Gray Butte on a Blue Sky Day

Perfect weather for the first hike of the challenge. Even though we had a couple (2, to be exact) navigational errors by yours truly, it was truly a great intro to the 6 Peaks Challenge. There could have been a few more trail markings but overall conditions were great, trails were relatively crowd-free, and no rattle snakes were sighted (not a huge snake fan).

I would recommend future hikers start early in the day and wear sunscreen as the trail is mostly exposed and open, which allows for great views and lots of intense sunshine. Plus, due to COVID, the parking at Smith Rocks is limited to 200 cars (usual capacity was 500).