Cool Breezes, Tasty Waves and Some Invigorating Hiking

The Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, at 12600 North Torrey Pines Road, is one of the most interesting State Parks in the area. Torrey Pines is fairly easy to get to from almost any direction and not only does it have a really nice beach, but it has a myriad of hiking trails. You can either try and find parking on the streets around the beach and walk up the road to park headquarters at the top of the cliff, pay to park in the lot at the base, or do what those of us who are truly cheap and lazy (me) and park at the Torrey Pines Golf Course off of North Torrey Pines Rd. Here you can park in a nice parking lot, with no fussy parallel parking or fees of any kind. You're also adding a mile and half walk on an sneaky back road into the reserve, which if you're looking for exercise is always nice.

There are several different trails you can choose from, all of which run along the cliffs and offer up gorgeous views of the orange, mottled Torrey Pines cliffs. Most of the trails will lead you down to the beach on a set of scary, steep, sandy stairs, at which point you can either choose to explore the beach and head back the way you came, or you can do the loop by walking up the main road to the reserve.

The best part is, after you've spent all afternoon hiking getting disgusting and sweaty, you can always spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach and enjoying the delightfully ice cold water.

On a recent hike, I discovered a great way to get lunch after all my hard work. I had heard about the God Save the Cuisine food truck from Ed Bedford's column, Tin Fork in The Reader, and I really wanted to try it out. The morning of this particular I hike I heard via their Twitter account, @GSTCuisine, that they would be in the business park right across from the golf course on Torreyana Road that afternoon. It was fate. So instead of stopping at the car my mom, brother and I walked up a couple of blocks, turned into the business park and had a delightful lunch. There were four trucks parked in front of a grassy hill, littered with shade producing trees where everyone was enjoying their lunch breaks.

I was not disappointed. My mom and I ordered the Fish and Chips Taco, which far surpassed most of the fish and chips I had eaten while in London. Delicious.

My brother chose to go with the Italian option at MangiaMangia Mobile (@MangiaTruck for their schedule). He ordered the Lobster Ravioli, which he claimed was one of the best lobster raviolis he's ever had. And he's tried a lot, with quite a discerning palate for a thirteen year old.

Black Mountain Part 2

I stand corrected. I saw my first rattlesnake on the trail yesterday. It wasn't so much raining as it was heavily misting, which actually made for a very enjoyable hiking atmosphere. No blistering heat from the sun, although it was a little humid and we were all covered in a heavy sheen of mist. For this hike we parked at Hilltop Park right up the street from Black Mountain Middle School on Oviedo Way. From this park you can take the Nighthawk Trail as opposed to the Miner's Loop Trail on the other side of the mountain. I think I prefer coming from the Nighthawk side better. It's just as long of a hike to the top of the mountain but the trail is a little wider and doesn't have as many surprise rocks jutting out in the middle of the trail. You are also parking in a paved lot as opposed to the dirt lot on the other side which is nicer on your car. As me, my mom and my uncle set out, a group of hikers on their way down warned us about a tiny, coiled-up rattlesnake in the middle of the trail. We thanked them, and then my uncle quickly dismissed the warning, saying that by the time we reached that part of the trail the snake would have fled. So we kept hiking, and saw no sign of any snake, which is usually the case when I receive a heads up from other hikers. As a side note, as we made our way back down the mountain we ran into a group of women on their way up. I was running down the hill, which is dangerous considering the amount of loose rocks and dirt. Not only did these three women take up the entire trail, but not one of them felt like moving over for me as I barreled into them. They also had three dogs off-leash, one of which ran straight under my legs, and seeing as how it would have been very hard for me to stop myself, I very nearly went head-over-heels down the mountain. It has nothing to do with the snake, but when you're out hiking there's a level of politeness and etiquette that should be observed so you don't cause your fellow hikers severe injury. After this debacle, another set of hikers warned us about the rogue snake in the trail. We thanked them, but continued to see no sign of any snake. Towards the end of the hike I was running ahead of my uncle and my mom, so I was the first one to finally spot it. Luckily I was running on the outside of the trail, otherwise I would have stepped on it. Even then, I barely saw it, and had to double back. It seemed like it had been there the whole time, snug up against a rock with a little pocket dug in the dirt to get warm in. We must have straight up passed it on the way out.

