At 11,502' San Gorgonio is the highest peak in Southern California. You have to say "southern" California because once you go north a bit this would barley be a bump. It's a great mountain to have basically in our backyard up here in Big Bear. I've done overnights on the summit and at dry lake and snowshoed to the top in the winter and hunkered down in 60+ mph. This year I have been able to run to the summit and back to the car a couple of times. Here is the most recent run.
Total round trip time of 3hr and 50min was pretty good. I started around 5:30pm and made it to the summit in just under 2hr30 minutes taking the trail from South Fork via Dry Lake to the top. A few minutes on top to eat something and snap this pic.
And then it was down the Dollar Lake trail as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean just in the distance. Running the first few miles along the ridge on top of San G as the sun set with nobody around was a very special moment. These rare times can really remind me just why I love to run so much, because of the places it can take me and the moments I can find along the way. The more I run, and the further I go, the more of these moments I find. Its amazing.
The run to the car was fun as it turned dark. Getting down from the top in 1hr 20min involves some booking and is a lot of fun. I think, given ideal conditions and fresh legs, and no time on top, I might be able to go car to car in under 3hr 34 min, the current FKT held by Paul Romero and Karen Lundgren. They took the north slope gully to the top, but I think the dollar lake trail as and out and back has potential to be the fastest way to go. We'll see, I am planning a FKT attempt for this fall!
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