Many Trails To Travel, Many Tales To Tell

By Barbara B. Baker, Event & Volunteer Coordinator

“Happy Trails to You . . .”

           

I always thought that The Man in Black was the bad guy, unless it was Zorro or Johnny Cash.    But now that the San Dieguito River Park has its own Man in Black I guess I know better.   This one happens to be the newest equestrian trail patroller, Doug Cruger.   Together with his thirteen year old companion, a candy-cane chomping horse named Bowtie, Doug monitors the trails in both open and closed areas looking for potential problems.   He – or maybe I should say “they” – are part of the “Sentinels” that the River Park and Conservancy rely on to be the eyes and ears of the Park.   They’re such a team that I almost don’t recognize Doug without his hat and horse!   Since Doug grew up in the San Pasqual Valley, this is his favorite place to ride.   He still likes the country environment of North County and is glad that the places he spent as a youth are protected as part of an agricultural preserve.    

            Doug attended the San Pasqual Academy years ago when it was a boarding school run by the Seventh Day Adventists.   His playground was the citrus groves and the land skirting the dairies.   The sight and smell of cows remind him of a more innocent time when he was free to explore, after classes and chores of course.   He was a dreamer and somewhat of a loner, and his adventures always included going further afield.   He knew the ranchers and farmers of the valley and as the years passed he maintained his connection to the people and the place, little realizing that one day he would be part of its history too.     While in high school at the Academy, Doug worked at the Golden Rule Bindery – still in operation – and his passion for the job eventually sparked his interest in the next generation of communications.   From putting books together the “old fashioned way” to compiling programs on personal computers, Doug found his calling.

                 Today Doug works as a campus technology specialist contracted to San Diego Community College to troubleshoot computers.   He enjoys his job so much that he is glad that Bowtie keeps him grounded and prevents him from working eighty hours a week.   Riding the trails of the River Park with Bowtie is an outlet for him.   While he lives in Kearny Mesa and boards Bowtie on a ranch in Bonita, he finds time to get out and ride. He knows all the trails around San Diego County, but the San Pasqual Valley always beckons him, calling him home.   He has a soft spot for the Golden Rule Bindery, the open spaces and green undeveloped areas, and the pastoral landscape.   He takes pictures on his outings, hoping one day to create a photographic tribute. While Bowtie eats candy canes and carrots, Doug adjusts his black hat and prepares to ride the trails of the San Dieguito River Park – so much for good guys in white hats!   

Doug’s pictures usually include his trademark, Bowtie’s ears.   If you look at the photos you can see how he got the name “Bowtie”!

For those of you who wonder, as I did, where you get candy canes after the holidays, Doug says you can find them in any 99cent store.  

If you are interested in becoming a Sentinel for the River Park, contact Barbara Baker to register for the next Trail Patrol training session.  

  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.