I had started doing hikes in Joshua Tree earlier in the year in preparation for a Yosemite trip in July. I live near the ocean and had previously gotten altitude sickness before, so wanted to do some hikes at higher altitudes to prepare. On a whim, I tried hiking Mount San Jacinto two weeks before this and got oh so very close to Little Round Valley Camp before time consideration and altitude sickness forced me to decide to turn around.

So this was a bit of a redemption hike. I was very surprised how close to my house this was (1 hour?) so on a holiday Sunday, I drove out to Icehouse Canyon, found the last parking space in the lot, filled out a permit, and started my hike.

This hike went a lot better than my San Jacinto attempt! The trail wasn't too difficult but still had parts that provided challenges and kept things interesting. Getting blasted by wind in some parts of the canyon while I precariously clutched rocks on a narrow climb was especially… invigorating!  I felt like I was making progress at a good pace (but still very slow, I chatted with some backpackers who were hauling 2-3x the weight I was carrying), and summited a little after noon.

I busted out the Soto Windmaster, a new stove I wanted to test, and made myself a freeze-dried meal to enjoy while I took in the views. Then I took the standard souvenir photos before heading back down.

It was a great feeling finally making it to the summit of a hike. I had failed before at San Jacinto, and also turned around at another “summit” hike at another national park before. It was a good feeling, so I decided I would keep finding things to climb after this.