Brandy's Adventures

(photo credit: Linda) The forecast this morning was 30% chance of rain showers so my friends and I decided to go. We were going to hike Black Mountain Truck Trail from its junction with the Upper Santa Ysabel Truck Trail. My friends offered to give me a ride in their 4WD, since it was questionable whether my car could navigate the USYTT. We started shortly after dawn and immediately met a hunter in a bright  international-orange jacket and a matching cap. He advised us that there were many hunters in the area. We briefly considered his warning and decided to hike. As it turned out, we never heard a shot or saw another hunter.

At sunrise we could see a bit of color over the hills, but, unfortunately, because we were about 1000-2000 feet below the peaks, couldn’t get a good view of the actual sunrise. We continued up the road, periodically looking over Pamo Valley. Soon it began misting and shortly thereafter we decided to put on our ponchos. I’d never before used one, but it was perfect for this situation. It was an “emergency” poncho that I have always carried made from what I believe is thin polyethylene and fit well over my daypack. It would not have worked well on a narrow trail with foliage or in a strong wind. It kept me warm and dry. I had been thinking of purchasing a rain jacket, but since this worked so well and also covers the daypack, I will now purchase a durable poncho plus a replacement “emergency” poncho.

We continued in the rain/mist to within a mile of the peak when we saw that Brandy’s friend, Ruca, was shivering. We stopped, deciding whether to continue or return. Ruca huddled shivering, curled into a ball against some foliage, thus we decided to return. My friend had a pouch for Ruca so he put her in the pouch and we returned, hiking in the wet clay, sometimes slipping, sometimes lifting gobs of clay on our boots. We were thrilled at times to be walking on decomposed granite. Brandy didn’t appear cold and was exploring along the trail as we descended. However, I will also purchase a rain jacket for her to protect her in colder weather, in case she needs it.

It had quit raining by the time we got to the 4WD. The parking area that was dry when we started was now a mud field. We cleaned our gear, dogs and shoes as best we could and got into the vehicle. I found another use for the poncho – a floor mat that would keep the water dripping from my pant legs, mud from my boots and mud from Brandy’s feet off the floor. We returned to Pamo Road on USYTT, periodically slipping on the mud as though it were ice, staying away from the steep dropoff along the road.

This is our second uncompleted trip. We will schedule both El Capitan (El Cajon Mountain) and Black Mountain (Ramona) again this fall.

We decided to hike Iron Mountain/Wild Horse/Ellie Lane/Iron Mountain loop because the weekend forecast was some rain and we didn’t want to eliminate the weekend exercise. Although I’ve done this hike many times, this time it was more difficult than normal, perhaps because I wasn’t hydrated. We had to pause several times on Ellie Lane to the saddle for me to catch my breath. I was so happy to reach the saddle and rest on the boulder just south of the trail where Brandy and I ate our snacks.

I took my SPOT out of the net pocket in my daypack to send an “OK” email message and then set it down on the pack so I could tell when the message was sent. As we were preparing to go, I picked up my daypack and heard the thump, thump, thump of the SPOT as it bounced down the boulder and into the short chaparral. Fortunately, I saw about where it stopped and decided that if I took my normal route off the boulder, from that perspective I probably would not be able to find it so I made my way carefully down the boulder and into the chaparral. After a little searching, I found it. Fortunately, it was still working. Lesson learned—use lanyards on equipment. The SPOT could have easily fallen to a location where I couldn’t retrieve it or it could have fallen where I couldn’t hear it.

The rest of the hike was easy. We saw only one person on Wild Horse/Ellie Lane trails and three people on the way down on Iron Mountain Peak Trail.

