A large golden moon hung low before me, setting slowly in the predawn. Ted loaded his gear in the rear and settled into the back seat, With our masks in place, we set off for the day’s adventure, completing the 3-2-1 Mountain Challenge. This hike would take us up to the top of Mt. Pinos, the highest point in Ventura Country, then onto Sawmill Mountain, the highest point in Kern County, and Grouse Mountain since we are already there. The primary peak was to be Sawmill Mountain, as it is on the 6 Pack of Peaks list.

Ted dozed while we passed through Orange then LA County. One advantage of leaving so early was not having to worry about traffic. We pulled off the 5 at Frazier Park and began heading up to the Mt. Pinos Nordic Base. The parking lot was moderately full. I hung my America the Beautiful pass in the window, grabbed our gear, and set off right about 7 am, some 3 hours after leaving San Diego.

For me, this hike was going to be seeing how my knee responded. I recently had gotten a cortisone injection to help with the inflammation and this was my first significant hike. The trail began working its way up from the parking lot along the nice wide dirt service road. The temperature was perfect and we passed under the shade of the pines. We certainly could tell that we were over 8.000 feet as we continued the pleasant climb toward our first summit.

We passed through some wide dry meadows, with a few flowers still remaining. Soon, the radio tower for Mt. Pinos came into view. The peak itself is round and indistinct, and much of the view is dominated by radar antennae. We found the benchmark and a reference mark while surveying the San Joaquin valley in all its hazy glory to the north. This was to be the highest of the three primary peaks of the day at 8,818 feet.

The wide dirt road continued eastward until the Condor Observation Site. Two nice benches afford a lovely spot to sit and gaze south and onto the Sespe Condor Sanctuary.

We now set off on the Vincent Tunamait Trail, named in honor of a Chumash elder statesman, and on to Sawmill Mountain. The single track descends following a series of switchbacks, entering into the Chumash Wilderness. While initially mild, the later portion did become a bit steep. We were not looking forward to the return and the ascending of this section.

After crossing a small saddle, the hike began to climb once again toward the summit of Sawmill Mountain. At about 3.5 miles in, a spur trail headed to the north to the actual summit. About .2 miles later, a massive cairn stood before us.

We paused for a bit under some nearby shade for a bit of food and some electrolytes. My knee was still feeling good, so we continued on toward Grouse Mountain. As we made our way east, we hopped off-trail to summit Sawmill Mountain-West. A much smaller rock cairn marked the peak.

Once back on the trail, we descended down until we intersected with the trail for Sheep Camp. Keeping to the right, we began our third climb of the day. Nothing too hard, just at 8,000+ feet, we can feel it. The trail took us to the false summit of Grouse. In referencing the loaded track and my paper map, we knew the true summit was a couple of hundred yards to the north of us. Our boots crunched under the pine needles. The summit of Grouse is denoted by a large wooden teepee, as well as a nice sign. Unfortunately, the sign maker placed the wrong elevation on it.

Under the shade of the pines, I enjoyed a nice PB&J, some orange slices, and a bit of Gatorade. Now for the return…

As we started back onto the trail, a young couple was just reaching the area. We chatted for a bit, with proper distancing, and pointed them toward the true summit.

As we retraced our steps, we would encounter more hikers. Either they or us would step off-trail, and masks were in use as we approached. Some backpackers were head down to Sheep Camp, others just out enjoying the area.

At the base of the switchbacks, I could feel the effects of being off trail for about a month as I made my way up. I stopped a few times for some short breathers, then pushed on. Soon, the Condor Observation Site came into view. I had hoped to sit on those benches for a bit, but some amateur radio enthusiasts were using it for their equipment. Oh well, it was warming up some, and we had a long drive home.

Nearing Mt. Pinos, we started to encounter more and more folks on the trail, so the occasional need for a mask soon became almost permanent. We also started to notice a drop in the usage of masks by other hikers. Thankfully, the trail was wide and we were able to move past them quickly. The day was also warming up, while still nice in the shade, we could feel the heat building whenever we crossed a meadow.

Before we knew it, the parking lot came back into view and our adventure was over. We had completed the 3-2-1 Challenge, and I had completed my 8th peak on the 6 Pack of Peaks Challenge. But, more importantly, the knee felt mostly ok! The hike was 10.4 miles, with 2,037 feet of elevation gain in 4:59 of active hiking time.

