First overnighter, first time with a backpack, first time above 8,000 feet... first time for a lot of things. We took the Forsee Creek Trail and camped at Jackstraw Springs at 9,200 feet. That was already higher than I had been before in my life on my own two feet. The next day, we hiked to San Bernardino East Peak, had lunch on the top, and descended 3,800 feet back to the car.

Next up is San Gorgonio!

2 hours, to the dot.

My father came with me this time. Eliot hiked up it again, and my twin came as well.

I led some family friends up the mountain. All of the adults walked up the normal summit trail, while I led my siblings and the children of the other family up the Southwest Ridge. It was hot, so it wasn't all that fun.

I left my house at 5:50 P.M. I arrived at the trailhead, a hang gliding port, 30 minutes later, at 6:20. It took me 15 minutes to get from the trailhead to the top of Hill 1 (in the included picture), which I reached at 6:35. 10 minutes later, at 6:45, I was at the summit of Hill 2 (also in the included picture). Another 10 minutes, and I was standing on the summit of Black Mountain at 6:55. It was quite windy, which was refreshing. I left the summit area at 7:05 and took the South Face route back to the southwest trailhead. I was back home by 8:05, which means it took me one hour to arrive back home.

In total, it took me 1 hour and 5 minutes to reach the summit from the trailhead (or 1 hour and 35 minutes from my house), and 1 hour back home.

By the way, it was fun!

I went with my dad. I got hiking boots for my fifteenth birthday two days ago, and I got to put them to some (minor) real use now!

I found a new way up this time!

It was fun. There were absolutely no clouds to be seen!

A friend of my father's, Dr. Willard, took me, his son Eliot, and his dog to Mt. Woodson. We started at Lake Powat at 9:50 A.M., and reached the summit by 11:35 A.M. (1 hour, 45 minutes) We had lunch and then stayed at the summit until 12:12 A.M. (37 minutes), and were back at the car at Lake Poway at around 1:25 (1 hour, 13 minutes). I was a little disappointed that there seemed to be very gray fog covering the ocean, because I couldn't see any islands in the Pacific. However, I spotted Mount San Jacinto (and maybe San Gorgonio?). They didn't look like they were 10,000+ feet tall, but I guess that was because of our horizontal distance from them.

I got a nice photo at Potato Chip Rock with Eliot!