Many Trails To Travel, Many Tales To Tell

By Barbara B. Baker, Event & Volunteer Coordinator

Crest Canyon and the Coastal End

            It’s been almost a year since the Witch Creek Fire swept through the San Pasqual Valley, burning over 60 percent of the San Dieguito River Park’s midsection and scorching the landscape for miles.   Trails have slowly begun to reopen as Rangers have worked to protect recovering vegetation, rebuild habitat, and install erosion control measures.  Restoration has been particularly slow on those trail segments that need new bridges – seven bridges on the Santa Fe Valley Trail, one large bridge on a section of the Piedras Pintadas Trail, and a little bridge on my favorite scenic Highland Valley Trail-Ruth Merrill Interpretive Children’s Walk.   Since Park Headquarters is in the middle of the Coast to Crest Trail and we have been impacted by losing our offices and historic site, Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead, it has been a relief to know that our concentrated efforts did not have to extend to the summit at Volcan Mountain or to the River Park’s gateway at the San Dieguito Lagoon.   These areas were spared from the inferno.   Now, twelve months later, I admit I am poking my head out almost fearfully, torn between wanting to get out on the open trails and see hope in the ashes; and just wanting to have a good time outside without the reminders of nature’s fury.   The obvious solution was to begin at either end of the Park and since it is still hot in sunny Southern California with no trace of fall foliage and cooler autumn temperatures, the choice was easy:   Crest Canyon and the Coastal End.  

            There’s a lot of positive activity at the coastal end – while the San Dieguito Lagoon looks like a construction site for a new development, it is one of the most visionary marine projects in the region;  and Grand Avenue Bridge also is littered with heavy equipment as workmen tackle the problems of reinforcing and building a public viewing pier.    The Boardwalk is open, albeit a work in progress.   But in nearby Crest Canyon, a beautiful corner of the River Park and an open space park preserve owned by the cities of San Diego and Del Mar, the sound of silence is broken only by birds; and the coastal sage scrub, maritime chaparral, and lemonade berry are hemmed in by the rare and famous trees (named after a leading nineteenth century botanist who never came here) found in the Torrey Pine State Natural Reserve “up the road” and in Santa Rosa Island off the coast near Santa Barbara.   San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy’s Resources Specialist Leslie Woollenweber led a hike through Crest Canyon to the Torrey Pines State Reserve Extension on the north side of the Penasquitos Lagoon in Del Mar.  

The Conservancy has been working with many volunteers to maintain Crest Canyon for both hikers and habitat.   This parcel wasn’t negotiated as part of the original 2000 acre Torrey Pines State Park and had to be fought for and acquired decades later by the citizens of the surrounding communities to prevent the canyon from becoming a condominium complex or a golf course.  Today many individuals and groups are involved in keeping the canyon pristine.  

    The hike, almost four miles long and attended by over thirty individuals, was to be a two-hour sunset hike complete with an ocean view.  

There were several stops along the way to take in the flora and fauna and to discuss the uniqueness of the area, mostly due to the rare pine trees growing out of coastal sand and soil.   Fog and cloud cover rendered the air chilly which was delightful to those of us from inland areas.   The down side of course is that there was no sunset – it went straight from light to dark.  

Making our way through the canyon and then out to Durango Street we walked through the neighborhoods to get to the sandstone cliffs of the Reserve and begin our way along the Daughters of the American Revolution Memorial Trail upward to the overlook.   One of the hikers remarked that at times it felt like a “house hike” which I thought was very telling and perceptive.   It’s for exactly this reason that connectivity is such an important issue to the San Dieguito River Park.    Without the acquisition and preservation of natural areas such as these and throughout the fifty-five mile trail system of the open space park there would be only urban wilderness. I was glad I went on this hike – there were individuals of all ages and backgrounds and yet as a group we all seemed to belong together, sharing a lovely evening in a quiet spot of San Diego County.  

 The San Dieguito River Park celebrates its twentieth birthday next year and so much has already been done to implement the vision of a natural open space park that provides a home for many threatened animals and also fulfills the recreational needs of both residents and visitors.   Hike for your health and enjoyment, and support River Park projects by volunteering in one of many capacities, or joining the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy.   You can make a difference!

  If you have a favorite trail or story please contact me at Barbara@sdrp.org.   History isn’t always in the books; sometimes it’s in the stories!   Share your history with the San Dieguito River Park.