Wilderness Explorers: Kwaay Paay

To start 2016 off on the right foot (literally), I wanted to make sure we got off the couch and started the 5-Peak Challenge. I had only heard of the 5-Peak Challenge thru DiscoverSD and I didn't do any additional research regarding the different hikes so I had no idea how difficult the hikes were and the altitudes you would reach. Since I am so out of shape, I decided to go with Kwaay Paay which was the shortest hike at 1.20 miles. Little did I know, the hike was actually rated difficult! We also didn't know that Father Junipero Serra Trail loops back around to Mission Gorge Road so we ended up walking from where we parked (see map below) to the start of the hike which was 1.5 miles. We basically traveled the red line between the purple and orange line. It was a nice warm up and cool down but definitely not necessary if you just want to do the hike. If you just want to do the hike, I would probably enter the back end of Father Juniper Serra Trail by Kumeyaay Lake Campground. From the map below, it looks like there are three different parking lots in that area although depending on the time you get there, finding parking may be difficult (there were several people parked on the side waiting for people to leave). Parking was free which is a plus. As soon as you reach the start of the hike, you'll see a brown sign that tells you the difficulty of the hike as well as the altitude you'll reach and the distance you'll travel during the hike.

• Kwaay Paay
  • Distance: 1.20 miles
  • Altitude: 1,194 feet
  • Rating: Difficult

Overall, I enjoyed this hike and definitely enjoyed the view at the top. I would definitely do it again. I do think it would be helpful to have hiking poles and shoes with better traction because coming down from the peak was basically just me sliding down the trail at certain points. But don't let that stop you from doing the hike! I'm a scaredy cat to the max so if I can do the hike, most people can! Seeing the sign say difficult did kind of scare me and I can see how some parts of the hike can be a bit intimidating BUT ultimately, you will feel so accomplished when you are finished and to me, that's worth the pain :P.

We're always looking for new places to hike so please leave any recommendations in the comments section! I hope you enjoyed this post and that it'll inspire you to get out there! Thanks for reading!