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There is one kind of hiking that I am not fond of, hiking on active roads. Unfortunately, Santiago Peak is one of these. To offset this, I decided to hit the peak early and drive partway up, The Subaru Outback had no trouble making it to a nice wide flat area just before the trail to Modjeska Peak. I will say there is a section of road after Maple Springs Trail Road meets the Main Divide Road that is a bit rocky. If you are unsure about your car’s tires, then I would recommend parking at that junction.

Once there, I set off down the road, the summit and it’s myriad of towers off to the south-east. Unfortunately, my knee was really out of whack. After about a quarter-mile, I decided that I was not going to attempt it on foot. I hopped back in the car and continued driving up. The road was not an issue again until the final summit. There, another rocky section had to be navigated, but you could find a parking spot and walk the last bit.

Once on the summit, I parked and walked to the southern end of the peak, and took in the views. The June Gloom spread out before me. I walked back up to the summit to snap a photo of the summit sign and one reference mark. As was getting ready to leave, two more cars made their way to the summit. While driving back down, I encountered five more cars working their up. While, my hike was not as planned, the summit was obtained. Now to see what is up with this knee, got more peaks to climb! 

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I started just after 7:30 under the typical “June Gloom”, with my good friends Susie Kara and Gail Welch joined me on what was to be my 6th summit toward the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge (however, I am continuing on toward summiting the rest of them). The trail gently worked its way from the busy highway into the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. Wildflowers still dotted the sides of the trail. The grey skies provided some nice relief, as there was not a lot of shade to be found while we worked our way to the peak. The entire route is now nicely marked with white signs at each of the junctions. 

We came to the turn-off for the final push to the summit. This last portion is where you earn your peak-bagging merit badge, as the trail now becomes very steep and slippery. In fact, I actually fell while ascending one particularly tough section. Brushing myself off, I continued making my way up to the summit.

Once there, we had a well-earned break.  Although the clouds had burned off near us, and the marine layer still socked in the coast, Santiago Peak stood out clearly to the north of us. After snapping a few photos with the summit sign, we started to gather our gear and prepared to tackle the tricky descent that awaited us. Just then a group of four ladies arrived at the summit, making it the perfect time for us to depart.

We made it down the steep section with no issues and then began cruising back to the trailhead. While we had only passed about 5 hikers on our way up, during our descent we passed about double that. Before we knew it we were back at the cars. 

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San Gorgonio, “Old Greyback”, the highest peak in Southern California at 11,503 feet. That was our goal for the day. Ted Markus and I reached the Vivian Creek trailhead at 4 am. Donning our headlamps, we set off along the service road next to Mill Creek. After about a half-mile, we crossed the dry creek and onto the trail. The next mile or so was a steep climb. Thankfully in the darkness, we could only see right in front of us. Later during our return, we realized the steepness of the section. I had read the trail guides, and they weren’t kidding.

The trail followed Vivian Creek for a spell. So far we were both feeling good. The sun began to finally rise over the mountains, revealing the beauty of the area. A warm glow shone on Mt. Baldy to the west. We encountered a few other hikers along the trail.

As we approached the switchbacks, the elevation was starting to get to me some, but we kept pushing upward. After about 7 miles and at 10,000 feet, I was really starting to question if I could summit. With Ted’s encouragement, I continued on.

Once we broke the tree line, I found my second wind. Also, the summit was also in view. The traverse went fairly smooth and soon we were atop San Gorgonio!!

Unlike San Jacinto, the summit sign was still there. Ted and I recreated “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure“ pose since we had just completed the A16 3 Peak Challenge!! I would say about 40 or so others were also there on the summit, include several other 3-Peakers. In fact, there was one hiker who was attempting the 1-day version of the challenge!

After a break and photos, we began our descent. A sense of accomplishment filled me as we began our 9.5 miles back to the car. I knew the summit took a bit longer than planned, but I did it! Now the question was, will Ted hurt himself on the descent? On Mt. Baldy he hurt his wrist. On San Jacinto, he twisted his ankle. Sure enough, he slightly twisted his ankle again. Not as bad as last time, but enough. That was ok, as my knee began to ache. We kept cruising carefully down the mountain. The day was warming up, but we had plenty of fluids. I did opt to filter some water at the first crossing of Vivian Creek, in part since it was nice and cool. It also served as a nice break to let my knee and feet have a rest.

