Today we hike Strawberry Peak, which is the highest summit in the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains. It was damaged by fire in 2009 and you can still see a lot of the damage. The 1st 2 miles were a walk in the park, lol. Ok, maybe not that easy, but they definitely were compared to the last 1.6 miles. It was a narrow path for a lot of that 1st 2 miles, but the shade and breeze you got in that valley was refreshing! Right before that narrow path you could pretty much tell which way the path was lol. Someone lined rocks up so you wouldnt go the 1 way, then there was the way to the narrow path and the only other alternative way straight up the mountain lol. I told Jimmy “Someone clearly drew a line in the sand and choices were made” lmao, so he got on one side and I got on the other and we took pics of each other “on the other side of the line.” Lol so stupid, but so funny lmao. It was a false sense of accomplishment getting those 1st 2 miles done in 46 mins lol.

The climb to Strawberry Peak meant crossing 3 “faux peaks” and holy hell, that incline. Just when you thought you reached the peak, you realized there was more trail and more peaks…3 times lol. We saw a big heart rock at one of the peaks, way too big to carry. There was quite a bit of rock scrambling that last mile. I'm really glad we brought the hiking poles. They definitely helped on the way back down.

Although challenging, the view from the top was amazing!! You could see DTLA and all surrounding areas. We met some pretty cool people at the top, which always makes the hike much more enjoyable! The scramble down off those sandy rocks was slow and steady. We finished the hike in 4 hours 40 mins. It really was a great hike, not as bad as the people who reviewed it made it out to be. I love a good challenge and every mountain top gives you the opportunity to be closer to heaven.

Of course I painted a strawberry rock, as well as a Halloween Jack o Lantern rock. My youngest painted the ocean rock.

Get outside, y'all! It's so good for your soul. Go for walks, runs, hikes or just sit outside and let the sun hit you. Get out of the city and into the mountains if you can. Theres just something special about being in nature, disconnected.

#StrawberryPeak #6PackofPeaks #hikers #chasetheview #mountaintopsaremyfavorite