Training Hike #3: Cowles Mtn

The weather was turning bad, so we decided we needed to keep our hikes closer to home for a while.  In San Diego, the weather is mild and you can hike all year round without having to deal with snow, rain, sub-zero temperatures, etc.

For our next hike we planned to check out Cowles Mtn.  We had hiked it many times in the past, in fact I used to run it about once a week while my daughter was at dance classes nearby.  I think that's how I wrecked my knees!

Our goal was to go out there and see how many times we could go up and down in a day.  It's 3 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 950 in 1.5 miles so an average of 633 ft elevation gain per mile, vs Mt. Whitney with an average elevation gain of 545 ft per mile.  The traffic on Cowles is crazy.  It's gotten to be like a super highway. We must've passed at least a hundred people in 6 miles, so we decided to call it quits after two times. San Diegans are obsessed with working out in the out of doors and in the last few years Cowles Mtn has become the destination of choice for many people who like to do trail running.  I remember climbing Cowles with our daughter when she was 6 or 7 (about 12 years ago) and there was hardly anyone else on the trail.

We decided to find another trail for our next hike.