New Year’s Eve started out as a cold day, with the sky littered with ominous-looking clouds. It stayed cold long enough to make me want to keep my sweatshirt on for well into the hike, since the sun peeked out only long enough to make us wish we had our sunglasses with us. The trail consisted of switchbacks winding up the mountain, which then twisted around the back and over to the adjoining peak.

We had fabulous views of surrounding mountain ranges on all sides and saw many huge, sprawling houses and golf courses below us. At the end of the two-mile trail, we toasted the new year with sparkling apple-grape juice which Chuck brought. We returned the same way, enjoying the beautiful scenery, interesting rock formations, and the emerging sunshine.