Climbing Mt. Baldy 1,000 times

Sam Kim nears the summit of Mt. Baldy, a trek he has made more than 700 times.

“If you go to Baldy tomorrow, you will run into him,” said his son, David Kim. “You will never see another man who loves hiking or who is as obsessed with hiking as him.”

Sam Kim hikes off trail, up a steep slope on the approach to Mt. Baldy.

Kim takes a break at the San Antonio Ski Hut at 8,300 feet, along the trail up to Mt. Baldy.

“I’m feeling God’s embrace — this is better than church,” Sam said on the way up. “My shortcut is the Holy Spirit.”

Sam Kim arrives at a plaque atop Mt. Baldy.

Sam Kim unfurls flags on the summit of Mt. Baldy, the highest point in the San Gabriel Mountains at 10,064 feet.

Sam has made the journey more than 240 times this year alone, and he has the time-stamped photos to prove it.

Sam Kim takes a break with spicy Cheetos and Funyuns, favorite foods to power him along, at the San Antonio Ski Hut at 8,300 feet along the trail to Mt. Baldy.

Sam’s enthusiasm for the 10,064-foot mountain — the highest point in the San Gabriel range and Los Angeles County — has inspired dozens of hikers to share stories on blogs and social media.

Kim hikes off trail, up a steep, rocky slope on the approach to Mt. Baldy.

Kim takes in the sunset light bathing the shoulders of the San Gabriel Mountains on hike down from the Mt. Baldy summit.