Arrived at the Red Box parking around 7 am. Not many cars parked. I got to witness the sunrise (gorgeous). The start of the hike went pretty smoothly. The uphill portions always left me short of breath but that’s why I signed up, to challenge myself. We reached the Strawberry Peak/meadows sign and headed up. I was lucky enough to hit my head on a tree branch (I was looking down so I wouldn’t think about the uphill battle waiting for me). We reached what we thought was the peak only to realize it was fake peak #1. Two more times we encountered fake peaks. We finally made it to the summit and were greeted by other hikers.

We had a 360 view. We were able to see Los Angeles, Catalina Island and Mount Baldy. Absolutely stunning.

The trail itself is a bit narrow but as long as you stay focused and not look down the side of the mountain, you’ll be fine. There was a very small patch for snow at the summit but you don’t get to walk near it.