The Trail Report is a weekly newsletter from reporter Maura Fox, sharing her latest hikes, plus other news, musings and more about San Diego County’s outdoors. Click here to subscribe.
I wouldn’t mind being a duck, I thought to myself as I walked along Lindo Lake in East County this week, where the birds glided along the water and rested on the shore, seemingly without a care in the world.
That’s how you know times are hard: when you dream of turning into waterfowl.
I’m sure ducks have their own issues, maybe some interpersonal (interduck?) conflicts and concerns about where they’re going to eat for dinner. But I couldn’t help but feel envious. The state of the world and country — along with my own inner life — has been especially troubling this month, and I’m trying to find moments of tranquility, small breaks before diving back into reality.
I didn’t expect the 1.5-mile loop around Lindo Lake County Park to be so helpful for my mental health. But I really do have to give credit to the birds. Along with the ducks, there were great-tailed grackles and Canada geese and hummingbirds. It was a genuine delight to watch and hear them, and I left the park with a renewed energy — kicked into gear by the simple act of smiling at these winged creatures on a sunny afternoon. It was a reminder that something small can have a big impact.
Take care of your mental health and find yourself some birds — and read more about Lindo Lake in this week’s hiking column. If you want a more challenging East County hike, you can try out the trails at Louis A. Stelzer County Park or the Oakoasis County Preserve — or the strenuous climb up El Cajon Mountain.
I was also excited to see a story this week from La Jolla’s Light’s Noah Lyons about the unique rock stacks at a La Jolla beach. The perfectly balanced rocks are likely familiar to hikers, since we often see them — called cairns — marking a trail. Oddly enough, they’re also sometimes called “ducks”…
Clearly, all roads this week are leading to ducks, but I don’t mind.
Where should I hike next? My inbox is always open to suggestions.
Until then, have a great week.
—Maura
A steep climb up El Cajon Mountain is not for the faint of heart
Find a mix of easy and difficult hiking at East County’s Louis A. Stelzer Park
Reservoir views await on this hike through the Oakoasis County Preserve
Impressive rock stacks at La Jolla beach are a product of geophysics, professor says