| Peak | San Bernardino |
|---|---|
| Group | A Group of Hikers |
| Trailhead | Angelus Oaks |
The hike up to Mount San Bernardino was both incredible and challenging. I’ve done hikes that were 15 and even 16 miles long with similar elevation gains, but this was my longest hike to date. As a lot of hikers will tell you, there’s a lot of elevation gain on this trail, but it’s spread out quite evenly over the 8.25 mile ascent. There really aren’t any ‘lazy miles’ as I refer to them, where you have a relatively flat mile or even a mile with elevation loss. As a result, this hike has a gradual climb with a ‘slow burn’ to it.
Hiking at altitude is also what made this hike a challenge for me. You find yourself having to breathe harder and a lot more often to get that oxygen in you. I think this kind of difficulty with breathing is what people with asthma may experience. It’s a rather uncomfortable feeling, but I’ve been doing some altitude hikes both before and after this one, and getting more acclimated to the thinner air in 10,000+ foot elevations.
There are also three very nice points of interest on your way to the peak: Manazanita Flats, The Bench, and Washington’s Monument. Manzanita Flats has probably the most Manzanita that I’ve ever seen in one place on a hike. It’s quite beautiful! The Bench gives you a much better view of the surrounding mountains and valleys than the peak, which has a lot of tall trees that obsctruct that nice 360-degree view. And Washington’s Monument is an abstract thing of beauty, not to mention a surveying marvel. We took some time at these spots, and at the summit, which made for a longer day. But with some much beauty and history to appreciate, why rush?
Hiking in August can get pretty hot sometimes, but we started early and were treated with some nice temps all the way up. There were also clouds passing in front of the sun at the summit and throughout the descent, so going through Manzanita Flats on the way back was very pleasant. Below are the hiking stats:
Total Length: 16.5 Miles
Elevation Gain: 4,364 ft
Start Time: 5:19am
Hiking Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Total (Elapsed) Time: 12 hours, 11 minutes
Ascent Time: 5 hours
Descent Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Temperatures: Begin – 66 degrees, Summit – 71 degrees, End – 93 degrees
