Outside San Diego

After getting tired of lugging around too much food on my backpacking trips,  and not really enjoying the prepackaged flavorless goo that many of the freeze dried meals consist of,  I purchased my very own dehydrator.  My Daughters and I have been having great fun seeing what the best possible snacks we can come up […]

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When I am not outside (or even when I am) I often can be found reading about other people outside. I recently finished Bill Bryson’s lighthearted look at hiking the Appalachian Trail called A Walk In The Woods.  If you are looking for a read that will make you chuckle once in […]

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Occasionally, one gets a glimpse of what was.  This last weekend was just one of those times, and that fleeting moment where the past and present merge was both exhilarating and exasperating.  I spent the weekend in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, and it is (in comparison to what once was) a little piece of  […]

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I awoke as the filtered light of the morning began to glow through the orange fabric of my bivy.   As I snuggled a little deeper in the warm cocoon of my sleeping bag, I realized it was not the morning light that awoke me, but the rhythmic patter of falling snow tapping near my head.  […]

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I made it out this week for a quick overnighter in the Anza-Borrego. I arrived at a good parking spot near Piedras Grandes in the southern part of the park, threw on my pack, and hiked a short ways just as the sun was starting the set. I made camp in a […]

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I just came across a great site with a ton of information regarding recipes and tips for better trail food. I am notorious for being a top ramen kind of backpacker, and I have always thought there must be simple way to get good food on the trail. This site and […]

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I arrived home from the desert last week,  to be greeted by a well preserved cluster of cholla spines that had hitchhiked on the sidewall of my tire for the 70+ freeway miles,  and appeared to be no worse for the trip.   Part of the allure,  and the dread of an off trail desert trip,  […]

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I was doing a backpack packing demo last night for our “Wilderness Basics” class,   and I realized I have an affinity for carrying plastic bags as part of my weekend gear in the field.  I have pared down my weekend kit pretty well (under 20 lbs),  but as I was unpacking my stuff in front […]

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To those of you in San Diego looking for something good to do with your winter,   Wilderness Basics starts on Tuesday at the Scottish Rite Center in Mission Valley.   Class Starts at 7:00.   See you there.
Wilderness Basics

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I was at an outdoor leadership-training course on Saturday, in preparation for the upcoming Wilderness Basics Course here in San Diego, and we had a lively discussion on calling off a trip due to perceived unsafe conditions.  The bulk of the talk was geared towards the how to deal with the negativity that results from […]

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