34 San Diego Reader April 6, 2017


Gather No Moss TRAVEL STORIES AND TIPS FROM OUR READERS


Maya and I hit the trail. It was off-leash friendly, so once we were clear of the parking lot, Maya was free to run. The name reflects the trail: “Little Lakes.”


Maya looking out over Long Lake, two miles from the Little Lakes trailhead


Welcome to


Bear Country By Veronica Remsbottom


Although I had only been home a month, I had irrationally hoped to get my ideal big-girl job and within a few months be settled in my big-girl apartment. Since I was nowhere near that goal and was feel- ing low, I opted for a camping trip near Bishop.


I packed a few essentials and off we went on the six-hour drive north, making a brief stop at the end to get my over- night permit at the ranger station. The turn on Tom’s Place opened onto a fresh scene: tall alpine trees and a small river running parallel to the road. There was a slight chill as the windy road took us higher in elevation. Smelling the freedom, Maya popped her head out the window with pure dog joy.


I put on my socks and hiking shoes and then the battle began. First, I had to put my food into the newly purchased bear canister. Since this was the heart of bear country, the canister is required for both human and pup food. I rushed out of the sports shop and barely paid any attention to the instructions the guy tried to give me. It was something along the lines of “Push down and twist.” At the time, I thought it was pretty self-explanatory. After all, bears don’t have opposable thumbs. How hard could it be?


I stood there in the parking lot look- ing at the round canister. It was worse than childproof medicine containers. After another minute of examining it, I pushed the middle and twisted the lid. Yay for thumbs. The lid was free! With dinner and snacks in the container, another battle of sticking the container into my backpack ensued. It took a few moments of wrestling my bright orange sleeping bag and manipulating the fabric to accommodate another item, but I won that, too.


A well-worn path winds around several lakes of different sizes. It’s wel- coming enough for novice hikers, but not overly populated to leave those of more experience annoyed. The tall, rocky-gray Blue Mountains still con- tain thick sheets of snow despite being the middle of July.


Maya and I veered off the path to look over one of the rocky ledges above Long Lake.


After all this time, Maya knows the routine. Although some would say as a dog she lacks such insight, she understands that a picture is always necessary. She has developed the habit of finding the highest rock nearest the edge and standing on it look- ing pensively at the view. She awaits patiently as I set up our friend Tripod and snap a few pictures to ensure the right angle. I set the timer, run to the spot, pose, and wait for the click. It’s our thing.


While Maya sniffed around the trees, I stood there looking at the val- ley. The tall mountain peaks and the alpine forest reflected on the tran- quil water. The warm sun and slight glacier breeze made it a perfect hiking day.


Settling at Chickenfoot Lake, I set up camp near the lake. Fifty feet away from water is a requirement of camp- ing. Not quite adept at visually calcu- lating any sort of distance, I hoped for the best, figuring that a ranger would educate me if I was in violation. The sun had begun to set and it got chilly. Maya frolicked in the water and sniffed around within her usual range, while I set up camp. After another brief battle with the bear canister, I succeeded in rescuing my dinner and began to cook my Top Ramen in my handy-dandy Jet Boil Mini-Mo. The creator of that device is my hero.


The ranger had provided me with an education pamphlet on how to set up camp. Silliness, I thought, and didn’t pay much attention to it. But as I sat there looking at the emerging but somehow ominous full moon, I read what was given to me.


A triangle diagram encouraged continued on page 36


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unset Cliffs Natural Park, a 68-acre City of San Diego regional park, offers spectacular sunset


viewing, as implied by the name; however, beauty can be found at any time of day. The park is most commonly enjoyed as a 1.5-mile walk along sheer cliff faces along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard from its intersection with Adair Street in the north to Ladera Street in the south. This portion of the 18-acre


Read before you go SDReader.com/Travel


San Diego Outdoors with the Museum Canyoneers ROAM-O-RAMA


SUNSET CLIFFS NATURAL PARK — LINEAR SECTION View impressive ocean views and sandstone cliffs


Distance from downtown San Diego: approximately 9 miles. Allow 20 minutes driving time (Point Loma). From I-5 N take I-8 W until the terminus then turn south (left) onto Sunset Cliffs Boulevard for 3.2 miles. At the end, veer to the left onto Ladera Street. Park in the signed parking lot toward the end of Ladera Street. Alternatively, intermittent parking can be found along Sunset Cliffs Blvd past the intersec- tion with Adair Street. Facilities in the Ladera Street parking lot. Hiking length: 3.0 miles round trip. Difficulty: Easy. Minimal change in elevation (less than 50 feet). Check tide schedule.


View of the natural bridge in Sunset Cliffs Linear Park


Linear Section of the park is complemented by a hillside component that encompasses land at the south end of the park. Parking in the lot just off Ladera Street gives easy access to both sections of the park and is often more plentiful than park- ing along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. If parking in the lot, begin the trail on the north end of the parking lot, which immediately descends with a few stairs. Follow the trail along a 1.5- mile stretch of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard before turning back to return to your car. Dramatic ocean views and


impressive cliffs overlooking pocket beaches are the hall- mark of this park. The sand- stone cliffs erode naturally with wave action, though this process is dramatically has- tened by urban runoff. A walk along the Linear Section of the park shows many examples of human-caused erosion. In some areas, one must ven- ture onto sections of the main road; however, these sections are separated from traffic by small barriers. If you visit the park between December and March, head down to one of the benches near the intersec- tion of Hill Street to look for migrating gray whales in the distance. This is also a great spot to watch sea birds such as pelicans, western gulls, and cormorants glide above the ocean’s surface. The stairs at the corner of Ladera Street and Sunset Cliffs Bou-


Find maps for the hikes and more Roam-O-Rama columns online at SDReader.com/roam continued on page 37


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