| Peak | San Bernardino |
|---|---|
| Group | N/A |
| Trailhead | Angelus Oaks |
We started at about 7:00 am, it was three of us. It was already starting to get hot so we lathered up with sun block, and left sweaters behind. As we started the first hill, we were excited and talked about different things. We reached the San Gorgorio wilderness sign, took some pictures then continued up the mountain. The weather was beautiful, and the trail was mostly shaded which we were excited about since I was just recovering from a really bad sun burn. At about 4-5 miles in, we reached the limber pines sign where there is a really cool wheel barrow, and a scenic view. Most of it is pretty scenic, and just before you hit the sign the trail levels out so you get a good incline break. We reached the campsite, and we were already pretty beat up. The elevation was starting to set it, and I felt a nauseating headache setting in. Luckily I had taken some advil before the starting so I think that is what helped me overcome it. We took a small break at the campsite, then continued on to the inclined switchbacks. That’s when we seen clouds setting overhead. We figured it was just going to be over cast, and we continued. We reached the Washington Monument plaque, and that is when it started to rain. It wasn’t strong at first but then as we moved forward, it started hailing on us! and it got cold really fast. Then we heard loud thunder as we were about to reach the peak. We stopped and talked to a hiker about lighting, and you know what they say about it, stay away from trees, and high places. Well, we were a lightnings dream come true because were were exactly in the middle of all that. I was terrified to go up to the peak, I was wet, hungry, cranky, and exhausted. My friends convinced me, and we took a couple of pictures, and headed back down to find a better spot to eat. Well, it continued to hail, and we found a tree to sit under. After we finished out meal, we sort of ran back down. We just wanted to get away from the rain. We were so unprepared, and just wanted to head back to the car. The last 2 miles of the hike were kind of like a blur. I was beyond exhausted that I was running on fumes. We were all silent, and only talked to each other when we wanted to know how much longer. Finally, we heard cars, and people congratulating each other, I was beyond excited that I almost cried. We took off our shoes, brought out our chairs, and cheers with some ciders. We did it!
