Thoughts from the hiking trail to San Jacinto Peak

Out on the trail, a man has a lot of time to think. This past weekend, I spent 7.5 hours in the San Jacinto State Park Wilderness. While I did say "hey" to a few of my fellow hikers, and I even stopped to chat with a few, the majority of that time was spent with my thoughts.

Collection of maps and guides for San Jacinto and Southern California

I'm a map guy, so I had several maps with me to help me find my way from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway's Mountain Station to the summit of San Jacinto Peak, looming 10,834 feet above the Los Angeles Basin. I picked up the free state parks map from the ranger station, and I bought the $2 map available at the tram's gift shop. I even brought along two hiking guide books with maps of their own. I was well equipped to find my way.

Sign near the San Jacinto Peak trail head in Long Valley

Still, as I walked from the lush forests of lodgepole pines at the bottom of Long Valley to the sloping fields of enormous black-speckled white boulders above, my eyes took constant notice of the trail and its many signs, made by nature as well as left by man.

A ridgeline rises from the mostly dry stream-bed leaving Long Valley

Trails have a way of following the easiest route, much like water. In fact, many old trails follow the paths of the flourishing and green riparian environment, close to streams where travelers and their animals would find refreshment and cool respite away from the blazing sun. Other trails follow ridge-lines, where the elements of land and sky come together to aid onward navigation. At least that's how it is here in the desert southwest, home of grand mountains.

From Round Valley, Cornell Peak, rises to 9,721', still 1,000' below the goal

Along the well-worn path to San Jacinto peak, I followed the low trail, along a creek bed whose springtime rush had calmed and collected in near-still pools among the leaf litter of the forest floor, a vibrant riparian canyon. The trail signs led me, sometimes steeply up the sloping canyon walls, to the popular wilderness campground at Round Valley. From there I could see the various smaller peaks within Mount San Jacinto State Park, which lead northward toward the mountain's high point - San Jacinto Peak. Even these smaller peaks seemed so far off. Later, though, as I reached the top, I was humbled by the realization of how small they actually were, and by knowing that I was that much smaller still.

Rain over lower Coachella Valley and Salton Sea, seen from Wellman Divide

Continuing on, I struggled a mile or so more to reach the popular resting point Wellman Divide, a saddle where one catches the first glimpse of the sweeping Coachella Valley below, and of the Salton Sea many miles to the southeast, that disappears into the shimmering grey horizon.

Tall pines thrive among a field of black-speckled white boulders

The trail rises gently to the east en route to San Jacinto Peak

From Wellman Divide a number of trails branch off, which at first glace is confusing, but fortunately a clearly marked junction sign post was there to spark me off again in the right direction. The trail from the divide is more gentle, slowly climbing through a boulder field - more impressive than the one before - and rising finally above treeline to reveal carpets of low-lying alpine shrubs. The shrubs were teeming with bees, so much so that as I sat silent on a rock amidst them their buzz sounded almost mechanical and techno, like I was inside a factory of some sort as machines droned on to do the work of man.

Gently beauty on upper portion of San Jacinto Peak trail from Long Valley

The bees love these alpine shrubs on the trail to San Jacinto Peak

The upper reaches of the trek became less well-signed and I had to rely more on informal forms of finding my way. The final ascent led to an emergency cabin, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and from this point any sense of an official trail all but disappears. The remaining climb becomes a free-for-all scramble. Cairns, or piles of rock left by hikers who have come before, give a general idea of which way to turn. Everyone seems to pick their own best way here, as the trail spreads out and you are suddenly joined by folks who took other routes up to the peak. Eventually you find yourself maneuvering among a cap of loosely fitting large boulders, one of which is higher than all the others on this great mountain.

Emergency cabin, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s

Cairn marks the way to the final reaches of the San Jacinto Peak trail

Pulling myself up onto these huge behemoths of rock made me tense as I could not ignore the question of how I might make my way back down. But the call of the summit was great, and capturing it was the only thought imminent, and I was sure that reaching it was the only way to make sense of all the effort I'd put into finding my way to this point in the first place. So I tucked my maps and my camera in my backpack, took my time boulder by boulder, and finally made my way to my destination on top of Mount San Jacinto.

