San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers

Here are a few photos from near the Jackson Dr trail river crossing in Mission Trails Regional Park. This is near the start of one of the ways to hike South Fortuna Mountain.

A hike in the Laguna Mountains recommended as a fall hike by the Canyoneers. Other recommended hikes can be seen at: https://www.sdnhm.org//blog_/ten-great-hikes-for-fall/155/

Here are some photos from the South Fortuna hike recommended by the Canyoneers. The hike is in Mission Trails Regional Park. It goes from the Jackson Dr parking lot, up the South Fortuna staircase, north along the ridge to the saddle between North and South Fortuna, down from the saddle to the west and back again. The photos and comments can be seen at: https://www.flickr.com/phot/aking1/albums/72157716327350571

Canyoneer stream of consciousness by Sally Davis and Jim Varnell at Mast Park, Santee, California. Subjects discussed while standing next to a calabazilla patch, a wild squash, include: melon, horse, migration, oaks, grinding rocks. https://www.youtube.com/watch

Here is a video of Canyoneers Jim Varnell and Sally Davis talking about mulefat and the making of arrows by the Kumeyaay. This was recorded at Mast Park in Santee. Mast Park is one of the 10 Canyoneer recommended hikes for Sept-Oct 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch

One of the trails we recommended, the Kumeyaay Lake trail in Mission Trails Regional park is still closed as of September 7, 2020. This is a shady, little trail around the lake. Check at mtrp.org for the current status of the trail before making plans to hike it.

The Canyoneers are on hiatus for the Fall season due to COVID but we just posted ten recommended hikes for the Fall that you can do on your own. Make sure you always check ahead to see if the trail is open and follow the public health guidelines for safety on the trail. We have included links in the hike descriptions so you can check the respective websites. Hike responsibly keeping COVID in mind. https://www.sdnhm.org/education/canyoneer-hikes/

Thanks for a great season! As you probably know, we made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the hikes (through June) but are already planning the 2020-2021 season. Big thanks to all our volunteer Canyoneers and all hike participants who have hit the trails with us since late last summer. We also recognize the generosity of our corporate partner Subaru of America, Inc. whose commitment to outdoor education provided support for this program and underwrote free nature hikes for local classrooms. See you next season!

It's with much sadness that we cancelled all remaining Canyoneer hikes for the season. Be safe. We'll be back next fall circumstance permitting.

Here's a link to some photos from the hike of Meyer Valley (Boulder Creek) that didn't happen because of Covid-19. Since I was hiking by myself, the dog was okay. Notice the links to iNaturalist.org. They link to more information about the picture. https://www.flickr.com//72157713682375817/with/49715257527/

We have made the difficult decision to close The Nat to the public at least through March 27. This also entails canceling our Canyoneer-led hikes through April 30. We realize closures like these can feel ominous, but we see it as an act of solidaritya collective effort to protect our most vulnerable populations. Our museum doors may be closed, but our work will not stop. Head to sdnat.org/visit for more information.

The March 17 hike at Iron Mountain has been cancelled due to expected rain.

HIKE HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO EXPECTED RAIN Iron Mountain (Ellie Lane Loop Trail) Midweek Tuesday, March 17, 2020 8:00 AM... This alternative approach to hiking Iron Mountain has many of the same challenges and scenery but starts from a less-crowded parking area. There are hillsides of granitic boulders and views of Ramona from a saddle 200 feet lower than Iron Mountain peak. This is a difficult 6 mile hike with an elevation gain/loss of greater than 1500 feet. Scheduled to end by 12:30 PM. (Poway) Take I-8 take CA-67 and drive 13.5 miles north. Turn right at Ellie Ln. (0.5 mile north of the Poway Rd. traffic light) and meet the Canyoneer host in the parking area. Do not turn in at the Poway Rd. intersection entrance to the main Iron Mountain trailhead parking area. No facilities. (GPS N32.987684, W116.976938) Please, no dogs on Canyoneer hikes. About Nature Hikes: Canyoneers are San Diego Natural History Museum volunteers trained to teach appreciation of plants and animals in southern California. Walks are open to the public; no reservations are required. For more information visit the Canyoneer hikes page. https://www.flickr.com/phot/aking1/albums/72157713475789162