If someone asks me where the most beautiful mountain in Southern California is, I will choose San Jacinto Peak without hesitation. Standing at 10,834 feet with an amazing view of the deserts surrounding Palm Springs and Los Angeles County, this mountain has a vantage point that is unmatched by any other mountain in the world.
Our team, at 8 am in the morning, gathered at the trailhead with a slightly refreshed look. Today was the first challenge for most members in climbing a mountain more than 10,000 feet, The snow that had piled up from the middle of the mountain made me even more nervous. After paying special attention to equipment inspection, the group began today's hike, San Jacinto Peak.
The first three miles was through beautiful California forest trails. We felt the fresh morning sunlight pouring in through the beautiful trees; trees that I had not seen before in San Diego. We enjoyed beautiful scenery that stretched down the mountain from the starting point. At this time the spring flowers that had already started to bloom made my heart flutter.
This road turned into a snowy hike with a white snow scene at the Three Mile mark. For safety, we wore Microspikes and Leg gators in our careful approach the summit. It was a special experience that can only be felt in mountains more than 10,000 feet. Every scene that I looked around when I turned my head was so special and beautiful that I felt like I was on another planet. But slowly, team members began to complain of the symptoms of altitude sickness, so I hurriedly hurried my steps.
We arrived at the campground at mile 5.5, our original goal, after 5 hours of hiking. Here, for safety, we divided into the descending team and the team that progressed to the summit. We then took a group photo. From this point on, the actual trail was covered with snow and the killing winds and cold made the hike increasingly difficult. It was not easy to walk even 10 steps due to the lack of oxygen. Due to the gradually longer rest time and the increasingly severe altitude sickness, made the party’s pace even slower.
The group finally reached the summit, after another hour of struggling like that. Everyone was so moved that they encouraged each other. The 360-degree scenery I experienced at the summit was one the best I have ever seen. It blew away the tiredness of hiking all day in one shot. I am so proud of all the team members who walked with me today. I thank you all always. I have ended today's hike with another unforgettable memory of California.
Trailhead: Marion Mountain Trailhead
Length/Est/ Difficulty: 13.8 mi (8 h +/-) / 4,589 ft / hard
Marion Mountain to San Jacinto Peak | AllTrails
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/marion-mountain-to-san-jacinto?u=i
Cocktail Hiker
https://www.cocktailhiker.com/
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