On the 21st of Oct. I had the pleasure of hiking with the Monterey Bay Area Hiking Group in Salinas, CA. It was the toughest hike I’ve done all year. Yes, even tougher than Horse Heaven Trail up to Mission Peak! There are 6 or 7 really, really steep mountains to conquer. The grade on each was 25-30%. Tough!
We hiked to 3 peaks; Eagle Peak, Ollason Peak, and Simas Peak. Here I’m looking back at Eagle Peak from the trail just under Ollason Peak. We had made a summit to Eagle peak first. The morning started out really foggy and soon I was cold and damp. It was such a relief to get up above the clouds and fog and into the sun. 8 hikers started the hike and all 8 finished!
September 2011 Hiking Report
This is a sunset I shot on an evening I dropped too far behind while hiking on Horse Heaven trail with the Night Group. I was moving slower than my normal slow pace, so I dropped back and hiked alone the rest of the evening when the group decided to go up the 1st killer mountain. That particular part of the trail is a mountain with a climb of somewhere between 300-500ft with a grade of, I kid you not 25%! There is another mountain behind it just like it to be climbed to reach the summit that can’t be avoided. Being as slow as I am and this trail is very challenging for me as it is I decided to hike up Grove trail and cut over to Hidden Valley Trail rather than turning around and heading back down. I’m glad I continued on. I was rewarded with soft colors and the amber light was warm and soothing.
I’m not feeling very motivated about hiking this month. I need a goal. I’ve found one! Details soon.
The month’s totals follow:
9/1 -6.90mi, 2,211ft, 4h28m- Mission Peak via Horse Heaven Tr. + Photography
9/2- 6mi, 699ft, 2h55m -Tomales Point Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore.
9/6- 5.43mi, 1,550ft, 1h53m- PG&E trail- Rancho San Antonio
9/14- 4.71mi, 1,001ft, 1h36m- PG&E trail out & back Rancho San Antonio
9/16- 8.84mi, 1,970ft, 3h12m- PG&E trail up to Vista Point out and back
9/19- 6.2 mi est. 2,000ft est, – Hidden Valley trial to Grove Tr to Peak trail.
9/24- 8.36mi, 2,551ft, 4h30m- Mission Peak and Mt. Allison via Hidden Valley, Peak Trail, and Horse Heaven Trail.
9/30- 4.1mi, 820ft, 1h 26mins.- PG&E trail to Wildcat Loop O&B
Monthly Totals
Elevation Gained
12,802ft
Miles Hiked
50.54
YTD Elevation Gain YTD Miles Hiked
79,869ft 344miles
Dawn unfolding her light across the mountains. There is something magical about the way that Alpine glow can reach across the span of a valley and warm, and fill me with inner peace and harmony. In these moments when nothing else exists but me, nature, and God…it’s euphoria.
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 18mm ai-s| f22| 1/13sec| ISO 400| Manual Mode| Tripod| Cable Release
Taken from Cloud’s Rest, Yosemite National Park. The Sawtooth Mountain Range is to the right.
7/10-11 mi, 1800 ft, 4h40m– Woods Trail,Barlow Rd,Mt Umunhum Rd, Bald Mt trail- Out and Back
7/15- 7.90mi, 1,896ft 3h 00m – Vista Point Out & Back
7/15-3.6,mi ft.not much, time not long– Mirror Lake, Yosemite Nat. Pk
7/17- 3.35mi, 250ft, 1h– PG&E trail to Wildcat Loop-PG&E trail
7/21- 9.77mi, 1200ft, 5h– Iceberg-Ptarmigan Trail, Many Glacier,Glacier Nat Park
7/23-7.8mi, 2,853ft, 4h40m– Scenic Point, Two Medicine,Glacier Nat Park
7/23- GPS coordinates at Trail-head 48.480005-113.361676
Total miles hiked-
56.2 miles
Total ft climbed-
10,821ft- does not include any guesstimate for Mirror lake hike.
19 days to Cloud’s Rest!
Photo information
This is Scenic Point. I am on a ledge which is about 5ft wide seeking shelter from the wind along with my fellow hikers, and Pat Hagan our guide.
Looking this direction you can see the road into Two Medicine and above that Hwy 49 I believe. Looking further out toward the plains is where you’d find the towns of Kiowa, and Browning… I think.
I sat on this ledge and had a quick lunch. A Hairy Marmot peeked out of the rocks on the ledge and was hoping for his lunch too. I’m sure many people feed them, or just happen to leave big crumbs behind.
I want to come up here again. Hopefully, next summer. The deeper I hike into this park the more I fall in love with it.
This is a ledge that I was sitting on just under the point up at Scenic Point in Two Medicine Glacier Nat. Park. I’ve cropped off the tip of my boot from this photo. The ledge was only about 5 feet wide. The trees you see down there…that’s 7,000+ foot drop!
While having lunch and resting from the climb up this Hoary Marmot popped out.
He didn’t seem too shy. I’m sure he’s quite used to people.
It was the first time I’d ever seen a Hairy Marmot or any other for that matter. He’s cute!
The trail has 16 switchbacks getting longer the higher you climb. Every 4th switchback or so Pat had a story. Most were about bears. Bear management, behavior, and safety which I found interesting, and educational.
I turned around to look back here. I’m about halfway to the top at this point. It’s windy up here, and worth the effort to get here. Look at this view! That’s Two Medicine Lake, and way down there by the waters edge is a campground where many of my hiking companions were camping, and about half inch above the Z in my signature in the right corner is the parking lot my Va-Va is parked in under a shady pine tree.
Hike details
7.80 miles rd trip
2,853ft elevation gain
5h57m total time
The trail is steep, but the switchbacks help make the going easier.
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