Oftentimes, the hardest part is just starting something. However, when you take that limiting fear away and just go for it, you’ll find that you will accomplish so much more than if you were constantly hesitant about everything. My motto has always secretly been, “well, you’re already doing it anyway. You might as well continue and finish.”

The journey to the summit of Cucamonga Peak began at 5:30 AM. The group, Black Girls Trekkin’ met up in another parking lot before sunrise so that we could carpool to the trailhead. We knew that there wouldn’t be a lot of parking, but we did end up finding a place on the side of the road a little further away from the parking lot at the trailhead.

Several small groups of hikers were also there signing their names in the registry book. They were examining the monument that was dedicated to the founder of the Boy Scouts, Baden-Powell. Each of us took turns snapping selfies with the summit sign next to the American flag flowing gently in the occasional breeze.

As the trail climbed, I grew more confident in my ability to remember where I had been and where I was going. I began taking photos of the beautiful nature that surrounded me as my nerves subsided. My accidental hike alone made me understand the appeal of solitude in nature.

There’s something incredibly special about touching the top of a mountain with your bare hands. Your world suddenly becomes so small as you rest your hiking gear along the edge of the cliff that you just struggled to climb over.