#98 of 2020 – 8/23/20
Mount Baden-Powell Summit Hike
9mi – 2894ft – 4hrs30min move time

I was really hoping this would be my 100th hike but I fell a bit short ????????‍♀️. After a bit of recon I hit this trailhead via Vincent Gap at 5:30am. While still dark, the trail was cooler and you finish before noon. Headlamped, I hit the trail w a few other early birds. We made it up the bottom handful of the 40 switchbacks and saw a magnificent sunrise over the pine lined ridge. ????????????????

Having Mt Baldy via Register Ridge still fresh in my mind, I was pleasantly surprised how chill this climb was. Sure, it’s a steady climb of ~3000ft but the switchbacks make it a more gradual ascent one that less experienced hikers should have no trouble with.

I was following this badass fella and his adult son(?) and he commented how he was slow going today because he did Baldy the day before. ???? #hikergoals

As morning ticked by the morning critters started coming out of the woodwork. I couldn’t believe how many lodgepole chipmunks were scurrying around nearly under foot.

It’s an interesting phenomenon when you hit the point on a peak trail where the landscape makes a drastic change. At about the 3mi mark it goes from dense forest to sparse twisty trees and lots of exposed rock. The switchbacks get a bit steeper and shorter and air a bit thinner.

I reached the summit at 8am and it was pretty quiet up there. Just a few groups besides myself. I took my peak pics, had some snack and headed back down. The trail was definitely getting busier and I was thankful I was on the trail as early as I was. It wasn’t hot but it was warming up and I was glad to be pointed down instead of up. The trail is narrow and passing is tight but I’d say 7 out of 10 folks were masked so it made passing easier. Only two groups blasting music. And I wasn’t following either thankfully.

If Baldy is my benchmark for peaks that’s just fine. This was a piece of cake in comparison. 4 more to go for my 2020 6-pack challenge. ???? ???????? #6packofpeakschallenge — at Mount Baden-Powell.