Search
Close this search box.
Peak San Jacinto
Group inaugural hike of my own new awesome hiking group
Trailhead Tram

We did the tram trail. First time there for 2 of us 4; I had hiked just around the tram years ago, and the 4th tried to summit 2 weeks ago but had to turn back before the shelter cause of heavy snow.

But on that Sunday morning, it was the peak of a heat wave – 91 when we pulled up to the tram at 7:30 am driving from OC. We took the 8:30 tram up and started hiking around 9. Beautiful 60s and 70s on the mtn – 3 of the 4 of us had no idea to expect, 2 of the 4 had never even been to the CA mtns to hike before, and the 1 who had came 2 weeks before and could not summit due to heavy snow.

So we were all SUPER excited to bag in most cases our first peak EVER! Saw a deer just starting off and then crossed a babbling stream – so cool after the years of punishing drought, I took a picture! We had no idea how slow you go in mountains and were shocked when it seemed like we were walking forever and just gone 2.8 miles! But we’re a strong group and got pretty soon to the overlook for a nutrition and photo break. It was an amazing perfectly clear day with very little if any wind – I couldn’t believe it!

I started sucking wind a tiny bit that long straightaway 1 mi last climb before the shelter, as it was around noonish and the sun was really hot. I had just been to 7500 ft a couple months before as an elev check, so while no AMS, I did not eat enough at the break and it was catching up to me. So I took mini breaks as needed, and my one friend was great in encouraging me. Our other friends waited in a shade patch by the shelter, and we took another nutrition break and all felt much better. Scampered up the very unexpected peak boulders – so so much fun after just hiking miles of hot dirt and a couple small rocks in OC – and were just awestruck by the views and the fact there literally was…no…wind…at…all! I promptly said my gratitude to the universe for that for sure! We had tons of fun taking photos and taking in the view on our first summit ever for 3 of us and the other hiker’s first of San Jac, and then motored back down to the tram, as the desert was only getting hotter!

When we stepped outside, to others it felt like an oven but to me a warm blanket, as I had lived a year in Phoenix before moving to So Cal. The car was in the shade of the mountain (another ty to the universe!), but it still was 115 in the shade around 4 pm, as we had stopped at the top of the tram to get some food, cool off and relax for a bit, and enjoy the last of the coolness.

Going home, the 91 was completely wide open and all the traffic maps were green. We did not know if we just had extreme good luck, some huge world event had people glued to their TVs, or it was just too hot to even set foot outside! But we were very, very grateful! The temp did not drop below 100 until we reached Anaheim Hills on the 91 – it was crazy!

All in all, an amazing, beautiful day! The peak views did not even look real – they looked like a green screen or artist painting – and the short bushes leading up to the peak looked like Mother Nature had hired a gardener to trim them – they were so perfectly shaped! John Muir had it spot on!

I will say on that last concrete ramp to the tram, where even though we each brought 3L water, pre-hydrated, brought electrolytes too, all 4 of us had ran out of water for the first time ever in all of our hikes, and we were just DONE and pulled ourselves up with our poles! But we did it and hiked strong for our first mountain ever!

So I am hooked on climbing mountains and will be posting more 6 Pack summits soon!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.