Same Day. Same Place.

We Did It. Finally.

If you scroll down a few posts, you will find an entry about a mountain called Lone Peak and how I wanted so badly to climb it and totally failed due to an allergy attack I got (that Tiff prayed for).

So, I climbed it Sep. 23rd, one year later. Teaching me, if you fail, try again in a year.

I also learned:

-I got all the stupidity genes in my family

-Also, you can lose a toenail in a day and two hiking poles

-Don't forget, God put pine trees on earth to give us something to grab when we fall

-Cairns don't always mark the best route

- I do get tired of PB&Js

-trail mix is the most correctly named treat to date

Yes, the mountain is a learning experience, and it's free (if you don't count the time off work and the mental and emotional exertion)

Luckily, this hike was nowhere near the 'learning experience' that Timponogos was a year ago (scroll even further through the blog entries for that life threatening lesson). Probably because we didn't have the exact hike group members as the year before. Namely, Tiffany. She got a job and thought about joining but didn't. We had Elle, Val, Drexel, Danielle, Kassie, my brother Dan and cousin Adam.

Started at 6:30 a.m. at the Jacobs Ladder trailhead and we booked it up the trail. It felt fast and good (not like our return).

Took a group shot at Lone Rock and then began the 2400 ft elevation gain on Jacobs Ladder. Folks, a ladder it was. That's all I can say...straight on up for 1.3 miles. I didn't mind the first half of it and I won't mention how I felt about the last half. What's cool is once you knock out the first 3 miles, everywhere you look is impressive. It was unlike anything I've done.

Rolling waves of granite slabs were everywhere with some fascinating intricacies carved into the stone from millions of years of mother nature working her awesome miracles.

Craning your neck upwards you can see the intimidating cliffs creating an unforgettable cirque, and we were still 2 miles away. There were detours and doubts about trails. Worries that others were on the wrong trails but all accompanied with the faith that people could see which direction to go. I felt so relieved and happy when we spotted part of our group surfing the granite slabs.

It was comforting when I hear various members "whooping" and yelling from different sections of the mountain. I'm just sayin'

The Top: Was scary...period. We found ourselves on a flat stone slab about 5 square feet. Three of the four sides had a 1000 foot drop :) (maybe like 300 ft but it felt like way more!). For some stupid reason, I like doing crow on mountain peaks. However, I didn't dare lift my feet from the slab. My brother Danny crawled onto the summit and made sure as much surface area of his body was touching the slab at any given second.

My friend Drexel (real name) claims she is new to hiking, but she's more like a pro. She handles a mountain like it's an apple. She doesn't need to hike anymore because she's conquered the best ones on the front. I mean, I've been preparing for Lone Peak for three years, Drexel prepared for like a month. Her neon jacket was the best. You could see her anywhere on the mountain.

Dan and Adam worked the mountain like it was the living room. Poor Adam, I think the closest one to Adam's age was still 10 yrs older then him. He and Dan could've done the hike in 7 hrs or so. However, they are extremely smart and opted for the company of the less agile and age-ed.

We did the 12 mile, 5700 foot elevation gain hike in 10 hrs. I think that's awesome. Definitely my favorite hike I've ever done. Unforgettable. I can't stop looking at the Peak. I drive Suncrest as often as I can to get a look at that gorgeous beast.

Thanks to all who hiked it. I love you all! You all add so much to the experience. It wouldn't be the same without you. This is the first summer I've had the great opportunity to hike with my brother Dan. There are 7 years separating us, so we've not had many opportunities to do things together and this summer has been a treat. Love you Dan.