Warrior Hike Challenge at El Cajon Mountain

The Warrior Hike Challenge is a strenuous hike of some 10 to 11 miles and 4,000 feet elevation gain hike to the El Cajon Peak.   The El Capitan Preserve which becomes El Cajon Peak Trail past the staging area consists of 2,619 acres of open space woodland sustaining coastal sage scrub and a mixed vegetation of tangles shrubs and thorny bushes.
The El Cajon Peak which I  initially bagged in 2013 is definitely one of my  most challenging hikes  in San Diego. The 3,657 feet elevation summit is bagged with more elevation gain up to  4,000 feet because of  it’s rugged route,  rolling ridges that make simultaneous uphill and downhill treks  and washed-out trails along granite ridgelines.

The hike challenge that was launched in 2015 by the County of San Diego Parks and Recreations and held twice a year on Memorial Day and Veteran Day weekends is dubbed as as "warrior hike challenge" as a way to celebrate the athleticism and mental stamina that's required to climb the supposedly toughest hike in the county.
The ruins of a truck or jeep that  mysteriously landed a mile away from the peak is my favorite rest and selfie spot. At first I thought  the swine flew.  The battered ruins of a truck later reminded of watching all-terrain vehicles that seemed to be clinging on steep trails for dear life. . Perhaps El Cajon Peak trail was intended for a truck trail.

The vehicle ruins must have been that of an off-highway vehicle (OHV). Obviously not intended to be left behind on an off-road driving trail some 3,000 feet above sea level, the vehicle which was designed for recreation in places where regular vehicles can not go must have been stuck. Poor thing!
"Many will fall, few will rise." The caption on the t-shirt I bought from the Resilient Squad team at the staging area reminds me of how I quit the first time I attempted to hike the trail. The slogan also brings to mind the story of Jim Caretta, an avid San Diego hiker who attempted to hike the El Cajon Mountain trail a hundred times.





















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