Is the hike you have planned too short and mundane? Then you should try it in the middle of a storm! Mark and I checked off two peaks in style today. We got our clothes soaked, Eli got wet and dirty beyond description, and we triumphed over the elements!
We tackled Kwaay Paay first. It's kinda the "middle peak" in Mission Trails Regional Park. It seems so odd that the San Diego River flows right through this little mountain range. Couldn't it have found a better way around? Anyway, the trail is steep and short. I would imagine the views of East County would be pretty nice if the storm wasn't in the way.
Peak #2 was Black Mtn #2. Yes, there are two Black Mountains in san Diego. And the one you see from the I-15 every day is #2. Hiking to the peak was made challenging for two reasons: 1.) We could only see about 100 feet ahead of us at times. 2.) The most obvious trails to the peak are block with inexplicable fences that offer little or no direction on where you should actually go.
I believe the caption for this photo is, "Arrrgh! This be quite a squall! Reef the mains'l! Drop the sea anchor! Arrr!"
And this video gives you an idea of what the weather was like. Check out the dog's ears!
Our route up the mountain started at the parking area accessible from Carmel Valley Road. This little hiccup in the middle of the route is where we got a little sidetracked by one of the mystery fences. Also, we couldn't see where we were going in the fog...
Total mileage for the day was about 5.6 miles with ~1,600 feet of climbing. What did we learn today? Steamy men and a wet dog make a small car smell bad. Very bad.
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