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| Hiking | 10.25 Miles |
3,313 AEG |
| | Hiking | 10.25 Miles | 7 Hrs | | 1.86 mph |
| 3,313 ft AEG | 1 Hour 30 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Woooow. I'm still blown from this one. The crisp air at the base guided me through pine-lined wooded trails that eventually develop into switchbacks, offering glimpses on vistas that only improved with elevation. Ascending through the biomes is an awesome experience, but for me once I got to the saddle was what triggered the ear to ear uncontrollable grin. This was my first time hiking up to a peak >10,000 - I'm ready for second servings.
Aspens at the trailhead and the first few miles were peaking - yellow aspens and snowcaps are a hell of a juxtaposition. Miles 1-2 were leaf and pine leaves on the ground, 2-3.5 ice and snow in freeze/thaw conditions, and 3.5 up was increasing snow pack. Even with the warm sun, the temp remained constant as we gained elevation into the saddle and above. Speaking of elevation, this was my first time making serious gains in it, and I felt it! I didn't feel it until ~11,500, and I found myself stopping every 400', with decreasing intervals until about every 15 seconds as I neared the peak. Trudging through the snow didn't help, but as a desert dweller who just arrived at the trailhead, it was hitting me.
The summit was spectacular - 360 views reaching to the grand canyon, painted desert, and of course Agassiz and other peaks below, which looked like they could have been BC, Alaska, or Canada given the tundra landscape and white conditions.
The hike down the ice turned to slush, which with the mileage got heavier on my legs as I descended. This is the most phyiscally demanding hike I've ever been on. This is also the most euphoric I've ever been hiking, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Next time just less snow on the first few miles on the trail, but having a snowcap up there is special. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
Aspens at the trailhead and the first few miles were peaking. Yellow aspens and snowcaps are a hell of a juxtaposition. |
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Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.
Evan Hardin
Footloose adventures are documented instagram @afrankie8. |
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