» laguna mountains
the laguna mountains are about 1 hour east of san diego and stand between the cleveland national forest and the anza-borrego desert, offerring views of the stark difference between the two. we hiked up garnet peak (5,900'), starting from the penny pines trailhead. the weather forecast for the area was a sunny 94 degrees so we weren't sure if we would be hiking or just cooking in the sun so we covered ourselves in butter and oregano, and hit the trails. but, it didn't really seem that hot, probably due to the constant 30-40 mph anti-hat wind.

the south end of the laguna mountains from the sunrise highway.

looking east from the sunrise highway.

garnet peak from the south.

monument peak.

looking down storm canyon towards the desert.

getting closer to garnet peak.

the south face of garnet peak, the desert floor below, and, in the mountains, burnt trees from the 2003 fire.

looking north from midway up garnet peak.

looking south (where we came from).

looking south, towards monument peak, from the summit of garnet mountain.

looking east, towards the desert, from the summit of garnet mountain.

looking north, towards granite mountain, from the summit of garnet peak.

we were there.

» torrey pines
i've been here many times, but it's always an interesting place to explore.

a rattlesnake, a jellyfish, a squirrel, and a lizard.

a stripe in the cliffs and the view from a big rock that lays in the ocean.

from yucca point.

» glider port
just down shore from torrey pines.

looking north and the ocean at sunset.

there are all sorts of trails up the cliffs from the beach. on this day we tried a new way up which turned out to be a really interesting canyon with a trickling stream and strange rock formations including a little "slot" canyon at the top.

» kayaking la jolla shores
i didn't bring a camera with me when we went kayaking around la jolla shores, so below are some quick sketches from memory (not accurate, or good). also, here are some written highlights:

since i'm sure you can't tell by looking at them, this is what they are supposed to be:

top left: a shark visible in a wave, a school of fish and a jelly fish. top right: the cliffs and garibaldi fish in the shallows. bottom left: seals and a crab in the kelp. bottom right: leopard shark, seal, garibaldi.

 

< Back to Photos & Trip Reports

» all photo reports from southern california
San Diego, California
December 18 - 31, 2012
Photos from Torrey Pines and Encinitas.
La Jolla, California
June 9 - 20, 2011
Photos from the coastline around La Jolla.
Cabrillo National Monument, California
May 28, 2009
Enjoying the great views from Point Loma. Not a lot of (good) photos though.
San Diego, California
August 7 - 12, 2008
Not many photos, we mostly hung out at the beach.
La Jolla, California
December 23 - 30, 2007
Hiking around Torrey Pines, enjoying the views from Mount Soledad, and walking along La Jolla Cove.
San Diego, California
December 25 - 29, 2006
Pictures from Torrey Pines, La Jolla beaches, and Iron Mountain.
Santa Catalina Island & San Diego, California
July 20 - 26, 2006
Sailing around Santa Catalina Island and hiking around Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego.
Santa Catalina Island, California
May 6, 2006
Hiking to Lone Tree Point on Santa Catalina Island, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Los Angeles.
Southern California
August 25 - 30, 2005
Hiking in the Laguna Mountains, and kayaking La Jolla Shores.
Southern California
February 10 - 15, 2005
Pictures from multiple trips, including Torrey Pines, Big Bear, Anza-Borrego Desert, and Santa Barbara.
 
Around California
August 11 - 26, 2012
From San Diego to Yosemite to Lake Tahoe.
San Diego, California
December 21 - 31, 2009
A few photos from the beach.
Joshua Tree, California
December 22 - 31, 2008
A quick trip through Joshua Tree National Park and a few other places near San Diego.
San Diego, California
March 27 - April 1, 2008
Wandering the beaches of La Jolla, checking out the Anza-Borrego Desert, and doing a quick hike near Iron Mountain.
Torrey Pines, California
January 20, 2007
A few pictures from an evening walk along the beach in Torrey Pines State Park.
Big Sur, California
July 22, 2006
Driving up the California coast from San Diego to Monterey, checking out Morro Bay, San Simeon, McWay Falls, Big Sur, and Point Lobos.
San Diego, California
May 4 - 8, 2006
Hiking around the San Diego area: Torrey Pines, La Jolla Cove, San Diego Gliderport, and some inland canyons.
Southern California
November 10 - 14, 2005
Hiking in the Anza-Borrego Desert, exploring Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park, and climbing Iron Mountain.
Southern California
May 2005
Hiking to Cedar Falls, up Woodson Mountain, and through La Jolla Valley.
Torrey Pines, California
Favorites
My favorite photos from Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego.
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