The Six Pack of Peaks consists of "6 Peaks. 82 Miles. Over 27,000' Vertical Gain. One Epic Challenge" and, loving a good challenge, I decided to sign up. I completed the six peaks from February 4th to June 18th. Due to the amount of snow in the mountains this winter, I did the peaks a little out of order.
1. Mount Wilson: February 4 - 14 miles - 4,200' gain 2. San Jacinto: March 26 via Sid Davis/May 29 & June 4 via tram - 11.4 miles - 4,689' gain 3. Cucamonga: May 14 - 11.6 miles - 4,300' gain 4. Mount Baldy: May 27 - 10 miles - 3,900' gain 5. San Gorgonio: May 28 - 17.3 miles - 5,840' gain 6. San Bernardino: June 18 - 16.5 miles - 4,702' gain
Jeff Hester created the Six Pack of Peaks while training for the John Muir Trail. He noted, "Big adventures require proper preparation. All the cool gear in the world won’t get you up the mountain if you neglect the two most important pieces of equipment: your brain and your body. Whether you are tackling a big peak like Mt. Whitney or a long trail like the John Muir Trail, you need to arm yourself with knowledge and the trail smarts to handle the unexpected. And your body needs to be physically prepared for the strain of long, steep miles at altitude.When I developed my training plan for the John Muir Trail, it included several weekday conditioning hikes, longer weekend hikes, weight-bearing hikes and most importantly, hikes at higher altitude with substantial elevation gain. As I researched my options, I settled on a series of six peak-bagging hikes, each progressively more challenging and all within a couple hours drive from anywhere in Southern California. These six peaks provided great preparation for the JMT, but they are also perfect for hikers training for Mount Whitney or other big adventures." - Six Pack
Yesterday was the "Finisher's Party" for the 361 people that completed the challenge. Mind you, over 1,200 signed up to complete the challenge this year so about a quarter accomplished what they set out to do. The hiking community is simply amazing. It's always refreshing to get together with like minded people to discuss life, trails, and travels. Jeff hosted the party at the Oak Creek Golf Club down in Irvine, CA. There was music, food, giveaways, and good times. I was hesitant to attend as I was not sure who else would be in attendance but like most things, I'm glad I did. Being vulnerable is scary but I am constantly reminding myself of the good that comes from it. It turns out a few people I've met through hiking this year were there and it was great to catch up with them. I also met some new friends who are part of Girls Who Hike LA.
AND, we had the opportunity to write some of our 2018 intentions for all to see. Here are some of my goals for 2018:
1. Climb Mount Shasta
2. Climb Mount Rainier
3. Hike to Machu Picchu...
Check back soon for trail reports from my 2017 Six Pack of Peaks. In the meantime, click here for my hike logs: https://socalhiker.net/user/krista-muscarella/?profiletab=hike-logs This year I completed the Six Pack to prove to myself I could do it, inspire others, and train for Mount Whitney. I'm looking forward to challenging myself again next year. Perhaps summiting all six peaks in a certain number of days? And, it's only a matter of time before I add the Oregon & Colorado Six Pack to my list!
