Back atop Mount Elden

I awoke before dawn and quickly packed up my campsite. Today was going to be the final peak in my Arizona Summer Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. I drove back down toward Flagstaff and pulled into the trailhead. Along the way, I caught a beautiful sunrise through the overcast skies. A few cars were in the lot when I pulled in. With the showers that hit Flagstaff yesterday, I was mindful of the skies as I set off. The trail started off mellow before really starting its climb to the summit. If you are familiar with the hike up Mt. Baden-Powell from Vincent Gap, you know that you get to enjoy a lot of switchbacks.

I climbed from one to another, enjoying the views of the east side of Flagstaff. Partway up, I started to feel a few sprinkles coming down. I stopped and stored my electronics in a ziplock bag in my pack and continued on. After a while, I pulled my phone back out to continue taking photos of the hike. Soon I was passing through more Aspens, and I knew the summit was drawing near. A hiker and his dog, who had run past me earlier, were making their way down. He congratulated me on having a strong hike. That made my day! This past year has been one of a lot of transformations, and the weight loss and its benefits have been so welcomed.

The lookout tower was now before me, and the wind was blowing at a good clip. I found some shelter behind a building and ate a quick snack. I grabbed some summit photos and began my descent, as visitors are not allowed up this tower. The descent went quickly, with my thoughts shifting to the long drive home. I passed a few other hikers making their way up the trail. Before too long, the switchbacks ended, and the end of the trail drew near. I did the 5.15-mile climb in 3:06, with a healthy 2,300 feet of gain. More meaningful was that I was 2 hours faster than last time. I am still processing that fact. Also, that peak completed the Arizona Summer Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge (and my 5th different challenge overall).

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. In addition, I have conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer). Beyond attempting the San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list a second time, I am looking forward to exploring new summits and new adventures across the southwest.

Up O’Leary Peak

I awoke around dawn from my campsite next to Sunset Crater National Monument. Off to the north stood my destination for the day, O’Leary Peak. I made a nice breakfast over the camp stove before I gathered my gear to head out. Bonita Campground was just south of the service road that I would take to the summit. Rather than pack everything up to make the short drive out of my campsite and over to the actual trailhead, I simply hiked a bit cross-country. I did have to make a small scramble over an ancient lava flow, however. Once on the service road, I backtracked about 300 yards to the formal start of the trail, since I was filming this hike. And with that, I set off down the road. The first part of the hike was very mellow, as the road worked its way gently past the edge of the Bonita Lava Flow, then the boundary of Sunset Crater National Monument. At the base of the peak, the road began its climb. Thankfully, being a road, the grade was nothing dramatic.

I kept cruising along, with views of Sunset Crater to my south, Darton Dome to my east, O’Leary rising above me to the north, and mighty Humphreys Peak to my west. Partway up, I saw the dust cloud of a car driving up the road, and moved to the side to let it pass. This was the person who would be staffing the tower, making their way to the summit. I continued on climbing toward the summit. As I passed through the saddle between Darton Dome and O’Leary, I knew I was almost there.

Soon, the tower came into view, and I had reached the summit. I slipped off my pack and took a few photos from the summit. Shawn, who passed me earlier, invited me up the tower. I mentioned I had been in many towers before, so the “Fire Lookout Tower Intro Talk” wasn’t needed. We chatted about various things, including the Dragon Bravo Fire. He shared some video taken by his colleagues of the fire and the aftermath of the Lodge at the North Rim. After about 30 minutes, I said farewell and wished him an easy day. The return from the summit went quickly. From time to time, I would move a rock off to the side of the road to prevent an accidental flat tire. The entire hike was 9.91 miles with 2,032 feet of gain, and I had a moving time of 3:06. After cleaning up at the campsite, I drove into town to take care of some online chores and attend an orientation session for grad school. Just one more peak to climb to finish off the Arizona Summer Six Pack of Peaks Challenge!

Return to Bear Mountain

I wanted to try to complete the Arizona Summer Six Pack of Peaks Challenge before I started grad school and in case the Coconino Forest became closed (which has happened in the past). Unfortunately, I could not stay with my friends in Flagstaff, so I had to work out how I was going to string together the three remaining peaks. The plan was for me to drive to North Phoenix and stay in a hotel, then wake up very, very early to get to the trailhead for Bear Mountain in Sedona. It was still quite toasty there, so an almost sunrise start was called for. The drive over was uneventful, and I had a good night’s sleep in the hotel; however, 4 am still came way too early. I grabbed a shower, then breakfast from the nearby Waffle House, and hit the road. I had hiked this mountain about 4 years ago, so I was familiar enough with the effort and basic route. I had wanted to hike Wilson Mountain, but the length of it and the temperature did not seem to make a good pair. I pulled into the parking lot and a few cars were already there. This is a shared parking area with Doe Mountain, so I wasn’t sure who might also be attempting Bear Mountain. I grabbed my pack and headed off. The early morning sun really showcased the red rocks around me.

