Started at 6:01 in the morning. Weather was a pleasant 66 degrees at the trailhead. Yet  folks back home couldn't stop asking how I was going hiking when Palm Springs was set to get as high as 104 degrees. It's called elevation people 🙂 FYI for every 1,000 feet gained the temperature decreases by 5.4°F

Parking was limited but manageable if you get an early start. Of all the peaks I've done for the SoCal six pack of peaks  challenge getting a permit for this location was the most convoluted so far. I called weeks in advance couldn't get through to a live person and information on online was rather sparse and unclear. When I did get through the told me if I was going up the Marion Mountain Trail I could go to the Stone Creek Campground and fill out a self poermit there, except there was no one there and no permits I could find near the building and bulletin boards. Other mountains have online permitting systems Sna Jacinto was to be done in person though for those like me that are coming in from San Diego and trying to get an early start to avoid the warmer noon time weather all of the self permitting locations were not yet open and many folks encountered later on that day, coming up at 1:30 (aka too late in my opinion) expressed similar feelings. In other words “How can we start earlier if the Idyllwild office where you can self register does not open until 9 AM.” This  in my opinion is suggestion box idea, make self permitting easier for those starting early. Perhaps by having permit sheets at the trail heads.

Ok now that I have that out of my system, the trail itself was amazing and beautiful. The juxtaposition of the coastal views to the west contrasted with the deserts to the east and a mostly covered trail with streams made for an idyllic day.

As this is the second to last training hiking before my overnight Mt Whitney  trip I carried a full pack with tent and sleeping pad, sleeping bag, bear canister, etc.  all the things that I'll be taking on Mt Whitney including 4 and 1/2 liters of water. Also mostly things I didn't need on this hike but it was good to have made it up with minimal issues carrying that weight.  I did feel some effects of the altitude towards the last half mile. To the point where I needed to slow my pace. But otherwise the hike was well worth the effort. Other big misconception for me was that what appears on the map to be an isolated mountain near a desert city was actually one of, if not the most enjoyable hikes I've done in Southern California.  Muir was on to something when he stated that San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth.