Hiking Cowles Mountain

I've been sick for a week now and unable to work out. But I thought I'd post about my new favorite work out...hiking Cowles Mountain. It took me a little while to figure out what trail to take and how to even get to the trailhead. I did some research on the web and then went to the visitors center at Mission Trails a few miles away to get a decent map.

There are several ways to get to the peak. I chose the north trail head off of Mesa Road, from Big Rock Park. The views on the way to the top are gorgeous! Big Rock Trail intersects the service road that leads to the towers on top of the mountain. The first time I took the trail, I got to the top of the mountain via the service road. Wow! Is it STEEP! I was pretty amazed that a mountain biker passed me on the way up! Goodness gracious, how can you bike up that steep of a road? It was actually a little scary walking down it on my way back, it is so steep and with loose gravel! Taking the service road cut off a little bit of mileage. I figure my hike was about four miles that morning.

I decided that I'd take the trail the second time around, this time on a Saturday morning. It was definitely a longer route. It joins up with the southern trail and I was surprised to find out how many people were hiking the trail. Literally, dozens and dozens. That route is fairly steep, as well, but not as bad as the service road! On this second trip, I kept hiking onto Pyles Peak. It afforded gorgeous views as well, but boy was I exhausted after that! It was close to eight miles of hiking!

--Jenn the Happy Hiker