Hunting season started today. When we arrived at the Ramona Oaks trailhead at dawn, our friends were already there talking with two hunters. The hunters were going to hunt wild pig and wanted to know where we would be hiking. We were going up West Side Road to Devils Jumpoff, hoping to see the falls but not really expecting to see water. Although we had about three inches of rain in the past week, the road, which eventually turned from pavement into a wide trail, was not muddy except for one place. Brandy and Ruca were enjoying the rain-freshened terrain and were exploring far and wide. We ate lunch at our turn-around point just off the road overlooking the tree and grassy area above Devils Jumpoff. We discussed that when water was flowing we’d come back and hike down to the stream and explore the area just above the falls. We heard two shots in the distance and wondered whether the (deer? pig?) hunters had bagged their game. After our leisurely lunch, we headed back enjoying the view of the San Diego River valley along the way.

For a while, were were looking down on the trails far below us from the Thornbush trailhead to Cedar Creek Falls. My friends had another commitment and I felt like hiking some more. I thought that since the Thornbush trailhead for Cedar Creek Falls was just a couple of blocks away and we’d hiked it just before the rains that I would see if the falls were flowing. When we started on the trail to the falls, Brandy was lagging behind as though she didn’t want to go. Perhaps she remembered the climb out last week. I kept walking and soon she was her normal self joyfully exploring ahead of me.

Somehow I got off-trail and had to bushwhack down to another trail I knew I’d find on the extensive network of trails. I found one in a couple of hundred yards, a segment of the realigned trail being built. I continued down, down, down the steep grade to the San Diego River valley. We expected to find the San Diego River flowing but the crossing was just damp with an occasional pool in the riverbed. Cedar Creek downstream of the falls was flowing only minimally, so Brandy forded while I rock-hopped across. As we approached the falls, we could hear the cascade and knew the hike would be worth the effort. Suddenly, as we were making our way through the rock field we saw Rita, a dog we knew from previous hikes. We had met a Meetup hiking group that had hiked here as a backup hike from a camping trip they were on. We are scheduled to hike with them tomorrow at the Lower Santa Ysabel Truck Trail, which links Pamo Road with Boden Canyon. What a small world!

We ate a snack while sitting on the rocks and enjoying the view and sound of Cedar Creek Falls. Brandy would occasionally go from rock to rock exploring, sometimes sliding a bit on the water-slicked, water-worn rocks.

The sun was shining when we started but by the time we left there was a slight overcast. We headed back thinking about the climb out. We took the new trail to the north around the first peak and eventually bushwhacked, as we had done last week, to join the regular trail. We soon came to another choice of which trail to take and decided on the one that was less steep. It was an recently made trail that still had the many flags guiding the workers. After a while, the construction had stopped and the trail turned steeply uphill. After a few pauses to catch my breath, I reached the top and the trail had again terminated. I bushwhacked just a little, picked up the regular trail again and continued to the new trailhead by the water tank. I like the route out that we had just taken and, until the switchback are constructed on the other trail, will continue to take it. Apparently, there will eventually be two mostly parallel trails, one from the trailhead next to the houses and the other from the trailhead by the water tank.

We had originally scheduled to join a ~15 mile hike on the Dripping Springs trail to Agua Tibia, but felt the these two back-to-back hikes were an acceptable substitute.

We met our friends and their dog, Ruca, at the Thornbush trailhead for Cedar Creek Falls at dawn. The weather was overcast with the temperature around 65°. We were surprised to find new restrooms at the trailhead, as well as, possibly, a parking area being constructed. I was a little concerned about coyotes due to the time of day and kept Brandy on the leash for a brief time. We were intending to find the trail switchbacks that were being constructed the last time we were here. There is just a maze of trails and we found what we thought were a few segments of the new trail. The dogs were having a great time sniffing and roaming quite far from us. We heard them yip a couple of times as they were chasing (I hope!) rabbits.

The way down the last hill was quite slick and I carefully picked my way. Perhaps, I should have brought my trekking poles. I carry them in the car, but since I almost always have a leash, I think it would be too inconvenient to carry. When we cross the San Diego River this fall after the rains, I will definitely need the trekking poles.

