The six peak challenge website uses a quote from John Muir to describe the Mount San Jacinto as the following, “The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!” Quite a bold statement from him, but perhaps what was missing in that description is the challenge to reach the peak. Above 10 thousand feet sea level where the summit is within a wilderness of granite peaks, sub-alpine forest, and mountains. Now that’s sound like a hike where sightseeing from the peak is worth it.

Now I must admit of all the previous hikes to reach the summit this one will be memorable. I reserved a camp overnight permit at Little Round Valley. The reason was to take in the vista of the summit at sunset and with the campsite within 1 mile away, I would not have to travel far to my campsite at night. So, with that in mind, I parked at the Marion Mountain Campground around 9 am. Not a bad time to arrive where a few hikers have just arrived or getting ready to start. I looked around for a sign to start the trail to the summit until I found a sign called the Marion Mountain Trail. After a few switchbacks on the path, I started to notice shrubs, decaying tree trunks, and stones. I could’ve sworn it was a paved trail, but I only realized my mistake that I took the wrong path as the path further ahead would begin to descend. After getting back and following the right trail I found the actual signs pointing to the summit, but for some stupid reason I turned to a different path because the path to the summit looked like the previous wrong path I took. The entrance was under tree branches, with an uphill trail with various tree roots on the path. Nothing about that looked like a paved trail. Yet, after few yards on the wrong, but an actual paved path I realized my mistake once I came across a tree trunk blocking the paved the path. Yeah, I’m already starting this hike on the right foot with slight sweat on my forehead.

To be fair, the Marion Mountain Trail is a tough hike. The start of the trail is a small ascent on a mixture of granite rocks, tree roots and branches Shortly your eyes stop focusing on the ground for footing when you’re walking on a stable trail, and you notice the incoming path ahead. Trees of various sizes are behind one another, but the foundation what they are growing is not a flat ground. Rather it’s a steep hill where their trunks are blocking more trees behind as their base are surrounded with more granite rocks, tree roots, and branches. Lucky you don’t have to hike on the hill, you’re hiking on the side of the hill, amongst the trees. That scenic walk is short lived. Every step you take, you start to notice the formation of the ground with your footing is not flat. In fact, you begin to realize you are slowly putting more pressure on the knees on every step as your calves start to tense a little. You power through the small, but gradual pain by observing your surroundings to ignore the pain for brief moments. Pinecones of different types and size scatter on the path. The few trees that are questionably tilting down the hill. The granite rocks, tree roots, and branches becoming more frequent and slightly larger than the previous ones you passed. That is what waits for you in the first mile. Do not feel discouraged thought, there is a first and small reward for this. Upon reaching the first switchback of the trail a group of hikers stopped to catch their breath. One of them mention how crazy the view is from here. Curious, I turned my head to the direction he was saying and stared at the view. Across the mountains is the San Jacinto Valley. Or what would be any valley if not covered by fog from the morning, but here at this elevation, the fog looks like clouds. Giving everyone the impression, we hiked above the clouds and we still more elevation to go higher.

About halfway to the trail, I started to see more signs of routes on the trail. Now, I didn’t take any wrong turns or follow the signs expect for the summit. Rather I inspected each sign I passed by. The first sign I passed was the Strawberry Junction Campground sign. A campsite I heard about from a hiker who passed me by coming from there. The Seven Pine Trail. I’ve asked hikers if they have hiked that trail, but they never tried or heard of the trail. In fact, some didn’t know the trail was there as they pass by it. The final sign that surprises me is the PCT trail. I met a few hikers who have taken the challenge on different sections of the trail, but never met anyone who has completed the trail. Someday, perhaps I shall attempt the trail. Someday. The final push before reaching the campsite is an elevated switchback trail. Before starting the switchback, I noticed the bushes along the side of the trail was tall, reaching around the height of my chest. Further inspection of the bush also showed the twigs were thorns. Great, I thought. Powering thought a trail, where clothes didn’t do enough protection on my skin as the thorns continuously caught wrinkles in my clothes and scratching my skin. After hiking through the thorny bushes and another elevated trail. I finally reached the campsite around 1:30 pm. I set up my tent and sleep for a little while to rest my legs, avoid the sunlight, and acclimated to the elevation of close to ten thousand feet.

I left the campsite around 4 pm to give myself time to avoid the direct sunlight at the summit and time to watch the sunset. The last mile is a small elevation on a path that is not clearly paved since the path is soil, dried barks, and numerous granite rock. Therefore, navigating the trail would be difficult at night. Once I reached to the Mt San Jacinto Summit Hut the sunlight started to seem a little dim. Almost there, I told myself. Apon reaching the summit I met a couple silently hugging each other. The boyfriend was smiling with eyes closed as his forehead on his girlfriend’s forehead as well, but the girlfriend was rubbing her eyes. I greeted the couple as I arrived closer and began to set up my dinner. During the setup I got the feeling I interrupted something as the couple were silent. The awkward silence was eventually broken by the boyfriend as he was asking questions about my gear. While answering his questions, I noticed his girlfriend was staring at her right hand. It didn’t take long for me to realize what I interrupted. Quickly, I apologized and congratulated the couple as both were happy, humbled, and a little embarrassed since they didn’t expect their moment was short. I tried to rationalize any attempt at an apology, but they were still humble to tell me not worry about it. What I did notice was the fiancé had a camera. A Sony DSLR camera. I told the couple; I could make it up to them if I could take a few photos of the couple on the summit with their camera. Both very much liked the idea and agreed to my suggestion. And it was fun. Taking photos at different creative angles of the vast forest of the San Jacinto behind them with the changing colors of the sky reflecting soft sun hues. The couples thanked me as I waved goodbye and watched them descend the summit to catch the aerial tramway before it got too dark. While waving, I noticed the other of the San Jacinto Summit, a section of the Riverside County that borders Joshua Tree National Park. Balancing myself on each slab of granite I stepped on, as I slowly lower my body to find a good enough surface to sit on. With my back facing the sun, I witness the shadow of the San Jacinto Summit. During sunrise or sunset the shadow of the summit will begin to form, however, when standing on a summit at that moment the shadow will resemble a pyramid. We see it as a pyramid because of how our eyes perceive it relative to the distant horizon. So here I am, legs dangling on the edge of a slab granite, eating my lunch, and the pyramid slowly growing as it spans down the mountain. The sky color changes from the distinct bright blue to various hues of amber and final an incredible palette of orange, red and purple colors across the Joshua desert. Muir was right. A sublime spectacle to be seen.

Five down, last one to go.