Alternative titles include “????ℎ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????,” “???????????????????????????????????????????????? ????ℎ???????????? ℎ????????????????????,” “????ℎ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????????????? (????????????????????)!”

6.5 miles up and back (from the parking lot, including off-trail)

2:15 up, 1:50 down (4:05 total)

2641 ft. elevation gain

19,463 steps

21% avg. grade, 86% max grade

Read that again: ????????% ???????????? ????????????????????

Yesterday, I had the privilege of doing another one of the six pack of peaks trails! Definitely the most technical trail I've ever done. From pre to post, I went through 5 bottles of Gatorade and 3 bottles of water. ???????????????????? ????????????????????????. Like, of the gardening variety. I used my hands almost as much as I used my feet on this trail. Camelback was a good primer for a trail like this. My whole body is ???????????????? today

There really aren't any trail markings, and so it is a scramble not by design, but by necessity. “How do I get to where those people are? Most be over this pile of rocks!” There were some really cool moments, and I have a lot of pride and gratitude for the experience, but it is probably the scariest trail I've ever been on before. I ended up pairing up with another solo hiker, which helped both of us as we navigated back onto the trail after we *somehow (?) got off the trail. Super steep, very few places for footing, and rock walls leaning into you the whole time. Navigating around the edge of a rocky outcrop both to avoid touching the cactus on the other edge of the rock or drop off the 12 feet on the nearest side… you really have to trust your balance on a trail like this.

But even on the trail, it was a bear. I spent a lot of times looking for good hand holds for my gloved hands while navigating the really steep sections. One time, as I was playing twister by myself and a bunch of sharp rocks 6 feet off the ground, I noticed the large splash of dried blood on the flat rock at the bottom. Getting up the 10 foot tall nearly vertical wall wasn't quite as scary as getting down it. OH MAN. What a trail. But don't let me try to convince you, let ????ℎ???? ???????????????????? do the talking