Monday, October 30, 2017

Wildcat D, 10/29/2017

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Wildcat D
10/29/2017
Wildcat Ski Area
7 miles round-trip
Around 2,100 feet of elevation gain

Due to storms in the forecast, we decided to hike something short today.  John Myers, his friend Steve Lord, Mom, Sage, and I ascended Wildcat D together.  John and Steve were great company!

It was dark and misty when we started the hike.  When Mom drove into the parking lot, the fog was so intense she could barely see where to park.  We all put on rain gear because the air felt so heavy and wet.




The pictures I took from here on out did not save for some reason, so most of the following were taken by Mom...

Me walking up the trail and John delayering ahead:


John and Steve coming up:


It started raining close to the summit of Wildcat D.


Sage and I walking ahead...


Summit group pictures!


This photo was taken by John

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Tripyramids, October 15, 2017

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I was recently accepted into the Trailwrights 72 Summits Club as an official member!  I am honored and thrilled to be part of this club, and I am happy to have completed the list of 72 mountains and 72 trailwork hours necessary to become a member of Trailwrights.  Please check out their website here.


Tripyramids
10/15/2017
Livermore Trail, Mt. Tripyramid Trail
11.0 miles round-trip
3,000 feet of elevation gain

I felt chilly when we began hiking, but I gradually warmed up and delayered as we continued.  Even though the trail was dark during morning hours, and I was drowsy from just waking up, I still noticed the colorful leaves on the ground.


Mom's picture of me at the trailhead





Looking up at the bright sky outlining radiant foliage...




We saw this lovely view from the North Tripyramid Slide, but the rocks were slippery, so it took us longer to climb up than it would have if the rocks had been dry.





Sage and the many trees beneath her...



Up we go!


A picture from Mom of Sage (right) and I (left) ascending the slippery North Tripyramid Slide
Mom got stuck here for a little while, and we all tried to figure out what to do.  I came down to help her while Sage helped from above, but Mom made it up safely without much of our assistance.



Sage and Mom climbing up the slide...





Mom threw her poles to Sage...


Flying pole!



Capturing the view:




 



Continuing up...



The slide got very steep:


Sage coming up behind me!


The fog increased as we climbed higher.




This shows you how steep the slide was at this point.


A picture that Mom took of Sage and I coming up the slide.  Her pictures are very well-taken, in my opinion, because they clearly show the steepness of the slide



We finally finished ascending the slide and felt solid, level ground under our feet again.





Mom's photo of us on North Tripyramid

A picture that Mom took of Sage and me on Middle Tripyramid



Easy footing:


Finally, tiny South Tripyramid...someone put red berries on top of the little summit cairn!



Heading down the South Tripyramid Slide...


The views from this slide were a little bit better than the sights from North Tripyramid Slide (less fog).




This slide seemed to go much faster than North Tripyramid Slide; I believe this was partly because the rocks were dry, and also because Sage and I had an intense discussion about Harry Potter fan fiction theories on the way down.



The best sights of the day, I thought, were when we got back down below tree line and saw vibrant trees all around us.





A world of intense color...




Coming down...





Bright pink and red leaves on the ground...






Autumn foliage seems like the best scenery on days like this one.