A Search and Rescue helicopter flew overhead. We were unable to understand what they were broadcasting. It appears the heat did get to someone. We never found out what actually happened.

Soon, we were closing in on the end of the journey, and we slowly made our way down that steep section. Back at the car, we peeled off our boots and changed in something less disgusting. We swung by the University of Redlands to drop off a few things for my daughter. Then some food and nice flight from Hanger24 before the drive home. Now back to the 100 Peak Challenge!

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So we set out to summit San Jacinto today for our second peak of the A16’s 3-Peak Challenge. We opted to take the ‘easier’ route from the Palm Springs tram station to the summit. The first tram up was at 8 am and was completely full of hikers ready to hit the various trails.

After the short ride to the upper tram station, we headed down the cement switchbacks to the Ranger Station to get our permits. From there we began the 5 or so miles and just about 3,000 feet of elevation gain toward the summit. It was nice hiking under pines trees and along a running creek, something that is a rarity in San Diego. The trail is very well marked, so no issues with navigation. Just past Round Valley, we started to get a glimpse of the summit.

Ted and I kept pushing higher and higher toward the summit, first toward Wellman’s Divide. After a short break there and some nice views, we set out again. The trail began climbing across the east flank of Jean Peak, pausing briefly at a flat cleft at 10,000 feet before continuing north on the east side of San Jacinto. There are few trees along this section, so remember your sun protection. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we were hiking a bit higher than the mountains of San Diego as we made our way up. At the junction with the Marion Mountain trail (my route the first time), we grabbed another quick break in the shade, since there almost none at the summit.

Soon the rescue hut came into view and the final boulder scramble to the summit. Several other 3-Peak challengers soon joined us also. The views were incredible, but sadly the wooden sign was gone. San G loomed to the northwest, our final peak of the A16 3-Peak Challenge.

After a snack and rest, we began working our way back down the mountain. Unfortunately, about a mile down the trail, Ted rolled his ankle. He was able to put weight on it and we carefully continued down. Those hiking poles paid off.

We found ourselves back at the Ranger Station and returned our permit copies. Then came those concrete switchbacks back to the tram station. This might have been the toughest section of the whole hike 😉

We grabbed a bite to eat and then took the tram back down to the desert floor. Thankfully, Ted just sprained his ankle and his wife will still let me have ‘play-dates’ with him 😉 Now, I am taking next weekend off and going to see historic spacecraft and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in Neil Armstrong’s home town!

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What an incredible summit today! Ted Markus and I drove back up to Mt. Baldy for the Climb For Heroes Comeback Tour event. The weather had canceled the first attempt in May. This was to be about an 11-mile round trip hike with about 4,000 feet of elevation gain topping out at 10,064 feet.

Along the way, we meet and chatted with wounded vets, and watched them climb the summit as well. Our route took us across the Devil’s Backbone, so we had quite the traverse.

It was a tough one. The final push to the summit was hard and took a lot of mental energy to ascend the last mile.

The views were incredible and the entire crew supporting this event was awesome.

This peak was the first of our A16 3 Peak Challenge. Thanks to all the sponsors for this event including Eddie Bauer.

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So I decided to take a break from the 100 Peak Challenge and go for a big peak. San Jacinto was the closest of the Six-Pack of Peaks (another challenge I am considering for 2018). I opted to start at the Marion Mountain trailhead near Idyllwild.

This route a steep, relentlessly climbing over 4,600 feet in just 5.7 miles.

I trekked along, climbing ever steadily. The trail was mostly empty. I encounter just a few hikers along the way. A helicopter passed overhead. I watch, hoping that no one needed its assistance. After a few minutes, it flew off. I took a short breather at Little Round Valley.

Soon I reached the emergency hut. I could almost start to smell the summit. After a brief boulder scramble, I reached the top!

I rested a bit, taking in the view. Took the obligatory sign selfie as well. Some of the other hikers milling around were interns from JPL. We chatted a bit about their experiences. Some knew my friends who work there. But I knew I had a long trek back down and said goodbye.

As began down the trail, my hips began to feel the effects of the steepness. My pace began to slow, as I descended. It was then I released truly how steep this trail was. I finally made it back to the car, and once the phone charged up some, I checked in with my wife who was starting to worry.

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