HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!

The two people who I admire most and have given me all a son could ever ask for are celebrating their GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY today.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

MT. SAN GORGONIO

Group #1: Ed, Pat, Dave, Jane, Aileen, Frank on top of Mt. San Gorgonio

I hiked to the top of Mt. San Gorgonio (11,501) with 10 other hikers. All but one of us reached the summit. We completed the 15.6 mile hike in 10 hours 30 minutes with ideal hiking conditions.

For the nine that reached Southern California's highest peak, all were their first summits on their first try. Dave and Jane, Michael, Aileen, Pat, Anne, Kristan, Frank, and Ed. Remarkable and incredible people. As for me it was my fifth summit.

My two hiking friends and wilderness permit holders, Dave and Jane, and eight other hikers started our hike around 6:00 a.m. Start of the hike was chilly but tolerable for some. Mosquitoes out in force as usual once exiting the vehicles. Ed arrived in the picnic area 30 minutes before Michael, Anne, Kristan and I arrived around 5:30am.

Trail washout was a concern due to deluge the night before, but the VCT trail was in excellent condition and no snow along the trail. There were only two trees that had fallen across the trail around the 10,400 mark. One was an "over or under" and the other was "around."

One of the hikers had a "bladder" problem. We tried to remedy the situation with some duct tape, but the moisture on the bladder prevented the tape from adhering to it.

The group and I performing water bladder first aid. That's me with my back towards the camera.

Cumulus clouds started to form at Galena Peak lookout as we neared High Creek Camp. As we neared the 10,000 foot mark, the skies became overcast. However, clouds provided valuable shade as we made our way along the exposed section of the trail above 10,500 feet. Hardly any wind at all along this section. Chilly from the 11,000 up.

Ed, me, and Pat at the last stop at 11,000 feet for another 500 vertical feet in 3/4 miles.

Two summit groups. First group: Dave, Jane, Aileen, Frank, Ed, Pat, and me reached summit around 11:35 a.m. Second group: Michael, Anne, and Kristan reached around noon. All first summits for all nine.

Me, Ed, Pat and Aileen at the summit. The person in red was not a member of our group.

Aileen, Jane, Dave, Frank and me.

The summit marker was missing due to souvenir hunters probably. A well-fed chipmunk scurried about looking for food.

King Fat Chipmunk sitting on what was the summit marker nearby.

Dark and grey clouds became concern at summit. It was decided to descend back down at noon.

As we past Group #2 on the way down, Michael reported to me that Kelly was having problems with the altitude and was sitting somewhere along the trail. As I sat approximately 300 yards below the Mineshaft Saddle/Vivian Creek junction waiting for Group #2 to come down, I saw Kelly coming up the trail. This was to be his turnaround point. I wish he had made it to the summit, but today was not the day. He made the right decision to turn around.

Our descent was uneventful. Met two rangers and they checked our permit. The last 1.2 miles from VCC to the TH is always a killer on the knees.

Many thanks to Kelly for providing much needed and well-deserved Hansen's sodas for post-hike festivities.

Congratulations to all on their first summit! Job well done!

Somewhere along the Vivian Creek Trail.

Trail notes: Do not trust meteorological reports if they forecast "sunny skies" and beware of cumulus clouds forming. Frequent breaks along sections of the trail key for first-timers. Rest stops: Vivian Creek, Amphitheater, Halfway Camp, Galena Peak, High Creek Camp, Ridgeline. Keep breaks minimal in duration. There are 16 switchbacks between HCC and the ridgeline around 10,000 feet. Why is it that the Mill Creek Ranger Station cannot provide the latest trail or weather conditions for the SGWA? In all my hikes in the SGWA, I have always met rangers on the VCT, South Fork, and San Bernardino Peak trails. Why can't they provide the latest conditions. Plenty of water in the creeks and filtration/purification strongly recommended. There was a bear sighting by Mill Creek by another group of hikers early in the morning.