Potato Chip Rock - Mt. Woodson Hike

I don't usually like popular hikes. True, they are often popular for a reason, but the amount of people hiking those trails really spoil the whole experience. There is one pro though, you never hike by yourself.

Today I was crossing another item off my bucket list. This time is was Potato Chip Rock (via Mt. Woodson Trail). It's named that way because it reminds a potato chip (duh!), but really it's just a sharp overhanging piece of rock eroded by wind and weather over the years. It's right on the trailhead to the top of Mt. Woodson, so I guess that's how it was discovered and became popular.

And by popular, I mean there are lines of people waiting to climb on top of it to take a picture. I chose not to do that and just went all the way to the top. I did take a picture...

It looks empty, but only because a lady was stuck between two rocks trying to climb up. I took advantage of this opportunity...

But let's backtrack a little bit... This is how it all started.

The hike itself is rather picturesque. It was worth hiking 4-4.5 miles to the top (the total distance is only 7.6 miles, but I decided I did not want to pay $10 for parking and parked down the street adding an extra mile and a half).

Lake Poway is the first vista of the hike right at the beginning of the trail as it starts ascending. The weather was absolutely beautiful today, but it was getting hot quickly.

I look a bit lopsided today. My allergies are pretty bad right now, so in the mornings my eyes look really swollen.

The jacket quickly came off as I gained more elevation. The total elevation gained was just under 2,400 ft. As always, I feel the most tired in the first half an hour to an hour. My brain during that time still plays with the idea whether it needs to deploy extra resources or just keep me miserable. Eventually, it gives in, and soon enough I have a decent amount of energy. The views continue to get better and better.

On top of Mt. Woodson, there was this gigantic structure of antennae and transmitters with a sign that this is a zone with high electromagnetic radiation (apparently, behind the wired fence only). It looked pretty amazing, I really wanted to explore it further, but you know, people are around...

After the summit, I sat on a rock away from people for a few minutes enjoying the sun. I realize it is a luxury for many other people in other parts of the country and the world that are freezing cold right now.

The whole hike took me 3 hours and 50 minutes with all the breaks. The round trip was 9 miles, a worthy start of the day!