Losing A Friend: Jerry Schad, 1949 – 2011
A hiker, outdoorsman, astronomer and lifelong Californian, Jerry Schad was the author of 16 books, including Afoot and Afield In San Diego, considered the definitive publication of San Diego County hikes and trails. He was also the author of Orange and Los Angeles county editions of Afoot and Afield, a regional “best of,” and books on bicycling and trail running. Jerry also authored the Roam-A-Rama column in the San Diego Reader, which ran for 18 years until he brought it to a close earlier this year.
Jerry Schad’s Afoot and Afield Legacy
Before long, I was driving up fire roads on the Los Coyotes reservation near Warner Springs to the forests at the base of Hot Springs Mountain, only to be sideswiped by a view of the Salton Sea I will never forget, appearing like a giant mirage through the trees. I visited the oak groves of Oakoasis in Lakeside and was pleased to find such heavy tree wisdom so close to civilization, cared for as a county park. I walked along the headwaters of the wild Santa Margarita River on the backside of Camp Pendleton, and was calmed by its stillness and quiet.
