El Capitan claiming souls

What a beautiful grueling hike!

I picked this (1 of 6) first as it was closest to my house.

Started at about 1130 and finished around 1615.  Approx. 11mi. round trip.  Temp was in the low/mid 80s with clear skies, beautiful.

Saw 7 hikers in total, all on the return as I was heading to summit.

I came expecting a challenge and was met with just that.  The flat sandy trails were nice for me to catch a breath and there was a respectable amount of shade throughout.  I loved the temperature drop at the summit coupled with the wind to reward my body, even if it was for a brief moment.

Going back was a bit more difficult as I didn’t enjoy the downhill walk anymore.  Also ran low on water with a few miles remaining, but thankful to Blue Sky Ranch’s cooler of water for replenishing my thirst.

This was the first time up this trail and I underestimated it, but definitely enjoyed it.  I will be back…

On to the next hike!