This was not my first time hiking this peak, but it was the first time in years. I brought my boyfriend along for his first ascent to the famous Potato Chip Rock. He has an injured shoulder, so I had the privilege of carrying the backpack this time. I had forgotten about the long stretches of incline near the beginning of the hike (starting at Lake Poway) and I could feel the impact on my calves. I felt a bit more slow and sluggish than I normally do, which was a little disappointing.
We got a late start (almost 1pm) but the temperature was crisp and sunny. We saw areas near the top where there was slush due to a previous rainstorm/snowfall. As we climbed, we saw maybe 10 people making their way down. We were the only ones headed up at the time, as far as we could tell.
To my surprise, we got to the summit to find only 5 people. If you don't want to wait in line to get onto the rock, come on a weekday! Of course we took our obligatory pictures posing on top. Clear skies allowed us to see all the way to Coronado. It was a perfect day for this hike.
Responses
Great photos, Savannah! Good advice on going on a weekday. I did the same when I hiked Woodson, and it was pleasant. I hear that weekends are crazy.