This story actually begins on 1/20/2018, 2 weeks ago, when we first attempted to summit San Gorgonio. We had planned to meet at the Vivian Creek Trailhead at 5:15am and start the hike at 5:30am. As soon as we entered Forest Falls we were immediately hit by a wicked snow/rain storm. There was even lightening up on the mountain as we were nearing San Gorgonio Wilderness. All of us immediately thought, maybe we should try again tommorrow. But according to the forecast it was suppose to be clear, so we proceeded to drive to the parking lot anyway. As we drove through Forest Falls the storm was getting worse. Snow was falling heavily and rain was flying sideways and the wind was blowing debris everywhere. Luckily the snow trucks started plowing the roads immediately so that helped a bit, until we reached the driveway up to the trail head parking lot. They don’t maintain that section of the road, I don’t know why, but I attempted to drive my car up the slightly angled driveway and I immediately started slipping and sliding. It was so cold the pavement was covered in black ice. Of course my VW GTi with performance tires was never going to make it up. No way. We did not expect this. But we were so determined to get there that two of my friends tried pushing my car up as I floored it to the ground. We were nothing but 100 yards from the parking lot and we were going no where. Things weren’t looking bright, as we see a Toyota Matrix with chains on his tires drives right by us like nothing. So we decided to head back into town, and luckily, like a knight in shining armor, my friend, who has a truck, showed up! So we decided to park my car a couple miles outside of town and carpool with them to the parking lot. After that whole ordeal it was already 6:30 and the storm finally passed. So it actually worked out! So we finally got to the parking lot, grabbed our gear, and started our ascend. And sure enough, after the storm passed, we were treated with a winter wonderland. It was just beautiful.

The trailhead was completely covered because of the fresh snow that had just fallen, but we had our gps. From Vivian Creek all the way up to High Creek camp was just amazing. Snow was blanketing everything. Not one complaint, we were prepared for anything. So all we can do is enjoy the hike. Once we made it up to the saddle, 7 miles into the hike, a new storm system was rolling in. Immediately the clouds covered the mountains, winds were blowing at 25-30 miles, new snow was starting to come down, and the snow was already up to our knees. We had to make the tough decision to turn back. We didn’t want to risk anyone’s lives. So feeling a bit defeated, we proceeded to go back down, after that whole ordeal in the beginning. It’s like we weren’t meant to summit that day. Though we felt accomplished to have made it that far in snow up to our knees, all 6 of us didn’t feel complete. It was a quiet drive home.

The next day when I woke up my friend texts me and she’s like, we HAVE to summit San G next Saturday. I told her I was thinking the same thing! She said the weather was going to be warmer and that there’s no snow in the forecast for the rest of the week. So the same group of us got together the following Saturday(1/27/2018), we showed up at the Vivian Creek Trail head parking lot determined to conquer this Peak. We had unfinished business.

This time around the Trail was perfect, all the snow had melted away, until we got to High Creek Camp, again. Everything past this point had snow, and lots of ice. The snow from last week got so packed that some sections turned into sheets of ice. This is where we put on our spikes. From here on up it was navigating through the snow, losing the trail multiple times, scrambling our way up, carefully walking across sections of ice, and dealing with the freezing winds as we got closer to the summit. But boy once we saw the summit, we realized that everything we had gone through in the past week was all worth it. We felt it was suppose to happen this way, because we were so determined to summit the following Saturday. We experienced fatigue, bitter cold winds, the snow, the ice, frozen toes and fingers, but we did it! We were there for each other, as we always have been. I love my hiking tribe at Friends That Hike. Lyn, Max, Bach, Jack, Mike, Adela, Naomi, we couldn’t have done it without each other. It was all worth it at the end, trust me, when you see that summit, you’ll want to cry. I almost did, almost.

We clocked in 20,9 miles.