I hiked Timp again this year with coworker Chris. This time Jolene joined us. (2009 hike report)
The Timpooneke parking lot was full (since 3:30 AM) so we found a spot along the Alpine Loop road and started hiking before 6 AM.
It was still dark so I used a headlamp for the first half hour or so.
The first section of trail is pleasant.
The wildflowers were out in abundance. (Me in front, Chris behind me.)
We saw four Pine Hens near the trail.
No snowfields to cross on the way up, mostly due to hiking two weeks later than last year.
Zig-zagging up the little chute after crossing the ridge saddle.
Half hour to the summit I was surprised to see this young mountain goat so close (we'd spotted two other groups on the way up).
I was shocked when the goat talked to me:
"Tell Rick his broken hip was no accident."
Looking nearly straight down at Emerald Lake is vertigo inducing but the water color is so amazing you must look.
Me and the loving woman who still lets me talk her into things like this (and gets up at 4:15 AM for them). On the summit a few minutes after 10 AM. Our house is over my right shoulder.
The refreshing scenes on the way down help distract from tired legs pounding the trail.
Arrived at the car a little after 2 PM.
Today we're both sore and tired, but the hike was well worth it.
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4 comments:
It doesn't get dark until 8:30 p.m. Why do people start that hike at 3:30 a.m.?
It is nice to hike up in the cooler morning air, but 3:30 seems too early to me. But you can get a parking spot at the trail head.
I've also heard of starting the hike just after midnight to watch the sunrise from the summit. I can see some appeal, but that's a lot of hiking a fairly rugged trail by headlamp.
We made an ill fated sunrise attempt. Started hiking just before midnight and got to the saddle 90 mins early. We tried to stay warm by spooning each other (six of us) at the saddle to avoid the wind gusts up top. 30 mins later we abandoned the summit attempt in favor of warmth on the way back to the car.
Great pics - glad you had a good time.
I once started the hike at 5am only to come across some people up the trail who got lost trying to make a "sunrise summit." I figured 5am was the better time to leave.
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