Went up a hiker, came down a “legend”

Today I summited Santiago Peak (aka the highest point in Orange County)! For this hike, the road leading to the trailhead is incredibly rocky and requires 4WD (something I don’t have in my Versa), so I had to park my car over 7 miles away (essentially at the bottom of the mountain). The trail itself doubles as an off-roading path, so SUVs would continually pass by. Ascending the mountain, I would quickly realize just how strong the winds were, which forced me to wear my Covid-19 face mask in order to keep the cold air off of my nose and mouth. After finally reaching the summit (12.5 miles total), I was blown away by the terrific views of both Orange and Riverside County (as well as LA far off in the distance). On the way back down the mountain, vehicles repeatedly pulled up to me with people asking if I had hiked the entire stretch, to which I said “yes!” Many of them were stunned and one of them even called me a “legend”. Overall, I had hiked 25 miles and climbed 320 flights, both new records for me!