Kim_Johnson
This hike kicked my butt!
The website I used to find this place listed this hike as easy to moderate. Only five miles round trip, most of the hike is under a canopy of trees and level. The reward is that you can pick one of two lakes to hike to. The trail splits after you come out of the tree canopy. Both trails list the lakes to be 1.2 miles. The rest of this journey is walking up the lake, I chose Lake Ramona. The rest of the way would be in the sun and only 1.2 miles. We took plenty of water for the dogs. Good thing.
It was a gorgeous sunny warm day. The temps started off in the low sixties. Weather had warned that it might get up to 77 degrees. Perfect day for a hike.
Well the weather channels around here sometimes get it wrong. We have so many temperature differences just in San Diego County that they don’t always get the temperatures correct.
It got into the high 80’s to low 90’s in the sun. Three days later and I can hardly walk because of my sore muscles. I thought I was getting in shape, but apparently not. I have a long way to go..
Now for that hike..(This is more than one page)
#1 Blue Sky Ecological Reserve
#2 A nice walk in the country…
#3 Boulders
#4 A look back
#5 Lake Poway
#6 The trail
#7 6% Grade
#8 Trees again finally..
We stopped for a much needed water and shade break here.
I learned something today. Always look at elevation gain when planning a hike. I learned after I got home that this is an elevation gain of 1, 347 feet, at 1.2 miles on a 6% grade. Easy to moderate is the width of trail. The hike I did in the Secret Canyon was listed as difficult. Because it was a narrow path with a high likelyhoo of falling to your death. Yikes. I thought the rating was the difficulty.
Wow that is a long hike Kim.
Five days, still sore. I over did it, big time.