Mount Baden-Powell, 8.08 miles in 6 hours 41 minutes and an overall elevation gain of nearly 2,800 feet
I met up with my friend Dale Hill at about 0625 this morning to hike Mount Baden-Powell from Vincent Gap. I was really surprised when I pulled into the familiar Vincent Gap Parking lot. It had, had a makeover. It was repaved, decorative boulders were placed all around and the parking spaces were remarked. It looks great!
We had a few goals in mind as we began our hike today. For me it was 1) to complete one of the peaks in the SoCal Six Pack of Peaks Challenge; and, 2) to replace the unserviceable flag at the summit. Dale, on the other hand, had other ideas since he had already summited this peak for the challenge. Of course, replacing the flag was a part of his plan, but Dale was also searching for the survey markers at the summit. Then as we finished our hike, he continued across Hwy 2, on the PCT, and followed it for a few miles to retrieve another survey marker.
There weren’t a lot of hikers early. Maybe just 3 or 4, plus us. When we arrived at the summit we were all alone for the first 15 or 20 minutes. First we search for, and Dale recorded, the survey markers. Then we took down the old flag and replaced it with the new one using new hardware to hold it up. The new flag was a little long, so in order to prevent it front touching the ground, we whipped out our trowels and started digging. Not much but enough so that the flag could hang. (See photos)
Afterward, as others were arriving, we had our snacks/lunch. Enjoyed some conversation with other hikers that had made their way up and then headed down for what should have been a relatively quick descent.
However, with about two miles to go Dale ended up getting “COVID” toes. Yes I teased him a little; however, karma is a b****. Shortly after that I ended up with “COVID” calf. It really slowed me down, so the descent took a little longer. No worries though, we’ll both survive our minor “COVID injuries.
All in all, it was another great day on the trail. And, hiking with Dale always spurs some great conversation and stories. Thanks for coming along Dale. See you on the next one!
Responses
Thank you Philip for the noble gesture of replacing the flag. We were there last Wednesday and saw the torn flag and thought of coming back soon to bring a new flag. Many, many thanks again & hope to see you on the trail and thank you in person. I hope your “COVID” calf will feel better soon. Happy trails.
Nice work!!