SAN DIEGO – I’ve been writing this weekly hiking column for close to three years now, so I feel qualified to say what makes a good hike.
The weather is a key factor, followed by the clothes I wear and the amount of water and snacks I bring. Then there’s the terrain; I won’t be happy on a flat fire road, preferring something more dynamic and scenic. If I can hear a freeway, the trail loses some points. If there are towering shade trees, it gains a few.
My hike this week checked all the boxes. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the roughly 3-mile loop in Poway was a categorically grade A experience. I had a good start to my day, waking up to a rainy morning and grabbing coffee and donuts before heading east to the trailhead on Ellie Lane, located off state Route 67…