We were surprised to hear voices as we arrived at Cedar Creek Falls, because we were so early. We met three young college students who had set up camp near the falls. They had come in last night in the dark, with one of them having been there before. We continued on a hundred yards or so to the falls. We enjoyed the view while we sat on the boulders and ate our snack. Ruca slipped on a rock and fell in an algae-filled pool. She was pulled our and cleaned up a bit, but still stunk from the polluted water.

On the way out, the campers were mostly packed up watching a scorpion where they had been sleeping. Although they pointed it out to me and I was looking directly at the scorpion,  it took me a while to see it as it blended in so well with the sand background. Brandy, of course, wanted to see where the campers had been pointing and almost stepped on the scorpion. She then started sniffing just a couple of inches away from it. She never did see it, as we grabbed her harness and moved her out of the area.

We had an enjoyable conversation with the campers for ten or fifteen minutes and then picked our way back, crossing the dry Cedar Creek several times and then crossing the dry San Diego River.

On the way back we saw a small trail off the main trail that looked like it might go around the high peak we were approaching. I decided to explore it and soon found myself on a constructed trail that looped around the peak. The constructed trail became a flagged trail that became a social trail that became a game trail that finally disappeared. I knew at that time I was near the main trail so I just bushwhacked up a hundred feet or so to the main trail. My friends were far behind, coming down the peak I had bypassed. I hiked back to meet them.

We continued on taking various trail branches, occasionally finding pieces of constructed trails and switchbacks. When the trail construction is completed, the hike to Cedar Creek Falls will be significantly easier. I have mixed feelings about that because I like the challenge of the more difficult trail. Also, that will tend to attract more people to Cedar Creek Falls. Unfortunately, even now there is trash along the trail and graffiti at the falls.

We met our Meetup group at the La Honda trailhead at Daley Ranch. We looked for other dogs but it was to be that Brandy was to be alone. As this was the first time out with this group and we didn’t know how the hikers felt about dogs, Brandy was kept under rather tight control on her leash. We took a slightly different route than on our previous hike, this time going via the Ranch House. (Image is view looking south from Stanley Peak taken on 10/2/2010 hike.)

I talked with several of the other hikers on the way to the top. Even though we started at 10:00 am, we met only a couple of mountain bikers and no hikers on our way to the  peak. This was an “advanced beginner” hike so we didn’t take the short-cut by the water tank due to, I think, the narrow trail. At the peak, we stopped to enjoy the view and I started to eat my usual snack that I eat at the peak or turn-around point of a hike. After only a few minutes, I was very surprised that the group started the descent. I rushed to gather up and store Brandy’s food, my food and camera, then put on my day pack. One of the last hikers to leave said they would wait for me just off the peak. I quickly caught up with the group, carrying my sandwich to eat on the descent.

The group didn’t have our route, so our leader would stop at the various trail intersections to direct us which trail to take. Soon, we were overlooking Dixon Lake near the dam, an obvious error. The view was superb and the trail took us down the hill and along the lake. We wound around a couple of inlets, in one place narrow and slightly overgrown.

We eventually came to a paved service road and regrouped. I looked back and saw the “No Dogs” sign on the trail we had just hiked. Strangely, there was no “No Dogs” sign that we passed coming from the other direction. We continued on the service road, then slowed to discuss which way we should have gone. As a park ranger drove towards us, I just knew Brandy was going to be an issue. Fortunately, the ranger passed us by. Then, just as I was relaxing, the ranger had turned around and was coming back. She asked how we got into Dixon Lake and we explained we had taken a wrong turn coming in on the trail behind us. She said she thought were lost, as dogs were not allowed at Dixon Lake. Luckily, we received no tickets and only a verbal warning. I’m surely happy that Brandy was  on-leash!

