Granite Mt. Hike

With everything else going on, I don't get out with the Sierra Club as much as I would like.  But I carved out a day to do a hike I hadn't done before, Granite Mt.  It was around 30 degrees when we started at the trailhead near Shelter Valley.  But we quickly heated up as we left the wash and started climbing the first ridge.  From there it got steeper and rockier as we scrambled up another couple thousand feet of elevation.  The summit was quite windy and chilly.  We hunkered down a bit below to eat a snack and rest up.  Going down was often harder due to the slippery sand.  It was a great hike in great weather!  You can see my track here.

From the summit

Tree near the peak

Summit survey marker

Organized Local Thieves

Some local bandits were apparently into personal organization.  I hope they weren't in a gun-free zone.

Urban Backpack and Beach Camp

We usually don't do an overnight in December but I decided to squeeze an easy on in so we headed over to South Carlsbad State Beach for an urban backpack.  We were luck and avoided the rain before and after the weekend.  I made dinner for the troop on Saturday night but had an small accident when the patrol box tipped over while I was boiling water.  Nothing too bad just some first degree burns on my nose where the water splashed on me.  Overall, it was a fun short trip.

Urban backpacking along coast highway

Camping along the bluffs

Thanksgiving Book List

• Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles by Les Standiford -
• Fylling's Illustrated Guide to Pacific Coast Tide Pools by Marni Fylling
• Great World Religions: Judaism by Prof. Isaiah M. Gafni
• The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann - great exploration tale
• Burn: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries Book 16) by Nevada Barr - getting tired of the creepy storylines but this a good one
• Cannons: An Introduction to Civil War Artillery by Dean S. Thomas - great primer on 19th century artillery
• In Afghanistan: Two Hundred Years of British, Russian and American Occupation by David Loyn - read the first 2 sections covering up to the 20th century
• Superfood Snacks: 100 Delicious, Energizing & Nutrient-Dense Recipes by Julie Morris