This blog will detail 1,000 video hikes in Southern California. By Southern California, I am drawing a line from San Luis Obispo to the Nevada Border. Anything south of that line will be declared "Southern California". In a way, it is a personal challenge to do so many hikes. Mainly, however, it is my way of showcasing how many hiking opportunities there really are right in our own geographic back yard. As a blog, it serves as a companion piece to my Youtube channel "Mike On The Trail". It is also a work in progress, as I don't actually have 1,000 edited videos completed. This will take effort for quite some time before it is declared done. Even then, there will still be more out there. Here's to hiking and all the positive effects it has had on my life...and possibly yours!
The hike to McKinley Mountain is short but steep. However, finding the starting point might be the toughest part. There are no signs or established trailheads. Instead, I studied Google Maps and was observant when passing through on the highway over the years. On those instances, I concentrated on looking for a starting point while I was heading somewhere else. Finally, with enough research, I felt confident to park in a wide pullout southeast of the peak along Highway 330. I tucked my car as close to the edge of the pullout as I could so that I would not be a problem for cars pulling over. As it turned out, I was the only car there during my visit. I knew this since I had a clear view of the pullout for much of my peak hike.
Admiring the progress made while climbing.
After feeling secure with my parking spot, I headed up the slope on a use trail that led up the steep slope and through the brush. The initial climb was roughly a 500 foot gain in just a quarter mile. My calves were on fire by the time I reached the ridge. Once on the ridge, it looked like a straight shot toward the peak, but in a steep trajectory. Despite the clarity, I found myself stopping every so often to give myself a break on the steep climb.
On the first false summit looking at the second one.
When I saw my first poppy for the year, that gave me another excuse to stop and take it easy for a few moments. Once reaching a false summit (the first of two), I took the time to unstrap my GoPro so that I could stage a shot of me hiking along the trail. This is a technique that I see often on YouTube by other contributors, so I though I would try it out. I was actually kind of pleased with the outcome, but I never tried it again. I figured right away that my videos were about the hikes, not about me.
On the summit.
Once reaching the second false summit, the top of the mountain was in view on the ridge. Along with the view was a bit of excitement, since I had been plotting to visit here for years. Even on the previous weekend, when I was atop Harrison Mountain, I remember trying to solve the McKinley Mountain "puzzle" while on the descent. Meanwhile, once reaching the top of McKinley, I shot a short video where I re-created reaching the top (despite trying to be serious, this turned out to be one of my more comedic moments on video). Meanwhile, like all other mountain visits, it ended with a long descent back to the parking area. I was proud of the completion of this climb, and I was looking forward to sharing it. As I often say: Mission accomplished!
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