4 of 6 Peaks.

True to its description by many, this was a long and very difficult hike requiring a lot of patience, perseverance, trust in your guts and your companions. I went with my husband and a lady friend. We first stopped by one of the cafes to eat breakfast in town then parked the car on the street side just a few feet from the trailhead. Though my husband could day summit a more than 10K feet mountain, he opted to do an overnight hike for the sake of the ladies ???? as this would be our first climb at that elevation. The initial climb up until the camp site was rather pleasant and kind; few snow patches here and there, the sunlight kept us comfortably warm on a cold, windy day. We decided to settle for the night at the junction (about 9,700 ft) before it becomes pitch dark plus the cold wind is picking up strongly towards us. Had a good night sleep after a good laugh and a few sips of good drink. On the following day, we were greeted to a fine, bright day with a spectacular views of the mountain, the pine trees, boulders, and foot to knee-deep white snow- that dominated the trail going up to the summit though still manageable until the last half mile. At that time, every muscle in my body was screaming of pain and surrender. I had to leave the back pack behind (half mile to summit) otherwise it will take me forever to reach the summit. The emergency hiker hut was a sight to see and visit- just couldn't help but imagine the people getting stranded here. Thank goodness for such a great rescue place. At the top…what could be a better reward than seeing the amazing views of the other peaks, the desert horizon, and meeting other hikers- with happy smiles!

The steepness scares me most when going down and when walking at the edge of a cliff…tremendously testing my perseverance and faith! If I always have to crawl to keep me from falling, I will…that saved me many times. Crampons and walking poles were a must.

Our water/drink was running out on our way down…a mistake we made not fetching water on the morning of. We sorted to water rationing then until we could reach the water source (not far from our camp site). To my surprise, the water tasted so good and looked clear and crisp…my first-ever water drink from such a natural source!

A big achievement!!