On Black Friday, we participated in the #OptOutside movement and used our day off to go outside and get some fresh air. It was definitely needed after a delicious Thanksgiving at our friend’s house. We also got to bring a few guests along with us. Our yellow lab, Blake, was allowed to hike as long as he was leashed, and Mary’s step brother Dan was with us for the weekend. It was a true family outing.
Mt. Woodson, or more commonly known in San Diego as Potato Chip Rock, is roughly an 8 mile roundtrip hike on a relatively clear trail. Mt. Woodson is located in Poway so it’s inland just a bit and the terrain is a mix of trees and brush mixed in with large boulders and sand.
We got an early start to the day because the temperature was going to be in the mid 70s and we wanted to make sure Blake didn’t overheat. We were on the trailhead just after 8:30a. We tried to keep Quincy and Leona on their normal schedule, so we fed them breakfast at 6:45a, got breakfast for the adults, and were on the road.
On the ascent, I carried Leona in the Kelty Kids Carrier, Mary carried Quincy, and Dan had Blake. It was just under four miles to the summit, with about 2,000 feet of elevation gain. We stopped about 2/3 of the way up to take a break and give the girls their snack. We found some shade under a tree that was popular among many hikers, so the girls got a lot of attention during the break.
After the snack, we kept trucking to reach the notorious Potato Chip Rock, a rock that cantilevers out over the landscape, but looks thin like a potato chip. Its a very popular hike in the area and there are tons of hilarious pictures on social media that people have taken. As expected, the summit was crowded. There were at least 50 people milling around the top in line to take lots of pictures. We ended up taking some pics from a different vantage point and headed back down knowing we needed to get back for Quincy and Leona’s lunch at 12:00.
On the way down, Dan took the kid carrier from Mary and led Quincy down the mountain. Mary had Blake and let him off leash for a few of the steeper descents. We made great time going down and found some shade in the park for lunch and celebratory beers before heading home for some rest.
We hope you all took advantage of #OptOutside on Black Friday and got some fresh air doing something you love.
Adventure Them Young 