#12. San Gorgonio

After completing six peaks much faster than I thought I would, I set out to complete all 12 options this year. Atop San Gorgonio, I met that goal! I started before sunrise at the Vivian Creek Trail. Temperatures were in the 30s, but the air was calm and forecast was clear. The initial switchbacks after crossing Mill Creek live up to their infamy; they were extremely steep and slow-going (and arguably worse going downhill at the end of the day), but I felt like the hard work was mostly done after reaching the top of this section. From the San Gorgonio Wilderness sign to High Creek Camp, the hike felt like more of a leisurely walk with very gradual elevation gain, gorgeous views, and plentiful running water. I started noticing some snow along the sides of the trail around 7,500 feet, but the trail itself was entirely clear at this point. After High Creek Camp, around 9,000 feet and up, snow was more plentiful and covered the trail in several spots. I brought microspikes but they didn’t feel necessary. Once I reached the exposed final stretch toward the Peak Divide Trail, fast-moving clouds rolled in, and I got snowed on for about 5 minutes. From the Peak Divide Trail to the summit, most of the trail was snow-covered, but again it didn’t feel bad enough to warrant microspikes. I spent about an hour at the summit, initially by myself and then chatting with a few others who braved the snowy mountain. The minor storm from earlier gave way to a rainbow that lasted just long enough to take a picture. It was a wonderful day!