cool, more than I expect with a tight squeeze, twists and turns as you went up. Annie’s Canyon was different then other slot canyons I have been to. It was close quarters, just room for one at a time and it went up in elevation. Others slots I have been in where fairly flat, but this had a bit of a climb. The sign said strenuous, but I would not describe it that way. I with describe it as fun.

This is the entrance to the slot Canyon know as Annie’s Canyon at Solana Beach in San Diego County.

The San Diego area near the beach is always so lush and it is particularly green with all the rain we have had of late.

Just look at that wild hillside lots of greenery.
Wild flowers blooming along the path.
This shows the saltwater marsh in the background looking toward the beach.

Spring is close, beautiful flowers.

I was not expecting this slot canyon to be this cool, winding back and for as it moved up.

Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but this is going up at a pretty good angle.

This ladder may look rickety, however it was quite securely fastened to the sandstone.

From the View Point looking out over the top of a portion of Annie’s Canyon.
A couple nice photos looking out over the hillside, the saltwater marsh and Solana Beach.

I was pleasantly surprised by this outing, it was more than I expected and very enjoyable.
The Best Things in Life aren’t Things.

Thanks for joining in this scenic Nature Walk in coastal San Diego a very pleasant way to spend an hour ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’. Please stick around for more adventure by doing some simple tasks: COMMENT, LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE. The menu above shows hiking areas all over the West and is mostly categorized by location. Each is a separate website and thus needs to be FOLLOWED independently. I invite you to checkout my line of Adventure Wear at SHOP APPAREL it is top quality and carries the PBTA Logo and Mantra.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins

Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

Pursuing Balance Thru Adventure

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