CalActive.com Activities Blog

Before anything, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4^th of July. I had the opportunity to enjoy several firework shows at the home of one of our affiliates on the hills in San Clemente. The view was exceptional, the BBQ was great, and the people were friendly and welcoming.

We decided that on Saturday (the day after July 4th) we were going Canyoneering in Mt Baldy, CA. We met up with our guides near the canyon at 9:00am sharp, at which time we geared up our backpacks with rope, harnesses, helmets, jackets, camera, lunch, and lots of water. The guides (Chase, Gavin, and James) gave us a quick run-down of what we were to expect and how to use all of our gear.

To start, we did a 30 minute hike up the canyon taking a couple of quick breaks. The open, endless views were breathtaking. It was amazing to think that an hour earlier we were in the middle of the city.

At the end of our hike up the canyon we came to a dead-end. One with a beautiful river leading to a waterfall and more incredible views. The guides started to set up the ropes and showed us what we were going to be doing: hanging sideways at a 90 degree angle with the wall of the canyon. That’s right, we were going to use the rope and our harness to walk backwards on the waterfall.

I was actually able to stop half way down and take a photo looking up. Take a look:

We did this through three different drops until we reached one that needed some extra guidance. We were going to go through a waterfall this time. Until now we were stepping on water, but never really got too wet. Our videographer, Dain, decided he wanted to go first so he could film us on the way down, I went second, and my wife came after me. Dain was pretty much finished after this one, I was ok, and my wife… well, she had a harder time getting down this one. The water kept hitting her so hard, she lost her balance and had to make it down the hard way, being lowered and bouncing around the walls. She made it safely, but it was a scary moment (see photo below). Everyone else made it just fine.

After the big waterfall, we had two more drops and made it to the bottom and hiked back to our cars and checked in our gear. We invited our guides out to dinner and enjoyed some fine Italian cuisine.

Bottom line, if you like to be active, Canyoneering is most definitely an activity you can’t miss. Check out CalActive.com to book your Canyoneering adventure; it’s well worth it.

Goodbye Spring and Hello Summer my fellow Californians! The first part of this years has been a blast, but I am sure it won’t compare to the good times we are about to encounter. The cities along the coast of California offer some of the most beautiful and fun spots in the US during the summer time. You can bet on the fact that we, CalActive, are most definitely going to enjoy the hot season. There are just so many things to do in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, etc.

Here are some of the activities we hope to do this summer:

Canyoneering in Los Angeles, California: This just sounds like such a blast. We haven’t gotten around to it yet, but we will soon. In the meantime, some of you should try it out and definitely let us know how much you loved it. “…hiking up a mountain trail that parallels a deep canyon, where down below you hear water flowing over the rocky canyon bottom,” need I say more?

Jet Ski Rentals in Lake Perris: We are definitely getting out there this summer. Jet Skiing - nothing else.

Surfing Lessons in Laguna Beach: I have to admit, I still have never tried to surf, but this summer I plan to change that. Our good friend Jason does the surfing lessons, so it should be a great time. I’m pretty sure he can make me a pro!

Scuba Diving in Catalina Island: As a child I grew up in the island of St. Maarten and have always had a passion for under water life. I have done much snorkeling in my life, but not much scuba diving. I’ll be sure to start getting on that!

Do you have any good activity ideas for the summer? What are you going to be doing? Leave a comment.