I had hiked San Gorgonio twice before, but both times had been on the Vivian Creek Trail. I mixed things up this time and took the South Fork Trail, which is longer but has less elevation gain and more scenic views.

The hike involved some vaulting over trees (and, in one case, crawling under one). The rocky trail also got to my feet about 15 miles into the hike.

This hike was the first time I hiked with a group, which was a nice change of pace (literally and figuratively). I met them about four miles into the hike, which helped me avoid the endless repetition of the same songs that usually go through my head as a solo hiker.

In short, I loved the hike. Now I’m just trying to convince my sore legs and feet of that.