[pct-l] Day-hiking Partner

[how]

I'm looking for a day-hiking partner in San Diego County and nearby
Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Here's the summary:

I’ve been hiking in San Diego and nearby Riverside and San Bernardino
counties for nearly 30 years. I started long before Jerry Schad’s “Afoot and
Afield in San Diego County” was published and know scores of hikes, many not
in that book. I’m still finding new places.

The hikes are usually about 10 to 12 miles, involve between two to three
hours of driving roundtrip, and pretty much consume the daylight hours,
especially at this time of year. They’re most often on public land — county,
state or federal — but I’ve been known to hike private land that was too
compelling to pass up. So far, that hiking has gone mostly undetected.

With past and present hiking partners, we usually share the driving by
alternating who drives. That’s influenced by where each lives. I live in
Encinitas, which is on the North San Diego County coast. In my truck, two to
three hours of driving usually comes out to $25 to $35 in gas.

Saturday is usually hike day because weekdays inevitably mean getting caught
in commuting traffic going out and coming back. Sundays and holidays would
work too. Weekdays are OK if there's a way to avoid the traffic jams.

In the past, I’ve been in touch with people who think a walk in the park is
hiking. To me, hiking is on trails — I’ve sworn off bushwhacking for the
most part — in the wilderness, or as close as we get to wilderness in
heavily populated Southern California.

Degree of difficulty is moderate. Tame is not satisfying, and I’ve had
enough of radical. I wear old clothes and good boots, and strap on a fanny
pack with water and portable food for the day. I take a pocket digital
camera, binoculars, a cell phone, and pack first-aid and emergency items,
hoping I won’t need them.

I'm 66. If you're 40- or 50-something, don't let 66 deter you. I'm an avid
hiker. However, if you're 20- or 30-something and like to spin and bounce as
you hike, we're probably not a good pair.

In mid-April '10, I did ~15 miles on a beautiful stretch of the PCT. First
time I've ever hiked through acres of California poppies. Later on, I saw
quail, so it was the state flower and state bird on the same day.

How’s that sound?

*Day-hiker Keenan*