May 15th, 2016
Miles Hiked: 18
Total Miles: 315
Start Location: Mile Marker 377
End Location: Mile Marker 294
End Location GPS: 34.36025, -117.90538
We woke at 3:15 to get an early start by 4:15. It was a little chilly in the morning darkness on account of some wind, but it wasn’t bad with our down jackets on. By headlamp we ascended the final mile to Mount Baden Powell, named after the founder of the Boy Scouts. There were some tricky icy sections but it wasn’t too bad.
We crested the summit around 5 AM and sat at the top looking to our east. The sky broke out in a red rash over low clouds on the horizon. Slowly the sun came back alive and illuminated the nearby mountains in day light.
After an hour we resumed hiking. To our west lay a sea of clouds that edged the sides of the mountain slopes. It looked like an ocean of puffy white. We were truly above the cloud layer, walking in the heavens above the earth.
Later in the day we had to take an alternate around a 4 mile section of trail that was closed on account of an endangered frog. This took us on a scary 2.7 mile road walk on Highway 2. A weavy turny road with limited shoulder and fast oncoming traffic. This was the old alternate which was 5 miles total. The new alternate does not take you on roads but adds 20 miles. This was a no brainier taking he old alternate. And In the end we did not get hit by any cars.
We are camped by a slow rolling creek in a gully. The birds are out singing there songs to the slowly drifting sun. It’s been a long day with such an early start and I’m sure we will sleep well tonight.
Your photos are breathtaking. My favorite is of you both on top of the mountain!
That Cloudscape is phenomenal. I would have a hard time not just sitting down watching that for hours.
Glad to see you guys are making such good time, it is cool to watch the map keep getting updated.