Nearing the tree line.

Five people drove up from Phoenix on Saturday morning and joined five others that met us at Target and the four of us that stayed in Munds Park. We quickly got everyone signed in and formed carpools and headed for Snow Bowl. Rudy believed we could park near the ski lift, but we were turned away, so we parked in the designated trailhead parking along with scores of other cars. After the group picture we got underway about 9:30 AM.

As expected, the group of 14 quickly spread out as the relentless climb began to take its toll. Most of the younger hikers were not seen again by us more mature hikers until they descended from the peak. One hiker was not feeling well and turned around early. The rest of us trudged up the steep trail that is littered with tree roots and rocks. Hikers must constantly watch their feet to avoid tripping over these hazards.

By the time Dave, Jim, Quy and Lin got to the saddle, it was after 1:00 PM. The other nine hikers were nearing the peak by that time. We wisely decided to just wait at the saddle for the first wave to descend, and then hike down with them. We waited for about an hour for six hikers to get back to the saddle.

We learned that it was Lin’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Lin!

We took a group picture and headed down.

While we were at the saddle there was some excitement: a mountain rescuer showed up and announced that a hiker above the saddle had broken her ankle and would require a helicopter rescue. The helicopter would have to land on the saddle, since it is the only remotely flat spot on the mountain. Other rescuers were on their way up with equipment to get the hiker down to the saddle. We met those hardy people as we descended. As much energy as it took us to get up there with small backpacks, it is hard to imagine what it takes to haul up a big wheel, sled slings, and all the other stuff needed. A hearty thanks to those rescuers. One of us may need them at some time in the future.

The hike down went generally smoothly, and we all were back at the trailhead by 5:00 PM. I was really glad that the four of us decided to stop at the saddle. Otherwise it would have been dark before we got down.

All but one of the 14 of us went to the little restaurant and cabins on US 180 at the junction with Snow Bowl Road for drinks and eats. All in all it was a good hike. For us slower hikers, we need to get started a couple of hours earlier.

At the trailhead, the sign says the peak is 4.8 miles away making a round trip of 9.6 miles. My GPS says we went 7 miles to the saddle and back. The saddle elevation is about 11,700' creating a 2500' foot elevation gain. The peak is another 900 feet of elevation gain.