The Grandaddy of Them All: Old Grayback

I took the holiday off but still got up at 4 AM to complete my Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge with the most daunting of them all: San Gorgonio.  I’ve done this hike before so I knew what I was in for.  That being said, it was still pretty brutal especially with the heat.  I started off well but once I got close to the summit I was feeling a bit off.  I’m not sure if it was the lack of sleep, altitude, or heat but I was not 100%.  Towards the top it is difficult following the trail amongst the rocks but fortunately I saw a few hikers coming down and saw where I needed to go.  Once at the top, I had the entire place to myself except for two others.  This was a huge contrast to the last time I was up here.  I ate my veggie burrito around 10:30 AM (which is when I’d normally be eating lunch at work).  The only difference being I was on top of the tallest mountain in Southern California.  The hike back was uneventful and there were a bunch of ladybugs flying around on the trail near the parking lot.  I’ve never seen this before.  I’m glad the challenge is over before the heat kicks into overdrive and I will complete the San Diego challenge later this year when it cools down.