What a special day on Strawberry Peak.

For one, it was Maggie May's first time to the summit. Two previous times, it was way too hot, and we had to leave early.

But I knew a rainy winter day would be the perfect setting for her, and I was thankfully right.

No ice on the trail, just mist and light rain all day. Some rocks were a little slick. Big shoutout to whomever has done some trailwork. No views other than clouds, but tbh, we're in a drought and I ain't gonna complain about any precipitation!

As mentioned in previous hiking logs, I have hiked the SoCal area quite a bit since we moved here 5 1/2 years ago — but it was this challenge that helped me get out of my comfort zone and start doing much more challenging summits. (And I look forward to doing even harder ones)

I signed up for (and continue to do) the Six Pack challenge in honor of my brother, Clinton, who died of brain cancer in January 2018. After watching him fight so hard to keep a healthy body, and losing, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my healthy body. I wanted to do something with it.

So at each summit, when there's an opportunity to leave a note, I always leave one in honor of him.

Imagine my surprise, and intense gratitude, when I opened the summit book box at Strawberry Peak yesterday, and was immediately greeted with an open notebook — opened to the exact page where I wrote my note for Clinton last year. Hi brother, I see you. Thanks for coming on the hike with me. Left you a new note this year. Look forward to seeing it again sometime. (Included a photo of both notes in my pics)

Onward and upward, friends.