I don't recall in the seven seasons I have been doing Baseball Road Trips ever feeling sore and cramped 24-hours afterwards. Sure, I've done some pretty intense workouts, and, sure, I have spent hours on cramped trains and tight-quartered planes, but an 11.6-mile hike up a 10,800-foot mountain is a new one. Here is a perfect example, once again, of how Baseball Road Trips are not just about the game; it's about the experience.
Since I've moved here to Southern California, I have really gotten into the day hiking scene. I have hiked the tallest mountain in both the San Gabriel (Mt. Baldy, 10,064ft) and San Bernardino (San Gorgonio Peak, 11,503ft). There was one more mountain, San Jacinto Peak, that I needed to climb in order to have summitted the tallest mountain in the three major ranges in Southern California. Hiking all of the summitted"Big Three" is an accomplishment that every serious hiker in Southern California strives to attain, and I figured what better way to achieve it than on a Baseball Road Trip.
My day started early at 6:30am driving over the Banning Pass, past the monolith of San Jacinto, into Palm Springs. I was to take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up the side of the range to the Mountain Station at around 8,000 feet. From there, it would be a 5.8-mile hike up to the top of San Jacinto Peak.
The tramway is a very interesting engineering feat as it ascends through Chaco Canyon from an elevation of 2,000 feet. Along the way, the tramway boasts that it passes past five distinct biological eco-zones, akin to driving from the Sonoran Desert all the way to Alaska. It was built in the late 1960's, and has had some improvements done over the years, but the 11-minute ride up the side of the mountain certainly is a sight to see for any person visiting Palm Springs. The tramway cars make two complete rotations throughout the ascent, allowing you to get a full view of the canyon from every angle. On some spots, the tramway car suspended more than ten stories above the rugged canyon floor, making for some vertigo-inducing views. It dawned on me, about halfway up, that the Tramway was a new mode of transportation for Baseball Road Trips that I had never experienced.
After transiting Mountain Station, and grabbing a day-hike permit from the Ranger Station, I set out on the trail for the summit. Of all the hikes I have done here in California, this hike was relatively easy. It was a very gradual ascent through thick lodgepole pine forests and past verdant mountain meadows. What was really extraordinary was that in some places, crystal clear creeks ran through the wilderness, and, even at the beginning of June, there still was a few small patches of snow. As you rose in elevation, the tree-line gave way to mountain-clinging shrubs of manzanita. The trail became very exposed at this point, and with being so high up, the sun can be brutal.
I think the most extraordinary part of the hike is the solitude. The tramway up was pretty crowded with day hikers, but once everyone got spread out on the trail, the sounds of nature are just incredible. So often, and speaking on the vein of Baseball Road Trips, the sounds of the cities and the parks are deafening and sensory-pounding. But, the restive silence of the high country is unequal to anything else. It is such a contrast to everything you think of in Southern California, and it is almost indescribable.
That feeling you get when you summit a 10,864-foot mountain is incredible. Sure, the hike may not have been as hard as my other summits, but the feeling of standing high up on the mountain with the world below you is just awesome. From the top of San Jacinto Peak, I could see all the way into Mexico, west to Los Angeles, the expansive Inland Empire and Coachella Valley directly below, and the desert beauty in Joshua Tree National Park. Just look at these pictures I took at the top...
Obviously going down was a heck of a lot easier than going up. Round-trip, the hike took me about 3 hours to complete. I did spend an hour at the top, so by the time I got back to the Mountain Station, I was ready to get off the mountain. I was sweaty, dusty, and very thirsty, even though I had guzzled down two whole Camelbacks, two gatorades, and a bottle of water. You can then imagine my frustration when I got to the station and saw a huge line to get the tram back down. This made me wonder what is the point of having such an unspoiled wilderness if it is so easily accessible to all people. Doesn't that negatively impact the environment? Sure, not all those people were on the Summit Trail, but that doesn't diminish the concept of ruining such an expansive place. I can see the arguments either way, but that's a conversation for a different day.
The temperature at the Mountain Station was a comfortable 75-degrees. Down in the Valley Station, the temperature shot up to a balmy 106-degrees. It continued that way as I drove from the station down into Palm Springs. I had planned for this, and my next stop was the Sunrise Park Pool. I was able to take a shower and get all that dust off, but also just soak in the comfortable 70-degree pool. After the hike, it was probably the most relaxing thing I could think of.
After a quick bite to eat, I crossed Sunrise Park to Palm Springs Stadium to see the resident Summer Collegiate League Palm Springs Power host Southern Nevada. Enter in the "Baseball" into the Baseball Road Trip. This was third time I had been to Palm Springs Stadium, and I always enjoy my time there, especially during the summer when the misters are working.
The only problem with the game was that around the 4th inning, I started to really get tired. Maybe for next year, I should work in some sort of nap before the game and after the pool. The only problem is that it is so hot in Palm Springs that it's hard to find a place that is cool enough to relax enough for a nap.
Palm Springs scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 8th to beat Southern Nevada 5-4.
As you can see, the baseball game was just a small part of my trip out to Palm Springs. I am becoming very comfortable with making two trips per year to Palm Springs, and I think that this hike and the game are going to be a part of my annual summer trip out there. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to come back next year.
This weekend is 66ers/Angels Circuit 4. The Angels are playing a day game on Sunday, so I'll be on the Metrolink with my bike. Oddly enough, if you can believe it, it has been more than a month since I have taken the Metrolink to a game. I've certainly been putting the miles on my car since then, so a little public transportation will be a welcome relief.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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