The Anza Borrego wild flower season is coming to a close so we decided to take a day trip out to explore the Canyon Sin Nombre area with a group of friends. Canyon Sin Nombre translates to "Canyon Without a Name" which makes it sound a bit more ominous then it really is. Sure there are some deep sand sections and some boulders to negotiate, but in general a stock 4WD can traverse this section of the Carrizo Badlands without any problems.   We left behind overcast skies on the coast and by the time we reached the Tecate divide the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue.   Our first stop was the overlook just south ... [More]

I drove out to Alpine after work to attend the town hall information meeting that SDG&E was holding to answer questions about the controversial Sunrise Powerlink. SDG&E had all the bases covered here. Besides cookies and drinks, residents could get color GIS printouts of where the line would run in reference to their property. You simply had to give the technician your parcel number and voila you get a map printout with an ugly green line bisecting it.  You know green for"Green Energy".Many residents seemed caught off guard with various portions of the approved route especially with how close it ran to some property lin... [More]

What started out as a quick day trip to see the wildflower bloom in Anza Borrego, turned into a trip back in time. Our original plan was to do some hiking and take pictures of wildflowers but at the last minute I decided we would try to find the pictographs at Indian Hill. There are numerous sources on how to find this magical place but most are sketchy at best. Many feel that the less exposure this area gets the better. That being said this is not a post on “How do I find Indian Hill and the pictographs?” . Rather it is a virtual tour of the area that you can take from the comfort of your computer chair. If you do decide to... [More]

Anza Borrego WildFlowers, Wildflower Report [More]

At 4229 feet Sombrero Peak is the highest point in the southern end of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We have observed this impressive mountain over the years from various vantage points but never made the trek to the  top.  As Jerry Schaad describes it : "Climbing Sombrero Peak is a feat attempted by relatively few people, but not because of its height (4229 feet above sea level), which is quite modest. Rather, the peak is remote from paved roads, and its boulder-guarded flanks discourage those who are not willing to put up with either a long march to its base (from the west) or a shorter but sweaty eastern approach up from the d... [More]

Anza Borrego Desert sign outside of Julian I guess there is a little sliver of Anza Borrego Desert State Park that comes up the mountain between Julian and Cuyamaca. I had never noticed this sign until a recent day trip to find snow.  

The CPUC in its' ultimate wisdom (read with sarcasm) voted 4-1 to allow SDG&E to build the Sunrise Powerlink along the proposed southern route. The 123 mile transmission line dubbed the "Renewable Energy Superhighway" by supporters will not even be required to carry clean renewable energy. In all fairness I should say the one nay vote was Commissioner Grueneich who proposed that SDG&E be required to transmit power from renewable energy sources over the line. SDG&E refused this proposal as did President Peevey whose decision won.  So what does this mean for we as San Diegans? We get to pay 2 Billion dollars for ... [More]

I am being a bit lazy here but here is a copy of the Sierra Club's smart energy E-Letter that was sent to me. Rather than me reiterating the hilights of this letter I though I would present it to you whole.  The email urges everyone to pick up a phone and dial Governor Schwarzenegger's office and tell him you oppose the Sunrise Powerlink. The number is 916-445-2841.  You will need to call during business hours and most likely you will talk to one of his assistants. Tell him that you oppose the Sunrise Powerlink in any form.No northern route, no southern route, we want in-basin power generation preferably using photovoltaics. ... [More]

Friday the administrative judge recommended that the CPUC reject any form of the Sunrise Powerlink stating:   Sunrise Powerlink is not needed to meet our energy needs Will not save ratepayers any money and would in fact raise rates Would have unmitigatable environmental effects   Hmm that sounds pretty close to what we have been saying for the past two + years. While this sounds like a total victory for Sunrise Powerlink opponents, CPUC commissioner Dian Grueneich on the other hand argued that the SPL is needed to meet California's mandated goals on reducing greenhouse gases. While she denies the northern route through... [More]

For tens of thousands of San Diego back country residents turning on a radio, light or TV may not be that easy when the Santa Ana winds begin to blow. This controversial proposal comes on the heels of CalFires/CPSD  investigation which blames SDG&E for 2 of the horrific firestorms of last October. SDG&E wants to amend wording in "Rule 14" so they can turn off the power when necessitated by safety or emergency concerns. (their wording)  I attended the CPUC public comments hearing regarding San Diego's 2007 wildfires. While this hearing was a bit smaller than previous hearings regarding SDG&... [More]