On Monday, May 28th, 2018, my friend Janet and I set out to do the longest and hardest peak, in the North Cal Six Pack of Peaks Challenge. I think I waited so long to post this because I wanted to forget parts of this hike….lol. I got ticks, ran out of water, it was hot, and this hike was long….20 miles too long! I learned my limits and don’t think I want to hike so long, so fast and so hard in a day. This hike broke something in me, and now I long for shorter, more scenic hikes….for now. ???? Anyway! I did have a pretty good time! My friend Janet kept me company and in good spirits. She tick checked for me, had the water filter when I ran out of water at mile 15 and encouraged me along the way. 🙂 There was a portion of trail that I called “thistle way”, the grass was so tall and so were the thistles! You had to be so careful. I’m glad we did this hike when we did, because it’s just going to get thicker. We started off before the sun came up and got to the trail just after sunrise. The trail was steep and unrelenting from the get go. ???? We saw lots of jack rabbits, a dead snake that freaked me out, deer, cows and a coyote. There were a few creeks to get water and ponds, but it was mostly dry. A few wildflowers to look at and a few other groups on the trail. The view from Mt. Rose was grand and we could see the South Bay and the East Bay. It was a long hike, but full of good times and fun memories. I especially liked summiting because I got to eat my sandwich. It was the best sandwich I’d ever had. Lol! Boy did I eat! Almost 8 hours of moving time, 20 miles and 4,600ft of elevation gain. I don’t think I’ll be doing this one again. Goodbye ???? ⛰ . #trainingforhalfdome #sixpackofpeaks #norcalsixpackofpeaks