I was initially planning on climbing San Jacinto over two days from Humber Park, but had a friend who wanted to join and who had to work on the 6th.  We ended up departing from the South Bay at 6a and setting out from the Marion Mountain trail head at 8:30a.  This was a long and relentless vertical slog (at least for me).  Similar in grind to the Old Mt Wilson trail but with less heat and less oxygen.  We kept a slow and steady pace, and with a few breaks along the way to take in the beauty of this mountain we finally made it to the summit around 4p.  The number of fellow hikers was surprisingly low considering it was a holiday.  We probably saw 12 other people all day and had the summit to ourselves.  This is difficult hike, so I think natural selection keeps the numbers down.  We were rewarded with incredible 360• views.  You could see west to the ocean and even faintly make out Catalina island in far off distance.  I am feeling it in the legs today, but, more importantly, I am feeling a real sense of accomplishment.  This was my fourth peak since beginning the challenge with Strawberry Peak on June 19th.