San Bernardino East Peak

I realize how redundant it is for me to say this, but yesterday was another perfect day in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. I've ventured up Momyer Trail four or five times this summer and it's become one of my favorites. It offers a little bit of everything in just the three miles before the wilderness boundary: cacti, yucca, a variety of flowers of all colors, thick oak, tall pine and beautiful views of the valley below. It's a steep climb in spots, but the trail surface is good -- much better than the loose rock of Vivian Creek Trail a couple of miles east.

In previous weeks, I've veered to the right after the trail divides and taken Falls Creek Trail to Alger Creek, Dobbs Camp, Plummer Meadow and the trail's end at Dollar Lake Saddle. (Click to view the photos.) Yesterday, I decided to take Momyer Trail all the way to the top of the San Bernardino divide, then head west toward San Bernardino East Peak. (Click to view the photos.)

My friend David Money Harris's books and the trail maps warned me that Momyer Trail is not maintained and there were many spots where I lost it and had to do some searching. There are numerous trees down over the trail and from 8,000 feet to 9,000 feet the brush is thick and long pants are essential to keep the thorns at bay. I wore jeans and still came home wounded, albeit mildly.

Almost without exception, this summer's hiking has been fraught with problems with my footwear. The Salomon trail running shoes I bought at REI last year are really comfortable -- until I get about mile threes into an uphill climb, when the skin on my left heel breaks loose. No matter what I do, I get a blister there. It's the result of a misshapen heel from the surgery I had in the 80s to repair my ruptured achilles tendon.

As a result, I tried wearing my Asics running shoes. They fit great and I never had a problem with the left heel, but I wore a hole in the right shoe that led to blisters between my right toes. The solution? Wear the left Asics and the right Salomon:


This worked great, unti I wore a hole in the left Asics shoe, too; so I took them to the local shoe repair store last week. Because they won't be done until tomorrow (Monday), I opted for the Salomons yesterday, along with a special blister bandage for my left heel. Well, that worked well for the first five miles, then the skin broke loose again. I was tempted to head back, but I put up with the pain until San Bernardino East Peak, where I changed the bandage.

It was definitely worth it because the view from the peak was incredible. The valley was socked in with "June Gloom" clouds, but at 10,691 feet, it was spectacular: a 360-degree view of the area and a beautiful vista from the San Bernardino Divide to the Yucaipa Ridge:


All of this hiking is leading up to next week's big test: the Nine Peaks Challenge. I've been planning on this for a year, so I hope I make it. (If I don't, they'll have to helicopter me out because I'm not taking a sleeping bag.) While I'm still not sure which route I'll take, I'm committed to earning the $4.95 patch they sell at the Mill Creek Ranger station that says, "I climbed the nine peaks." It's 25 miles and I'm hoping to complete it in under 10 hours, but -- as always -- it depends on how much time I spend with the camera.

It will be my 59th birthday and summer solstice will occur at 10:46 p.m. PDT, meaning it will be the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Hopefully, I won't need all that daylight for the hike, but like all good pagans, I'll be celebrating the solstice by doing it outdoors.