I used to think that after I died, I wanted my sons to scatter my cremated ashes on the peak of San Gorgonio Mountain (a.k.a. "Old Greyback") and have those little "bits of me" spend future eons being washed and blown into the San Bernardino valley below, where my ancestors were among the original settlers. Climbing to the peak of San G. (elevation 11,499') has been a goal of mine for many years, but I've never achieved it. After this weekend, I'll never ask my sons to make that trip. It is really hard! (Note to Chris and Dean: Take some of the life insurance proceeds and rent a helicopter.)
On Saturday, July 5, 2008, I left home in Redlands (elevation 1,500') and rode my road bike 26 miles east on Hwy. 38 to South Fork (elevation 6,800'), locked my bike to a sign post and hiked 5.2 miles into the wilderness (one way) toward the peak, stopping just short of Dollar Lake. The video I compiled and posted on YouTube (below) doesn't include a lot of the footage I shot, notably at the turnaround, where I described the shortness of breath I experienced at 9,250 feet. The remaining 6.4 miles and 2,250 feet to the peak will be a challenge, to be sure, but I have my wilderness permit for next Saturday, July 12, and plan to give it a go. Stay tuned.
Below are screen shots from MotionBased.com of the satellite views of the terrain, overlaid with my routes, from yesterday's ride to South Fork, hike to 9,250 feet and ride home. A YouTube video of the day is also included below. It was shot in HD video, so if you have the time and bandwidth, go to the YouTube web page and select "watch in high quality."
Next stop: San Gorgonio peak!
Here's a 10-minute video of some highlights of the day:
No comments:
Post a Comment