Honestly, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about this one. The elevation, the summertime heat, the crowds, the summit that tricks you into thinking that it's much closer than it actually is…

This was actually my second attempt to summit this mountain in 2020, as the first attempt was foiled by an unexpected sleet storm back in March. Nearly everyone in our group was soaked and freezing by the time we reached Eagle Peak and, with the winds picking up just as we reached the subsequent ridgeline, we decided to call it a day. There would be other days to dance with the devil and the risk of hypothermia just wasn't worth the reward.

In retrospect, I'm glad we turned around before we encountered the glorified deer trail that is the Bald Ridge Trail; needless to say, this section was my least favorite part of the subsequent trip. The North Peak Trail was difficult, but very beautiful. After this difficult hike, we were rewarded at the top of mountain with water to refill our bottles, the most amazing views ever, and redemption for our previous failed attempt. The hike back was long, but completely downhill; as most of the morning crowds had dissipated, we had the roads to ourselves almost the entire time as we descended back down to the parking lot.

Upon arriving at my car, I swore to my hiking buddies that it would be a long time before we did that hike again. And yet, within a month, we're already talking about another trip up the mountain. I guess the allure of this devilish mountain is just too hard to avoid…