Warrior Challenge Hike up El Cajon

Ted Markus and I hiked El Cajon Mountain as part of the San Diego County Parks’ Warrior Hike Challenge. We started out under the busy trail under typical “May Grey”. Aid Stations lined the route at the 1 and 3-mile mark. We made great time hiking up and down the trail, enjoying the remaining wildflowers that still lined the side of the trail. Many hikers wore red, white, and blue items, and Ted and I sported small American flags on our packs. The summit was crowded, as expected, but I still managed to snap a few photos before descending after a short break. We decided to make the small side climb up El Capitan and take in the views from that summit. The sun had broken through the clouds, so it was starting to warm up a bit. At the junction to the old mines, we again made the detour to see the old mines, something I had never done either. After poking around them for a short bit, we returned to the trail and stoping at the Aid stations to pick up our colored cords to earn the patch and challenge coin. Soon, the final climb was behind us, and the thought of a well-earned burrito filled our thoughts. We stopped at the final station and picked up our patch and coin. If we repeat this hike in the fall, a second and third coin can be earned… In addition to all that, this summit capped off my San Diego Six Pack of Peaks Challenge for 2025.