Today I was lucky enough to hike with my friend and fellow San Diego Six Pack of Peaks Challenger, Sierra. Since Sierra is four months pregnant, we really had no expectations of summitting today. We planned to just go only as far as she was comfortable. Turns out, she was comfortable with the summit. It was a slow day and I think we were passed be everyone on the trail, but we made it and we had a great time taking our time, enjoying breaks and multiple conversations with other hikers.

We stepped of just after 6:30am and made it to the summit just before 11:00am. As always, the trail going up was tough with a few muddy spots from the recent rains. The hardest part of this hike is the descent. After ascending about 3000 feet over 5.6 miles, you have to ascend about 1000 feet on the descent. Our total elevation gain ended up being 4100 feet with a total distance of 11.25 miles. That is pretty impressive considering the hike begins right around 1600 feet and the highest elevation is about 3648, yet you still gain and loose over 4100 feet in elevation gain.

Just a side note from my previous experience doing this particular hike. DO NOT take this hike for granted. It is tough and it will test you. Today we had great weather, but normal conditions on this hike can be very hot. Usually if its 70 degrees out, it will feel like 80 on the trail. And, if its 80 degrees out, it will feel like 95. There is no water source on the trail, so bring more water than you think you will need. 🙂