I have moved to San Diego and now I am back to hiking and mountaineering. So my first adventure in Southern California was Mt. San Jacinto. There are two well known ways to reach the peak; from Palm Springs, and from Idyllwild. I chose to trek this mountain from Idyllwild. The deeply weathered summit of Mount San Jacinto stands 10,834 feet above sea level, and is the second highest mountain range in Southern California. We camped overnight to acclimate to the altitude at 6000' and the next day we started our journey at 9:30 A.M. We had the perfect weather. The trail had the most beautiful sub-alpine forest and fern bordered mountain. Small waterfalls trickled cold water throughout the granite peaks and rocks. We rested on top of some magnificent boulders. The trail was well traveled by many adventurers like us trying to reach the pick and be able to enjoy the views from the top. This was a wonderful trip. I have to admit, I was tired by the time I reached the summit, but it was worth it. Coming down was easy and fun; taking a second look to the amazing views, enjoying the fresh air, playing with the snow, and taking small breaks without the mosquitoes! We reached our vehicle by 6:30 P.M. We hiked a total of 11 miles RT with a gain/loss altitude of 4834'. No to mention, I was very lucky and fortunate to hike the most amazing friends in the whole world. Priceless!!! enjoy the pictures.