Spring 2025 Trip

7 miles return
Elevation gain: 3,372ft
Duration: ~5.5hrs
Weather: perfect
Experience: priceless.

Those are J9's notes. Mark's thoughts:
We had perfect weather and a big challenge. Normally, we like hikes under 1,500 vertical feet at varied distances (2-8 miles). This hike was 3,372 vertical elevation with a distance of 7 miles. The peak elevation was 5k. The hike was hard for me, j9 did much better. The first 2/3 to Ben Lemond Saddle was not so bad. Then, we started the harder section to the Summit. I had to stop every 10 minutes for a rest. My heart beat was around 130 bpm, but would not drop after a rest. J9 heart rate was much higher even though she wasn't struggling. After reaching the summit, I noticed we were the only two other people over 30 years old, as all the older wiser hikers stopped at the saddle stop. The view was fantastic and possibly our first summit. It makes you feel alive to, on occasion, hike a trail of this vertical. The walk down was easier than we thought with the large rocks and loose stones. We are so blessed that we are healthy enough to do this hike. Obviously, I will need to be on the step master more often.Читать далее