Photo credit: summitpost.org. Note that this is NOT how it looked when we hiked. When we hiked it was still dark outside!
It took a lot of soul-searching before I agreed to get up at 4am to hike (what crazy person does that sorta thing anyway?), but I'm so glad I did. There was something very exciting about donning headlamps and setting out in the dark chill of the early morning to catch the sunrise. And it helps when you hike with super fun people!
The hike consisted mostly of a series of switchbacks, but culminated in the scaling of the rock itself, a giant thumb sticking straight up out of the mountain. The scramble to the summit was my biggest accomplishment of the day. I'd never gone rock climbing before, let alone scaled a rock the size of a small skyscraper. But I found it surprisingly fun! It was more tricky than hard. And with the help of one of our more experienced hikers, we all made it just fine.
The summit was a craggy, rocky surface no bigger than the bottom floor of our small apartment. We arrived just in time for sunrise.
The view was magnificent from every direction!
Looking back I think altitude and adrenaline may have altered our mental state - I can't believe we were jumping around the rocks at that height! I guess if we were crazy enough to get up at 4am we were crazy enough for almost anything. (Well, everyone except Michael. He was the wise one and stayed glued to the rock the whole time.)
Thanks Tanner Cropper for snapping this awesome shot for me!
The summit was a craggy, rocky surface no bigger than the bottom floor of our small apartment. We arrived just in time for sunrise.
The view was magnificent from every direction!
Looking back I think altitude and adrenaline may have altered our mental state - I can't believe we were jumping around the rocks at that height! I guess if we were crazy enough to get up at 4am we were crazy enough for almost anything. (Well, everyone except Michael. He was the wise one and stayed glued to the rock the whole time.)
Thanks Tanner Cropper for snapping this awesome shot for me!
The descent. (You can imagine what it was like going up!)
Growing up I didn't really hike or do anything like unto it, and I still don't consider myself a big "hiker". But in recent years I've really come to enjoy a scenic trail. This particular hike was perfect for me! Not too long and not too far (about 1 hour up and 1 hour down), and just the right amount of challenge. I love living in a place where experiences like this are just a zip down the road.
Thanks to Melissa Johnson for organizing an amazing adventure! And thanks to everyone who came for making it so much fun!!
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