Hiking has saved my life - literally. When I was in a very stressful work situation, going up a mountain, breaking sweat and coming to the place of just breathing and setting one foot in front of the other, kept me sane.
Here in San Diego, we have an area called Mission Trails which is basically in the middle of the city. But the minute you hit a trail, it feels like being out in the wilderness.
Wildlife does exist on the trails. I have encountered more than one rattlesnake. I saw coyotes, deer and all kinds of other critters.
However, one of the trails, the front side of Cowles Mountain, is not the place to encounter snakes and coyotes - at least not during the day.
This is the mountain to be climbed - well, you might call it a hill. Cowles Mountain is almost 1600 feet high and the hike up is about 1.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 950 feet.
Usually, I avoid that trail because it is so very busy.
See the row of cars along the road here?
All of the owners of these cars are on the mountain right now. On weekends, the hike to the trailhead can almost be as long as the hike to the top of Cowles.
However, when I went that day, I really had to use the bathroom before setting out and this is the only trailhead with that kind of a luxury.
I was unpleasantly surprised to see the addition of a soda vending machine. Really? Do a bit for your health and then drink soda.
But a lot of the improvements since my last visit were positive. Like this entrance to the trail from the street.
Here I am with my trusty hiking hat ready to go.
The first new sign I encountered was this one.
So many people take their dogs and don't provide for them at all. That day, I saw well over 30 dogs on the trail and very few of the owners were carrying water. And it was well above 80 Fahrenheit (over 27 degree Celsius).
This is the trailhead, all nice now with stairs and a wide trail - and lots more signs to tell people how to behave on the mountain.
See how that sign says that there is not trail fairy? Guess what I saw not far into the hike (and many more times later).
Yup. Just there. The owner apparently didn't notice that their little darling dropped something.
And close by, I found this.
I saw them going up and still in the same place going down - waiting for the fairy to come by.
Another addition were the fences all along the trail.
They are so necessary because people would take short cuts between the switchbacks and cause all kinds of erosion.
When I was in shape, I could go up and down the mountain in less than 45 minutes. This time, it took me an hour and a half. I started around 11 AM - not the best time because it is hot. Most hikers are on this trail in the morning hours and also after work in the evenings.
During my hike, I encountered 390 fellow hikers. I counted!!
No wonder they need so many signs and no wonder this trail is considered one of the most hiked trails in Southern California.
Red face to prove that I really hiked.
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