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Runner's Paradise

Blue Sky Reserve is a 700 acre runner’s paradise just off Espola Road in Poway. There are no motorized vehicles and no bicycles either. It's all foot traffic.

I did the short run from the trail-head to Lake Poway and back. The signs say it is 2.2 miles out and back for a total of about 4.5. I used the Map My Run app on my phone and got a round-trip distance of 5.02. Who knows? A half mile isn’t going to make or break a training week.

There are facilities on the way to the lake which include restrooms and a densely shaded picnic site. The bathrooms were dry and clean.

I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t recall the last time I was in a public bathroom that didn’t have a dank, wet, floor.

After leaving the bathrooms of public paradise, the trail ascends rapidly toward to the lake. The damn looms overhead in dramatic fashion. I couldn’t help but think that if there were a big enough earthquake, I was screwed—from both sides. The Lake Ramona damn was visible to the north with Lake Poway immediately south.

The ascent up the hill was challenging but fun. It had a series of short switch backs that reminded me of the “Mouse Chase” roller coaster ride at the fair. The turns were slight banked and made me feel as if I was running like a hero.

Lake Poway came into view with all the glory of a pristine desert oasis. It was a still blue and sat in complete silence. I observed it and then turned to reap the reward of flying back down the hill.

To reach the reserve head north on I-15, exit Rancho Bernardo Rd and head east. Rancho Bernardo becomes Espola and the reserve is on the East side of the road.

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Blue Sky Reserve is a 700 acre runner’s paradise just off Espola Road in Poway. There are no motorized vehicles and no bicycles either. It's all foot traffic.

I did the short run from the trail-head to Lake Poway and back. The signs say it is 2.2 miles out and back for a total of about 4.5. I used the Map My Run app on my phone and got a round-trip distance of 5.02. Who knows? A half mile isn’t going to make or break a training week.

There are facilities on the way to the lake which include restrooms and a densely shaded picnic site. The bathrooms were dry and clean.

I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t recall the last time I was in a public bathroom that didn’t have a dank, wet, floor.

After leaving the bathrooms of public paradise, the trail ascends rapidly toward to the lake. The damn looms overhead in dramatic fashion. I couldn’t help but think that if there were a big enough earthquake, I was screwed—from both sides. The Lake Ramona damn was visible to the north with Lake Poway immediately south.

The ascent up the hill was challenging but fun. It had a series of short switch backs that reminded me of the “Mouse Chase” roller coaster ride at the fair. The turns were slight banked and made me feel as if I was running like a hero.

Lake Poway came into view with all the glory of a pristine desert oasis. It was a still blue and sat in complete silence. I observed it and then turned to reap the reward of flying back down the hill.

To reach the reserve head north on I-15, exit Rancho Bernardo Rd and head east. Rancho Bernardo becomes Espola and the reserve is on the East side of the road.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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