I opted for the long version (24.3 miles RT according to GAIA GPS) of this hike by starting at the Maple Springs Visitor Center. I was on the trail at 7 a.m., the weather was cool with intermittent light drizzle. I anticipated weather conditions at the peak and packed extra gloves and warm layers in addition to bringing rain gear, a good thing as it was VERY windy and cold at the top, NWS was showing wind chills in the low 20's and I had sleet/freezing rain at the top. The first 3 miles are on a paved road, easy walking then a hairpin turn, across the bridge (see the picture of the Hyundai Elantra that had slid off the bridge! THAT was an unexpected sight to come upon, I'm guessing the driver was okay as no one was around) and then onto the dirt road/truck trail for the remainder of the 9+ miles to the summit.

At about 4,000 feet the wind really picked up and the rain was more consistent and visibility was minimal. At about 7 miles in I reached the Maple Springs Road/Main Divide Road gate and a parking area, there were a couple of vehicles there, the road to that point was fine for trucks and SUVs, anything with decent ground clearance. Go through the Maple Springs Road gate and then to the right there is a gate to Modjeska Peak and Santiago Peak. From that point, the road gets a lot rockier and with the rain and 4-wheel drive traffic, it was getting muddier. I passed two groups of Challengers coming back down from the peak in the last 5 miles, about a mile from the top I caught up with 3 other hikers and we summited together, I reached the summit in 4 hrs 47 mins after leaving the parking lot. After the requisite summit pictures, a quick lunch, dry gloves, and an additional jacket, I jogged the first few miles back down (mainly to stay warm). Between the rain and cold, I kept my gloves on and my phone dry so I didn't have any pictures coming back down.

The trip down was uneventful, once I got below 4000 feet the wind and rain let up and it was a more comfortable walk, the car in the ditch had been removed and I ended up back at my truck at 4:15 pm, so total elapsed time with stops and all – 9 hrs 15 minutes. The rest of my stats are in my Santiago Peak photo album along with other pictures taken on the way up. I'll do this one again when it's clear just to see the views, but I'll likely start at the Maple Springs Road Gate and make it a 10-mile hike (RT) since it was from that point that the views were obstructed by clouds.

Despite the cold and rain, it was a good hike, my 7th peak on the list of 18, my longest day hike and, a good test for my new pack. There was a LOT of 4WD activity on the road all day, with the narrow road and weather conditions, I stopped often and stepped aside to let vehicles pass, folks were friendly, but the vehicle exhaust was brutal while climbing. I also notice a much more trash (energy drink and beer cans) along the road.