We hiked Iron Mountain this morning because we needed some exercise. Brandy didn’t want to leave the parking lot, because she kept looking for the friends and their dog, Ruca, that we hike with on weekends. I kept tugging on her leash until we got to the beginning (west end) of the trees where I just gave up and took her off leash. She stood there looking back at the parking lot. I walked almost to the east end of the trees and she disappeared from sight. I waited about a minute, then started back toward the west end to see where she went. I had walked just a little bit and then saw her running to me. When she got to me, she stopped and again looked back for them. I kept walking and she finally realized that they weren’t coming and decided to go with me.

We took a breakfast break at the top at a picnic table, enjoying the view to the west. Another hiker and dog arrived shortly at the top. Brandy was lying on the table and as the dog approached her, she growled slightly causing the dog to veer off.

After we finished eating, we climbed up on the boulders at the peak, looking out to the east trying to identify the distant peaks. I took a few pictures of Brandy on top of a boulder surveying the valleys and peaks below us. Shortly, I heard soft dog growls behind me while simultaneously hearing the hiker saying something that I didn’t understand. I noticed that Brandy wasn’t close to me, quickly turned around, and, thinking that Brandy was being rude, admonished her. The hiker said that the dogs were playing and it was then I recognized Brandy’s play growl. The dogs played briefly, then the hiker and dog descended.

We continued enjoying the view for a few more minutes, then we descended. About a quarter of a mile later, we caught up with the hiker and dog as the hiker had stopped to make a cell phone call. Brandy quickly engaged the dog in play, running up and down the trail making clouds of dust. The hiker completed his call and continued on his descent. We followed a short distance behind and occasionally Brandy would run ahead of the hiker, sometimes briefly playing with the other dog. We got close enough to talk and soon we were all hiking together. Brandy’s new friend was Toby, a Mini Aussie.

We took a brief water break at the saddle, then continued down as a pack. We expect to schedule another hike with Toby and his dad in a week or so. Still, Brandy really misses Ruca.

We were planning to do the Mt. Woodson (yes, I know it’s officially Woodson Mountain) hike with a Meetup group this morning at 8:00 a.m. but the hike was cancelled late last evening. We decided to hike it solo since we were all set up to go. Just as we started from the upper parking lot at Lake Poway, we were passed by a trail runner. As we hiked around the lake, we kept a lookout for the trail runner to see if he was going to take Mt. Woodson Trail from Lake Poway Loop Trail. Sure enough, we saw him, now in the distance, start up Mt. Woodson Trail. I’d like to have that stamina.

When we got just past the silt retention dam on Mt. Woodson Trail, it misted for about five minutes and then quit, with no more moisture for the remainder of the hike. As we continued up the service road and I was breathing hard, I reflected on how nice it would be to be like the trail runner and just run up the trail.

We took a short break at the tree on the way up to the Mt. Woodson ridge, like we always do to enjoy the view. Even though the sky was overcast, the view was clear. I tried to trace out the old Mt. Woodson Trail but just saw a few bits and pieces of it due to the overgrowth. We plan to hike the old trail again later this year when we’re sure the rattlesnakes are all asleep.

We were about half-way up the ridge when the trail runner that had passed us at the beginning ran past us on his way down.

When we got to the peak, there were two hikers at “our” utility box where we have our snack so we sat on the rocks nearby. I fed Brandy her expected snack and then she eyed my turkey jerky. Too spicy for her, I thought and gave her a couple more tidbits of her food. She’s such an effective beggar. We finished our snack and headed back without stopping at Potato Chip Rock, where sometimes we take in the view to the north.

A short while later, I heard a voice ahead yelling, “Is  that your dog?” I couldn’t see the hiker right away so sped up quickly to be able to evaluate the situation. It was trail runner who was leery of Brandy, so I called Brandy and she came to me immediately and the runner passed us by. I knew I’d see her again on our way down. I’m just amazed at the trail runners that run up and down mountains.

