Mt. Rose Peak….thought it would a brutal hike being a 20 miler but surprisingly was not.

We picked a beautiful cold morning to start our hike and the initial part of the hike felt perfect. The winds picked up to 17 m/hr and by the time we reached the peak, we were all freezing at 42 degree F. The views were absolutely gorgeous…the hills were lush green like never before and the various shades of green interspersed with yellow foliage from trees and shrubs were a sight to behold to lock away as a memory as no photo can do justice to what we saw around us. Spring flowers were just beginning to bloom. We had to cross numerous streams and gushing Little Yosemite didn't seem little at all 🙂

Going down, having lost our trail a couple of times and having climbed more than needed, my knees were definitely talking to me. A couple of short breaks to stretch them out did the trick. A good reminder to never underestimate the challenge of a good long descent!

One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done. Period. A note to do this hike after the rains when the hills are green as it is not a covered trail and the summer months will probably be brutal and not as beautiful. Beware of the cows that own the hills and expect to see herds of young ‘uns run up the hill to gawk at you!