The Three Saints, Part 2: San Gorgonio (Two Down, One to Go)
Southern California's Three Saints – Southern California's three tallest peaks are all named for saints: San Antonio (everyone calls it Mount Baldy), San Gorgonio and San Jacinto. This fall I set out to stand on top of all three. Mount Baldy came first, two weeks ago. On October 9 it was San Gorgonio's turn. San Gorgonio Mountain – At 11,503 feet, San Gorgonio is the big one: the highest point in Southern California. I did it as a single-day loop from the South Fork trailhead. I drove up the evening before, got to Barton Flats Campground around 9:30 pm, and slept in the van. The plan was a 5:30 start by headlamp; the reality was boots on the trail at 6:28, just as it was getting light. From there it's a long climb through pine forest, past Poopout Hill and South Fork Meadows, to the fork where the Dollar Lake and Dry Lake trails split. The stream running right at the fork is the South Fork of the Santa Ana River, still flowing this late in the year. South Fork trailhead...