Mt. San Jacinto | SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks Summer Challenge

Hey! I'm Tony and I'm doing the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks challenge this summer and I'm inviting anyone up for a challenge to join me. We're tackling two peaks per month over June, July and August starting with the shortest elevation gain and ending with the highest.

Mount San Jacinto

Open to avid hikers and above. Full disclosure: while you don't need to be an expert hiker, this is not a beginner-friendly hike.

This is the fourth peak in the challenge.

Expect 4,689 feet of elevation gain over 11.4 miles with a summit at 10,834 feet.

We'll start from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. There is a large free parking lot at the bottom of the tram with additional overflow lots and free trams if needed.

This is a beautiful hike with Jeffrey pines that smell like vanilla and butterscotch.

The very top of the hike involves some light scrambling.

You will need to purchase a ~$39 tram ticket Tickets – Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Meetup time is 7:45 outside the tram station. The first tram up is at 8am.

Preparation

• Pack water, snacks, and sunscreen as needed.
• The summer time in the San Gabriel mountains is often pretty warm and we'll be out for several hours so plan and pack accordingly.
• You might consider bringing headache medication if the altitude gives you a headache.
• Sturdy shoes or hiking boots are necessary. I don't advise hiking this in Vans, Chucks or anything else that isn't made for the terrain.
• There is food and water at the top of the tram with another water fill station at a ranger station about a mile from the top of the tram so pack plenty of water and snacks. Expect a roughly 9 hour hike depending on group speed, ability, etc.

A Six-Pack of Peaks - SoCal Hiker