5. Chaparral and Water Resources

Recommended Reading

SAN DIEGO:  An Introduction to the Region by Dr. Philip R. Pryde

• • Chapter 3: The Nature of the County

COAST TO CREST AND BEYOND by Wolf Berger, Ph.D.

• Chapter 5: Clevenger Canyon to Santa Ysabel: Pages 100 - 103.

• Appendix II: Nature Notes by Karen Berger: Pages 136-137. 

Schedule:

Time:  9:00 am   Get to know your fellow hikers at the ESP Café

          9:30      Chaparral Presentation - Rick Halsey

          10:15    Water Resources Presentation - Jeffery Pasek

          4PM       Return to Trailhead 

What to Bring:  Lunch, Hiking sticks, day pack, water, and layers of clothing.

You will enjoy this day, which begins with a presentation by Rick Halsey of The Chaparral Institute.    https://www.californiachaparral.org/      

To get to Lake Sutherland from Ramona,   drive 6.2 miles to the left turn onto Lake Sutherland Road.  Be alert as this left turn appears quickly.  After a short drive, we will encounter a 500 foot drop into the river valley carved by the Santa Ysabel Creek.  We will meet at the building above the boat dock area where there are toilets available.  

After Rick's presentation, Jeff Pasek will give us an overview of the water resources management program in the river valley, and then we'll hit the trail. Our hike will be along the south shore on an easy, flat 2-mile trail to a lovely oak woodland called Deer Camp.  There we will have our lunch and reflection time. 

After lunch and Reflection, we will divide into two groups.  

1. Those who wish to can return using the same route back to the boat dock area, arriving about 3 pm.  

2. Those who want to go on the extended hike will proceed further up the river to a lovely series of cascades, which will add 2 miles and about 1.5 hours to the hike (some elevation change and rated moderate).   

View the Chaparral map.