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I’ve dedicated the better half of my Hike of the Week columns this month to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, stemming from a camping trip I took early this month.
Late winter is the best time to camp in the desert, in my humble opinion. Daytime temperatures are milder, and the evenings are brisk. Before this trip, it had been months since my last one.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve better understood how much I need to be outside regularly — and enjoy the benefits that come with it: that first cup to camp coffee in the morning, admiring a cozy campsite from my seat by the crackling campfire and the mere knowledge that I get to spend all day and night under the sky. It’s powerful stuff.
My hike this week isn’t too far from the Vallecito County Park, where I camped, but there’s something about the 1.5-mile loop that I found quite charming. Anyone who has taken a walk around their campground after setting up their site knows the sense of ease that comes with it, along with the promise of a good weekend ahead.
Get out to the desert while you can. Vallecito County Park is only open through May and is closed for the summer months.
Farther north, Yosemite is poised to receive a swell of visitors this summer — perhaps too many — after the Trump administration last week removed reservation requirements. Environmental groups and elected officials raised alarm over the decision, saying it’ll lead to chaos for visitors and pose risks to the park’s natural resources. It’s not the only national park going that route, either. Arches in Utah and Glacier in Montana also won’t require reservations this year.
But you don’t need to venture too far for natural beauty. Back in San Diego County, the Carlsbad flower fields will open to the public on Sunday, with staff expecting a bountiful bloom thanks to the recent rains.
And for a bit of astronomy, take a look at the recently released photo of a region of the Milky Way, captured by a telescope in northern Chile. The pinks and purples and reds of the cosmic gases seem to dance across the galaxy. As one researcher told the Associated Press: “It’s a place of extremes, invisible to our eyes, but now revealed in extraordinary detail.”
Extraordinary, indeed. Enjoy your week — and get outside. Who knows what you might see?
—Maura
Hike of the week: Take a turn through Vallecito Valley on this easy desert loop
Hike of the week: Admire Anza-Borrego from above and below on the climb to Whale Peak
Trump administration eliminates reservations at Yosemite National Park this summer
The Flower Fields to open its 55 acres of ranunculus to the public March 1
Hike of the week: Rainbow Canyon lives up to its name as a colorful destination in Anza-Borrego
Swirling beauty of the Milky Way galaxy’s heart is captured in a new telescope picture