About half-way down from the Mt. Woodson ridge, I decided to call Shirley and let her know we were safe as she was worrying about the weather when I left. In the middle of the conversation, I saw Brandy on top of a very large boulder and exclaimed, “Oh! My goodness!” and told her about Brandy and wondered how she was able to get up on top. When Shirley didn’t respond, I realized that we’d lost our phone connection. I thought I’d quickly take a picture and started to get my camera from my backpack when my phone rang. Of course, it was Shirley and she had only heard the, “Oh! My goodness!” part of my monolog and was concerned. I quickly explained again about Brandy, told her I just had to have a picture and hung up. Brandy stayed on top until I had taken all the pictures that I wanted and I then had to call her down.

When we were just at the Warren Canyon Trail junction, the trail runner that had passed us near the top of the mountain was quickly overtaking us. I warned her that Brandy was ahead, but that she need not worry. As she passed Brandy who was headed back to me, Brandy turned around, caught up and ran past the runner briefly since Brandy almost always want to be in the lead.

On our way down, we saw only one other hiker who was headed up. The traffic was dramatically different today (Tuesday) than the weekend “freeway” traffic, another reason to hike during the work week.

We hiked the open space around Goat Peak from Garden Road. Our goal today was to reach the intersection of the  trail where it turned due south to the tunnel under Scripps Poway Parkway and a bushwhack route to Goat Peak, about 2 miles from our trailhead.

Our trail ran past the trailhead and as we parked, we were passed by three horses and riders. They galloped up the hill that we were about to take and we didn’t expect to see them again. Brandy was off her 23-foot leash, so we were hiking at a somewhat fast pace as I didn’t need to stop for her “sniffs” and exploration. When we got to the old, burned-out house with the chimney still standing, we caught up with the riders who had slowed after just a short gallop. Brandy has become so acclimated to horses that she just ignored them as we passed them by.

We continued on, taking the side trail that we knew would eventually rejoin the main (old truck) trail. This single-track trail was considerably overgrown, but was also an access to two other trails, also overgrown, that led steeply up to ridges.

Although we have hiked this area numerous times over the last two years, we hadn’t hiked it since last May and we found that the vegetation was substantially overgrowing all the trails. It seems as though there was a growth spurt after the last spring rains.

We rejoined the main trail and continued navigating through the overgrowth, passing the point that we had seen the rattlesnake on our last hike in May. We looked for it, but it was long gone! At that time I hadn’t let Brandy off-leash and had a few minutes before put Brandy on her 6-foot leash due to my concern of rattlesnakes. The trail was a single-track about a foot wide and the rattlesnake “buzzed” just off the trail’s edge between Brandy, in the lead, and me. We both froze, then I saw it slowly retreating while rattling. Realizing that we were now safe, I quickly grabbed my camera and took a picture of the rattlesnake. Brandy seems to be smart about snakes and I’ve never known her to intentionally approach one. I’m now comfortable putting her off-leash with respect to rattlesnakes, but a little concerned about her reaction to coyotes as we’ve never had an off-leash coyote encounter. On-leash, she’s very aggressive towards coyotes, even though she’s about 2/3 their weight.

We continued to our turn-around point where we stopped for a snack. When I reached for Brandy’s snack in the bottom pocket of my shorts, I found a small tick quickly climbing up right by the pocket. It must have just got on me, judging by the speed at which it was climbing. I brushed it off, looked for others but found none. This is the first year that Brandy and I  have gotten ticks and every time it’s been in low-lying areas. I checked Brandy and found none.

We finished our snack and returned taking alternate routes where we could. We passed the junction where our earlier trail joined the main trail and about 50 yards away was another hiker with a large dog. I looked at Brandy to see her reaction and she looked but kept on walking. I then looked back toward the hiker and abruptly ran into Brandy who had just stopped. Fortunately, it was light contact. She cowered a little, looked at me, determined that it was an accident and then continued on her way.

We saw two more horses and riders across the valley on the side trail, the same one that the hiker was on. We’ve hiked this area many times and I can recall seeing just one horse and rider in all those times. Today, we saw 5 horses with riders, a hiker and a dog. Unbelievable busy! I hike this area because I “never” see anyone.