Introduction: San Diego has a River?

Following upon the successes of our blog Walking the Coast, Anita and I have decided to take on a slightly more ambitious project that goes back to a tradition as old as exploration itself:  Following the course of great river from the ocean to it's headwaters.  Such journeys have been the fodder for many a story or song, and certainly it has been integral to making our society what it is at this present dat.  Although it is now the case that most of the earth is pretty well explored and mapped, if not by foot, then at least by satellite, but does such technology and information completely satiate our curiosity?  I suspect we are missing some sense of continuity.  We have gone from a society of rivers, to one of roadways and though some roads still follow the river and other natural contours,  many have engineered the lands role in our travels almost out of existence.  Take for example Interstate 805, (a.k.a the Jacob Dekema Freeway, so named for the architect of San Diego's freeway system), throughout its entire length is enjoys a substantial degree of grade separation, carving canyons into kearny mesa, Sailing high above Mission Valley.  It is convenient and society as we understand it presently depends upon it, but I and others sometimes ask what have we forgotten?

On this Blog we will explore the old ways of travel, superimposed on modern western civilization.  We will follow the San Diego River from its outflow in Ocean Beach to it's headwaters near Santa Ysabel / Julian, walking on foot where possible, using public transit for logistical support where we can, bicycles where we cannot, and perhaps doubling back where necessary.  When travel on foot cannot be done we will proceed on boat, and so get a sense of the present day river.

How easy is this quest?  Depends where we are really.  There is no shortage of private property, construction and other elements of the modern world in our way, but I suspect our dream is not so crazy.  Indeed there is an organization: the San Diego River Park Foundation, who's goal is to establish a continuous multi use trail along the river's entire length.  It is certainly a work in progress and nowhere near complete, so for now we may divert onto sidewalks and surface street, or high up onto the nearest mountainside trail.  We hope to capture all of that both highlighting the joy an possibilities without ignoring the challenges that lie ahead.

A bit about us:
Sasha:   I'm a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, conducting computer simulations of rivers under the Antarctic Ice Sheet.  I have lived in San Diego a little over 5 years since finishing Graduate School in Austin, TX.  I have fallen in love with the land the people and found a bit of a family and community here.  I went to High School in Riverside, only 80 miles north and spent my teenage years wandering its flood control basins and hills.  Although much about life here seems familiar, it feels here like its own place and a place that has evolved as have I as has the planet.  This journey seemed timely.

Anita: