Hiking gear

Essential backpack gear for hiking around Dudeville and the surrounding SoCal area.

Balboa Park

Lawn Bowling at Balboa Park.











Frisbee Football at Balboa Park

Lawson Mountain

This batch of photos is from a couple of excursions that I made up Lawson Mountain, east of San Diego. One excursion was on foot and the second, a few weeks later was in the Dodge. The trail was pretty rough on foot and really rough in the truck, with few turnouts. The climb was about 1600 feet.

The photo to the left shows Lawson peak as a back drop to some local wildflowers at the beginning of the trail. The photo to the right was taken about half way up the trail.

The next photo was taken looking back at the trail, which was cut out of the side of the mountains. As you approach on the highway in the valley below, it appears as a diagonal line across the face of the mountain. This is somewhat of an illusion because it snakes in and out of the contours as it steadily rises to the crest of the range.

The next photo Is of the first peak in the range. The trail ahead runs across the top of the large rock outcrop in the center of the photo.

The final photo shows the Dodge at the base of the first peak.

Bark Park

This tree was in full bloom in another park for dogs that is near dog beach. This park is fenced in and the dogs are allowed to run unleashed. I attempt to get Medina to chase the ball of Frisbee, here, but she seems more interested in sniffing the other dogs.

To the right is a photo of one of the blooms from the tree.

Dog Beach

This iron surfboard with a paw print in it designates the entrance to Dog Beach, which is just north of Ocean Beach and south of the San Diego river. Dogs are allowed to run unleashed at dog beach.

Ocean Beach is a remnant of the 60's, where surfers congregate and old hippies preach about the good old days.

http://www.dogbeachsandiego.org/

Office Move

The job is nearing completion and we have moved our offices off site to a high rent office building. I'm getting spoiled now, as there is no film of construction dust all over every thing. There are also some nice places to eat (no more campus cafeteria), ample parking (covered, to keep Medina out of the heat), a mall next door for blowing my money at lunch hour, etc. There is a large vacant lot next to the parking for Medina to take care of her business during my work breaks.

The office building has three large salt water aquariums in the lobby. I've been urged by one of my friends in Texas to drop a fishing line in them. There are also a couple of indoor fountains in the lobby. Out front of the building as the center piece to the office park are three ponds, all terraced at different elevations with rock waterfalls between and lush landscaping around them. There are several other buildings in the complex.

Viejas Mountain

This series of photos were taken one Saturday while hiking up Viejas mountain, which is on an Indian reservation just east of "Dudeville". It's about a 1600 foot rise in elevation over about three miles.




The photo to the lower left is of Medina and me near the summit, which is along a ridge. The trail comes to a crest, which is south of this point. The crest is marked by the stone pyramid that you see below.


It got fairly cold near the top, which was just short of a mile in elevation. The ocean was barely visible about 13 miles to the west through the atmospheric haze.

San Luis Obispo

I saw this old Willis Truck in down town San Luis Obispo while there to discuss the set up of a project for my employer. Off to the right is a popular watering hole known as Mother's Tavern.

Medina

Medina at the Extended Stay Hotel on Hotel Circle South, adjacent Interstate 8.

She's obviously wondering when our next foray will be to dog beach.

The blanket on the bed to her left was bought in nearby Old Town for about $10.

The Bear

The Bear was erected on the CalIT2 construction site in La Jolla during the course of the completion of the project that I've been assigned to. The owner is UCSD. Our Architect says the head is out of proportion, but I guess it depends on what kind of bear you are trying to emulate.

Lost in Dudeville

Me and Medina here from Dudeville (AKA San Diego).

We got lost the first day here and have been pretty much lost ever since.

(Photo coutesy of Page Williams)