Maple Canyon–revisited, with the Canyoneers

From my post last week you may recall we were to be in Mexico this weekend…  Well, we’re late, we’ll leave Monday.  I see The NAT’s Canyoneers are hiking Maple Canyon this week.  Maple Canyon is not mentioned in Jerry Shad’s Afoot and Afield nor in my new (signed) copy of Diana Lindsay’s Coast to Cactus.  So instead of heading south of the border, I joined the hike, meeting at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.



As a reminder Maple Canyon is/was my secret entrance into Balboa Park.  When the park is the venue for an event, and there is little to no parking, such as Saint Patrick’s Day.   Maple Canyon offers an easy access point.  It’s not a long hike, but The NAT will make this into a 6-mile morning walk – how?  I’ll let you know!  And since this is a new adventure for The NAT you’ll hear it here first .  

I did not count those interested in joining in.  We were divided in groups by guides who would shout out their intent … “The first 20 who want to move fast and hard follow me!” - some 50 people followed.  We similarly divided ourselves behind leaders offering history and botany.
My group, history, headed straight to the main street El Prado and across Cabrillo Bridge on Laurel Street.  Some readers might be interested to know the tower at the Museum of Man is again open to the public.



Kate Sessions has a park in her honor on Mt. Soldad, but her monument is here in Balboa Park.  A local school teacher and self taught Scientist and Botanist known as “The Mother of Balboa Park”.


My group descends to the Quince Street footbridge that connected residents to the trolly lines.



Yes Love Locks are showing up here too. 



To add both distance and variety we exit at the Maple Street Trailhead and head up Dove Street to the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge.



Returning to the park at the Marston House, the group is led down into Marston Canyon and across the Upas footbridge.


The white ‘fungus’ on the cactus is really bug poop from the cochineal.   Well documented in the book ‘A Red like No Other…’


I admire the irony as the hike ends at the Rose Garden just across the footbridge from The NAT.  Had I known I might have taken some rose petals to drop in Maple Canyon.

Unless one of the Canyoneers is reading my blog, one of my 6 readers talked!  Maple Canyon is no longer a secret .

The trails within Balboa Park are numbered and color coded.  But you need your reading glasses to read the trail name …


Details and maps of the 65 miles of the trail system can be found on their website.

San Diego’s Maple Canyon to Balboa Park

Where can you park for a major event in Balboa Park?  The St Patrick's Day Parade is such a major event and there’s little parking within a mile of Quince and 6th where the heart of the Festival will be.  Unless you know about the Maple Canyon Open Space Trail.

The trailhead at the end of Maple Street is wide and the hike quite shaded.

This time of year the trail is lined with wildflowers.



It’s an easy uphill as the trail passes under 1st Ave. bringing the Quince Street footbridge into view.


After crossing under the footbridge the trail quickly climbs the steep south side of the canyon.  Balboa Park is a couple blocks north after crossing over the footbridge.  The approach to the footbridge is a bit steep, but there are stairs to make it an easy assent.


And after an enjoyable half mile hike in the canyon.  We arrive a block off the parade route, where there are the kids activities, like this Leprechaun bungee jump.  Is that the Pope?


Most parades feature similar groups – local high school bands, car clubs, fire trucks, etc.  A few of our entries might be a bit different.  Escondido still has a mounted posse, used for search and rescue – and parades!.  Aircraft land after crossing over our parade route.


San Diego is still a Navy town, but the Navy was not present this year.  But the Marines took their place and put on an excellent re-enactment of raising the flag at Iwo Jima.  The sign on the side of their float reads “POW’s/MIA’s BRING THEM HOME OR SEND US BACK”. OORAH!


Since this is a St Patrick’s Day Parade – old men in green suits and dancing girls are required.

Lots of dancing girls!


And the pipes!  These guys sounded just as good as they look.


Perhaps a dozen bikes in the Penny Farthing club.  Why?


And food!  Traditional Irish


German-Irish, and my favorit Mexican-Irish – the corned beef taco!  both from the same food cart.


Something new this year was African-Irish.  We gave a bowl of jerked chicken a try, not bad, but too much oil for my taste … and not Irish! 


May you always walk in the sunshine.
May you never want for more.
May the Irish angels rest their wings,
Right beside your door.