Good Morning San Gorgonio. Today I Will Conquer You.

We began with a breezy morning in the outskirts of the Palm Springs desert. The start to the trail is not what I am accustomed to (call me spoiled, but I prefer the old traditional dirt path), think hiking on a sandy beach with large boulders every which way. Nonetheless we were able to navigate our way to the trailhead as the sun peaked out from the mountains.

I generally do not like to know what is in store for the daily hike. It is an old tactic I used to use while playing tennis- never look at who your opponent is until match time. My goal was to concentrate on playing the ball rather than the girl who stood across the net. My strategy worked 85% of the time. Hence, I have carried that into my hiking endeavors. Well my PIC, Curious George, has a drastically different preference. He takes knowledge to the next level. From his debriefing curbside, I learned one basic thing: the first part is the most difficult. True.

After the first mile of straight up terrain with an elevation of 1,000 feet, we caught our breaths courtesy of a breathtaking meadow and a quiet stream that whispered softly to us. The calming waters' hush created even more serenity and peace. Strategically placed waterfalls rapidly rushed over the fallen rocks as we continued through the meadow.

At a shady spot, we quenched our thirst, nourished our bodies, and rested our legs. I have to say that we have this whole hiking thing down to a fine science. We prep nicely and hike efficiently with just enough food, water, electrolytes, rest, photos, kisses, and conversation.

So as we proceeded, we trekked through a series of switchbacks that make Halfdome seem easy. And as the land flattened out, giving us a spec of hope, we realized that the worst was yet to come. The No Smile Mile. A mile of stiff grade upward with really no end in sight and the thought of knowing that it didn't quite get you to the summit. Stopping ever so often to pace ourselves, we eventually made it up the climb and the rest was pretty much smooth sailing.

Alas, at the top. Once again, the highest peak in SoCal, did not disappoint. The views each time from the top continue to amaze me as I overlook the various types of land: desert, mountain, pastures, etc.

San Gorgonio basically rounds out our Summer Summit Series (as we have trained all summer for Mt. Whitney which will take place in 2 weeks from Tuesday). Now we taper off and rest our legs for the big daddy so-to-speak. Another long, hard, sweaty day on the mountain. Another victory.