Several San Diego Eagles and members of their families started July off with a hike yesterday in Mission Trails Regional Park, located between Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Cowles Mountain in East San Diego. For locals, spring and early summer had featured much marine layer and relatively cool temperatures. By late morning, July 1 was “toasty.”

Among the several trails in what is considered one of the largest urban parks in the United States, we walked the Oak Canyon Trail. It’s a 3.2-mile round trip over what’s considered “moderate” terrain. Oak Canyon is a ravine lined with sycamore and oak trees winding north from the Old Mission Dam. The dam itself was built between 1807 and 1816, under supervision of the San Diego Mission, and was considered a major engineering feat of its day. You can see it to the right in the group photo at the top of the post.

(Before we set off, but after the group photo was taken, we were joined by hardcore hiker Justin Niles ’09.)

Before the hike even started, we had a helpful reminder to stay alert. At the trailhead, just on the other side of a low line of rocks, a rattlesnake sat coiled. At least that’s how the person taking pictures described it. By the time I looked, the snake was moving slowly away. The photo below shows the back end and rattle. Other prospective hikers noticed it in the same area for some time.

Here’s a gallery of images from the hike out. Just click on one to enlarge.

Near the turnaround point of the hike, we came upon one of California’s common natural landscapes.

And here is a gallery of scenes from the hike back in.

Following the hike, most of the group recovered and refreshed at the nearby San Diego Brewing Company. While there, we encountered Marianne Russo ’99 and her husband, Damon Halback, and children. They had hiked another trail in the park, but knew where to find us afterward.

More hikes are on the agenda, but probably in cooler seasons. Stay tuned for info on another beach bonfire in August. This is a scene from the one last year.