20 Miles on the Legs

Last week we took a break from normal beating training and went hiking. The goal was two things:

1. Father/Son time - He was on spring break and we needed time together. Only 4 months and a few days until boot camp. 
2. He needed to put miles in his legs in combat boots to break his feet in. 

The hike was 20 miles round trip to the top of Mt San Jacinto (slightly over 10,000 feet) and back. The trees on the bottom of the climb were beautiful. 

We found snow early in the climb and Marco could not resist. 

This is one of the more beautiful hikes in Southern California. Views of the Temecula Vallley and Riverside are spectacular! 

We found lots of snow. In fact most of the top 3.5 miles up and 3.5 miles down was on snow. It wasn't too bad going up. The occasional post hole was more fun than anything. 

Going down through the snow was a different story. Often we were one slip from sliding 100 feet through rocks and trees. Post holes in the later afternoon soft snow became an annoyance. It seemed to take a great deal more time to get through the snow going down. 

Stats

Distance: 20 miles

Time: 10 hours

Elevation Change: 5,000 feet

Reward: The great thing about Southern California is there is almost always an In and Out Burger on the way home. 

We broke his feet in with 3 blisters. My legs felt like I ran 20 miles. 

It's a good life...