After warily taking the picture of the baby snake, keeping a safe distance, my uncle grabbed a shrub branch and very gently nudged the snake off the trail. The whole time he cooed to it, "Come on buddy, trust me, you'll be safer in the bushed."

Iron Mountain or Pride & Prejudice?

Iron Mountain sits on highway 67 as Poway begins to disappear into Ramona. It's a rocky dusty hike, taking roughly an hour to the top and then an hour back down (if you're really hustling). Seven miles round trip. There's a very nice parking lot equipped with bathrooms and strategically placed benches at the trail head in the shade for some relief as you reach the end (or, as my mother witnessed once, to serve as a place for women to sit while strange men you met on the trail massage your dirty, sweaty feet). There's very little shade as you hike up the mountain, scrambling over protruding rocks and gradually moving up over evenly spaced switchbacks. And out in Poway, away from any sort of coastal breeze, this can be a very hot hike if done in the afternoon. The best time to begin your trek is as early as you dare wake up. My favorite time is 5:30 am. I know that sounds scary, and completely unnecessary, but it's well worth it. As you begin to move into the tight trails snaking up the mountain you first walk through an open field. This early in the morning the field is filled with mist, resembling the dreamlike, dreary countryside of Mr. Darcy and "Pride and Prejudice."

You do have to watch out for the occasional rattlesnake, whose tube-like tracks can be seen crisscrossing the trail, but I've still never come across anything more menacing than a stink bug or a giant ant. Once you make it to the top, you're greeted with a picnic bench, lots of big rocks to sit on and an incredible view. The top of the mountain sits above the foggy cloud cover and you feel incredibly accomplished.

The Hunt For The Black Mountain Arsenic Mine

Forget about the rattlesnakes and beautiful Penasquitos views. Hiking through the canyons and hills surrounding Black Mountain is all about crazy, wild adventuring. There is a whole myriad of trails in this area that I had no idea about. The Black Mountain Open Space Park offers trails that wind all the way to the water tower on Penasquitos Drive and back, with four different trail heads. The trail that I took was the Lower Miner's Ridge Loop Trail, which can either loop back real quick to the parking lot, or continue to the tower, 4S Ranch, or Hilltop Park. The center of the park is the summit of Black Mountain, which can also be accessed by a trail from Hilltop Park, near Black Mountain Middle School. It's a good idea to take one of the maps provided in the parking lot with you.


One of the best things about the trails is the variance. You don't get bored because the incline, terrain, and difficulty level change throughout the hike. There are two different outlook off-shoots from the trail also. The first is longer and takes you down a very skinny, overgrown trail that opens out to a small lookout point with a bench.

Now, I have to say to approach the bench with caution because of a little encounter my mom and uncle had on their first time down there. Remember, I said that this trail is impossibly narrow and then it just all of a sudden puts you right on top of this bench. No warning, nothing. So the first time that they stumble on this bench, there's a cozy looking couple sitting there. I'm sure it absolutely killed the mood, as the look-out area is only big enough for two people to comfortable stand and only turn around in place. I'm sure the four of them were really feeling the love. It also prompted my family members to create long, drawn-out scenarios about how much worse it would have been if just my uncle walked down that trail, playing the part of creepy old guy in the underbrush. Needless to say, make a lot of noise on your way down. The view really is worth it.





The trail is called Miner's Ridge Loop because it circles an old mine, that is down in an extremely overgrown valley. If you cut the trail, and sneak through the brush to the edge you can see down. We saw a Subaru parked down there, which is very interesting considering no vehicles are allowed. Sounds like the beginning of a b-list horror movie to me...



As you climb the hill, you get closer to the summit of Black Mountain and get a really great view out from both sides. From here you can choose different trails to continue down, all depending on where you want to end your hike. Look at the maps, research a bit, and you can plan a path that works the best for you.


It's just a really great place to explore, find new trails, and enjoy the brush while it's not super dried-out yet. It's an amusing yet satisfying, very free way to spend the day. Let me know if you find the abandoned mine shafts...