Perhaps not the worst, but with so much elevation gain on the way back and with the steepness of much of the trail, EL Cahon does earn its reputation as a serious challenge. It was still plenty warm in late december, and there is no shade at all, so it makes sense that they close this trail in August. With Corona and other distractions it took me a while to get to the last one of all 18 SoCal peaks on the list, and I am pleased to say I did so. Next year everything will be different, as several of the trails are lost for the foreseeable future due to the fires. I will miss San Bernardino in particular. Wishing all fellow hikers a good (better!) new year, hope to see you on the trail!