Black Mountain
MVP
Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat—It was so sunny and hot that without this hat, I believe that after the hike, my skin would have felt like fire and ice—all at the same time.
Hike Review:
The trails in Rancho San Antonio were wide, a little dusty, but well kept, while the rest of the way contained well defined trails that were not so fun to hike.
There was sparse shade throughout the trail, which made me wish that I had started the hike hours earlier than I did.
The trails in Rancho San Antonio were busy and the rest was not busy at all.
What I Learned:
I really wished that I had started hiking earlier than 8:45am. At first it was fine, but when the temperature rose into the 70s, I got really sweaty and uncomfortable.
I finished the hike with the smallest of bits of water left. I carried 2 liters.
I really wanted to give up in the first few miles. But once I hiked about 3 miles in, I had invested too much and those voices quieted down.
What Happened?
12.75 miles, 5 hrs 9 mins, 4068 ft of ascent
I had the day off, so I decided to hike up to Black Mountain. I wanted to catch up on sleep, so I slept in and started the hike around 8:45am, which later bit me in the ass.
The trail is steep from the start and frustratingly loses elevation (only to gain more) in various parts of the trail. At first, it was pretty nice, with the sun not having it’s full strength and the weather being cool. An hour in though, the temperature picked up and the hike felt like a quagmire with the sun sapping my energy and making me feel more tired than I should have been. Still, I just kept on going until I reached the peak.
At the peak, I had a nice conversation with a fellow hiker who had passed me (and who I used as a pace setter for the rest of the hike), then walked around the summit and enjoyed the summer breeze. I then headed back down to my car without drama.