An awesome mountain, I felt a sense of vigor and renewed vigor hiking Viejas Mountain. This was my first hike in about 7 weeks, and it was great to be back out on the trails again! I hiked Viejas on a cool December morning, and although there were some very steep spots, I felt the hike was peaceful. The chaparral is coming back very well after the Cedar Fire from 2003, and here's to its continued regrowth. On a summer day, this hike could be tough due to lack of shade, but when I hiked it, it was cool and breezy, and chilly on top with some a short stint of wintry weather, as some sleet fell for about 10 minutes! This was a shocker, since December in Southern California has been unseasonably hot! Yes, hot! So, after 83 degrees where I live on Friday in Orange County, seeing a sign of winter was awesome for me! It was worth the 2 hour drive for the short 3 mile hike behind Alpine in San Diego County. I also explored a small peak on the opposite side of the saddle leading to the summit, where there was some minor scrambling over boulders, which was fun too! Despite the cloudiness, there were some phenomenal views of East County, Baja, and the coastal areas!! Of course, I also had another peak in store for a little later near Jamul, Sycuan Peak, which I did a few hours later! Feels great to be hiking again!!!!