This was our fourth peak in the SoCal version of the challenge. Starting the hike from the Tramway may be the shorter of about half a dozen trails to the summit of Mt San Jacinto. However, starting the hike at that high elevation didn't make it easier. Taking the tram may save you a few miles but it also does not allow your body to gradually adjust to the high altitude. Hiking the 11 miles to the summit and back was physically challenging even if the elevation gain was only a little over 2500 feet. It didn't also help that the track of the last two miles of the trail was so uneven and hard on both feet and knees. But the gorgeous views at the summit make you all forget the physical challenges to get there. John Muir may be exaggerating but he described the view from the peak of Mt San Jacinto as “the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this Earth.” Mt San Jacinto really deserves its place in the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge or any peak challenge for that matter.