Wheeeew! So, I hiked Mt. Baldy the day prior…

I went into this pretty well rested (I stayed the night at my mum's house in the Coachella Valley to avoid a long drive)… but I was a little nervous.

A few years ago, I took the tram and got REALLY affected by the altitude. I wasn't even hiking around, really, was just moseying with my parents and fiance. He ended up having to carry me up the mountain that time..

I'd been back to the tram once since then and was OK — but was still a little nervous.

Took some Ibuprofen to ensure I'd be okay.

Fortunately — I was!

I stayed at the middle/back of our hiking group this time around.. I was pretty exhausted from the day before, to be honest.

I will say though — I really loved this hike. The weather was perfect. I felt like you could see forever. I felt that the ascent was gradual — there were no crazy, jagged switchbacks.

I loved being able to see for miles.. and just the whole desert landscape.

I would definitely do this hike again.