Conquered the full Cactus to Clouds trail to San Jacinto peak before it becomes too hot to start in Palm Springs. This was my first time on this trail and, man, did it live up to the hype of difficulty. I had a solid pace for the first portion (the skyline portion) and made it to the Ranger Station mid-way point pretty quickly. However, I think I burned myself out a bit because that second portion up to the peak was a KILLER. I struggled keeping a steady pace and had to stop every .2-.5 miles which is not something I normally do. However, I made some friends along the way that motivated me to keep going and distracted me from the struggle. I made it to the peak and relaxed at the top with them and shared a drink with them at the tram station before catching a lift down. The trail was rough but I am already planning to go back and beat my time in the fall. It was a super beautiful day – a little on the warm side which was rough. I REALLY enjoyed the trail views itself going from desert terrain to mountains. It was a beast of a hike but definitely one of the most beautiful ones I've done so far.