The end of the trail, San Jacinto Peak, elevation 10,834 feet

Peace and victory, at the top of the world on San Jacinto Peak

Flush with joy upon reaching the summit, I almost lost my balance and fell off the slanted pile of boulders as soon as I'd topped it. Fortunately, I maintained balance, and so I hopped on the capstone boulder for just long enough to have a 360-degree view and let a fellow hiker take my picture to mark the accomplishment. There were others waiting for their own photo opp, so I shimmied my way back down, and as I stepped on a boulder just under the one on top, I noticed that tucked beneath it was a little box apparently holding the remains of a mountaineer who never made his way back down.

Unfortunate reminder that not all who make it to San Jacinto Peak return

From here I snapped a few shots and finally had a great look around, making my way from 2nd-tier boulder to 2nd-tier boulder, to identify the surrounding peaks of the Transverse Range and the small mounts of Catalina and the Channel islands I could make out far to the west. Then I made my way back to the main trail to begin my descent to the trail head.

View of Diamond Valley Lake and Laguna Mountains from San Jacinto Peak

What I thought about during all that time out on the trail is hard to put it in to just one simple sound bite. But as you read through my blogs and follow me on the adventures yet to come, you'll probably get a good idea of what's going on in my head as I ramble round the wild places of the world.

And please know, I really do appreciate you reading my blog and joining me on my adventures. It's great to be alone sometimes, but friends are what truly make living worthwhile!

For more info on the hike to San Jacinto Peak, check out the blog HikeyHikey! For info on hiking and other fit-life activities, check out MyFitLife2Day.

Conditioning hikes, mindfulness and your encouragement

I set a goal recently to complete the 20-mile Cactus-to-Clouds (C2C) hike. In terms of day hikes, it's massive. In fact, it's been called the most challenging day hike in the lower 48 states. The hike starts on the desert floor, just outside of Palm Springs, California. From there, the trail climbs unrelentingly more than 10,000 feet over the next 14.5 miles to reach the peak of Mt. San Jacinto. After catching your breath - and enjoying the breathtaking views (on a clear day it's said you can see the Channel Islands) - you have to make your way back down the trail, 4.5 miles, to reach the upper terminal of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway before it closes.

My first SoCal hiking book - will look for more guides once I'm there!

A goal like this would be huge for anyone. I feel it's even huger for me. I'm a larger guy - weighing in at 275  pounds on a good day - and rigorous hiking like this would require a level of physical fitness greater than where I am today. Don't get me wrong - I'm in fairly good shape, and physically I am confident I could handle this hike. But I would have a seriously hard time getting it done during one day's light unless I can become quicker on the trail. For this, I'll need to lose weight as well as do more frequent conditioning walks and hikes.

Climactic extremes make this hike an even greater challenge. Late spring after snow caps melt and late fall, before the first snow falls, offer limited windows of opportunity to do the C2C hike comfortably. The probable weekend for me doing this C2C hike is the last weekend in October - a week after my buddy Khizer runs his first marathon here in Albuquerque.

I'll have to set out on the trail at first light, perhaps a bit before, and I will need to get back to the tram before dusk - if possible. I will obviously carry the proper emergency equipment for night hiking and the possibility of an unexpected overnight stay on the mountain. But really, I should be proactive and focus my efforts over the next two months on shaving off time by shaving off some of this excess weight.

That I need to lose weight is not news to me - I have weight loss goals and have lost a significant amount of weight already just to make even these last six 10-milers I've hiked possible. The extra weight will be remedied in large part by certain portion size and food choice modifications. I am also working on getting back into my former medicine ball and plank habit, which has helped significantly during my fit life journey. But for August and September, I am focusing more than ever on conditioning - preparing and carrying out hikes that will get me ready for the big hike to come.

The book 101 Hikes in Southern California, by Jerry Schad, says conditioning hikes for the C2C hike should "include 5,000 feet or more of elevation gain, plus exposure to elevations of 9,000 feet or more."

