Nate Harrison Road
Hate Harrison Grade Palomar Mountain is one of the infamous climbs in Southern California. The Tour of California has even graced its slopes in the past. Usually you climb it from the South Grade and deal with the speeding "crotch rockets" as they race through the switchbacks, or you take the gentler slope of the East Grade. Today we are going to tackle Nate Harrison Rd. The road is named after one of San Diego County's legendary pioneers - a freed African-American who lived up on the southwest side of Palomar Mountain. I first learned about this grade/road from a couple of friends as we were preparing to hike the Grand Canyon. The steady 10 plus mile incline was the perfect training ground for preparing for our rim-to-rim experience. The Motivator learned about it from a friend who rode it on his mountain bike. When I asked if he knew about this gravel road up Palomar Mountain, he quickly replied, "Oh, you mean Nate Harrsion Grade?" It took us a few mon