Can’t let this year officially pass without dedicating a post to my (literal) biggest accomplishment of this year: hiking San Gorgonio, the tallest mountain in SoCal.

This was my grand finale hike of the challenge I did this year. When I was originally planning out my hikes, I truly did not think this hike was something I could do this year. I thought it would be a good goal for next year, but as I gained confidence and fitness over my other hikes, I knew deep down I could do this. 20 miles round trip with over 5400ft of elevation gain, landing me at 11,500ft. at the summit. Took me a total of 12 hours, leaving my car at 6:30am and getting back to my car just as the sun set at 6:45.
I felt like quite the badass because most people I passed on the trail had hiked half way the day before and were splitting it over two days, where as I was one of the few people out there knocking it out in one day. I managed to get to the peak in 6 hours where I was met with stunning views. I let myself rest for an hour and found a place to lay down to let my body fully decompress before the trek back down.
I’m so proud of myself and my accomplishments with these hikes this year. It set the tone for the goals I have for this new year coming and I’m setting my sights even higher. Can’t wait to see where my feet will take me.
Happy hiking and happy new year to everyone.