Descending from Mt. Taylor Peak on the Gooseberry Spring Trail

So far both of my conditioning hikes have climbed above 9,000 feet - Sandia's La Luz Trail to the crest (10,678 ft. elev.) and Mt. Taylor's Gooseberry Spring Trail to the peak (11,301 ft. elev.) - but neither fits the bill with regard to elevation gain (3,600-ft. and 2,000-ft. gain respectively). My next few conditioning will  be:

1. Humphrey's Peak, tallest peak in Arizona, San Francisco Peaks (12, 637 ft. elev./3,333 ft. gain)
2. Sandstone Peak, tallest peak in the Santa Monica mountains (3,111 ft. elev./1,400 ft. gain)
3. Old Baldy, tallest peak in the San Gabriel mountains  (10,068 ft. elev./2,300 ft. gain)
4. Old Greyback, SoCal's tallest peak, San Bernardino mountains (11,503 ft. elev./4,000 ft. gain)
5. The "easy" and "middle" ways to San Jacinto Peak (10,834 ft. elev.), 2,600 ft. elev. gain from Palm Springs and 4,400 ft. gain from Idyllwild)

I will also be doing more conditioning walks throughout the week, as well as working out at the gym and swimming regularly to increase my cardio performance.

To be honest with you, the C2C feels out of reach right now, but I have faith that my hard work and mindfulness I will be ready to do it when the time comes. As always, I appreciate my readers and their encouraging comments, as feedback of all forms helps me to reach higher each time I try something new. Thanks!

Hiking: Training for 20-mile Cactus-to-Clouds Hike

I've decided I am ready to set a goal for the final 20-mile trek I must accomplish to complete the requirements for the Boy Scouts Hiking Merit Badge. I realize the easy way to reach this goal would be to map out a fairly level hike that I could complete in the shortest time and with the least difficulty possible. However, I am going a different way. I'm going all out. I'm planning to do the Cactus-to-Clouds hike from Palm Springs to San Jacinto Peak and back to the upper tram terminal.

To be honest with you, it is with more than a bit of trepidation that I set such a lofty goal for myself. I am still obese - weighing 270 pounds with a BMI of 35. I'm about 80 pounds heavier than "normal" for my height, and I'm carrying around 29 percent body fat. I will have to lose some weight if I want to make this hike possible - especially considering that I must complete it in one day, no overnight.

The hike starts at just 560 feet elevation and climbs 10,600 feet over 14.5 miles to reach San Jacinto Peak. According to the guide book, 101 Hikes in Southern California, this is the "greatest elevation gain of any dayhike in the Lower 48." Fortunately, though, it's not complete wilderness. At the 9-mile point, you reach the tram terminal, an excellent place to refuel. There's a restaurant and a place to refill water bottles, but I will need to carry plenty of rations in my pack. And I will need to set off before dawn if I plan to make it back down from the peak before sunset.

Planning for this hike is of utmost important, as is training. Based on weather conditions, 101 Hikes author Jerry Schad recommends taking this trek in late spring or early fall - to avoid snow at the upper elevations and excruciating desert heat at the bottom. Also, Schad recommends taking conditioning hikes to prepare for the distance and elevation. He says you should train by including hikes of "5,000 feet or more of elevation gain, plus exposure to elevations of 9,000 feet or more."

I will be moving to Southern California in September, so I will be able to do conditioning hikes in the San Jacinto Mountains as well as in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. While I'm still in New Mexico, however, I will practice on Sandia, which reaches an elevation of 10,678 feet. The elevation gains on Sandia are significant, but because all the trail heads start above 6,000 feet, I will not be able to experience the 5,000+ gains until I'm in SoCal.

My first conditioning hike will be next week. I plan to hike the La Luz trail, starting at the lower tram terminal and hiking to the upper terminal. This hike will be 10 miles and will have an approximate 3,700-foot elevation gain. I will do the hike alone, but since this is a heavily trafficked trail I know I will be safe.

Even as I write this, I feel nervous about the goal I am setting. I am very goal-oriented and I like to set goals that are achievable. I believe this one is, but it will take much more physical will, focus, determination and perseverance than I have demonstrated up to this point in my life. I am definitely practicing what I preach, both in the classroom to my applied psychology students and in private sessions with my life coaching clients. I often quote Tony Robbins and tell people that it is their decisions, not their conditions, that determine their destiny. I am sure that this decision is,  from this moment on, determining mine.