After crossing three small drainages, the trail began its first ascent. I remembered the duality of this hike, gentle sections and sections of steep, cliff-face hiking. The first of those cliff-face sections soon appeared, and I could feel the difference between the years. While sweat still dripped from my head, I felt so much stronger. White blazes guided me along the trail, as much of it is on rock, so you are rarely going to see footprints in the dirt to help guide you. I remembered the rocky nature of this trail and thoughtfully brought the rubber tips for my poles. Those certainly helped throughout the hike.

The trail eased after the first cliff face, then up the next one. Bear Mountain was finally in view, as it is hidden from the parking lot. The trail worked its way around and continued the climb. Fay Canyon to the north came into view.

I pushed up the last section, and soon the End of Trail marker came into view. I found some shade under a nearby tree and took a break. I didn’t want to stay too long, as the day was getting hot and there was little shade on this hike. I snapped a few photos around the cairn and some panoramic shots of the views, then headed down.

It went quickly, although I did drift off the trail once or twice, but only for a couple of minutes. I had a sense I might have missed a blaze, and I was right. This is where all those trail miles pay off. Soon, I was starting to see the parking area, and I knew my hike would soon be complete. I logged the hike at 4.69 miles with 2,057 feet of gain in 3:06. On the way out of town, I grabbed a cold soda from McDonald’s and headed off to my next Arizona Adventure.

Climbing Ontario and Bighorn Peaks

After dropping my son off at the airport for his early morning flight to Chicago, I took advantage of being awake at that hour and drove up Icehouse Canyon to hike Ontario and Bighorn Peaks. The parking lot had some cars in it when I arrived a bit after 7 am. I grabbed my gear, filled out my day-use permit at the trailhead, and set off up the canyon. I have said this before, but it is such a treat to hike in Southern California and hear the sounds of flowing water. As I made my way steadily upward, I passed several folks hiking up with their goal of reaching Icehouse Saddle, and a father and son who were headed to Cedar Glen to camp for the evening. At the saddle, I took a break behind a tree, as a steady breeze was flowing. Given it was going to be another warm day, that breeze was welcomed. After mixing up my electrolytes and finishing my snack, I set off toward Ontario Peak.

Since I hoped to also climb Bighorn Peak afterwards, I kept a close eye on the terrain around where the side trail should be. I found enough visual landmarks at the junction that I felt confident I would find it upon my descent. After finding the turn off, I continued along the ridgeline, pushing past the bushes that bees were busy pollinating. Soon, the peak came into view, and the final push to the summit. As expected, I had the peak to myself. I sat down and enjoyed my PB&J and some of those electrolytes. I planned ahead and bought my tripod to take some better summit photos. When those “chores” were done, I packed up and headed back down.

At the junction, I left the main trail and started toward Bighorn Peak. I caught a glint from the peak, so someone was up there. The trail to the summit was not as used as the main trail and I had to cross over several downed trees. Partway up the mountain, I met the hiker who had been on the summit. We chatted for a bit before parting ways. At the summit, I had another snack and took in the 360° views of the peaks around me: Cucamonga, Ontario, Baldy, Timber, and Telegraph peaks. This was my 50th peak on the Sierra Club Hundred Peaks Section list!

I now took the trail heading east, toward Cucamonga, until I found the trail that would generally follow the ridgeline back toward Icehouse Saddle. It was steep and a bit loose at times, but soon rejoined the Ontario Peak trail, not far from Icehouse Saddle. I continued my descent, stopping for a while to chat with a hiker taking a break. She was training for an attempt to climb Mt. Whitney later this month. I shared what I knew and offered her as much encouragement as I could. While I had enough water for the rest of the descent, I stopped at Columbine Spring to filter some extra. That cold water felt great, as the day had become quite toasty. The rest of the descent went quickly, with just a few flies bothering me from time to time. I got back in the car, changed shirts, and headed home. When I went to look up the actual recorded stats for the hike, Runkeeper lost the track. OnX Backcountry routes out the hike at 11.7 miles with 4,185 feet of gain. Using timestamps on my photos, I did the route in about 7 hours, 20 minutes. Just one more peak, San Jacinto, to climb to finish all 12 of the SoCal Six Pack of Peaks!

Way up in Elfin Forest

I wanted to get in a few miles before it got too hot, so I decided to take a hike in Elfin Forest. It had been a while since I hiked any of the trails out there. The parking lot doesn’t open until 8, so I didn’t rush to leave the house. About ten cars were already in the lot when I arrived at about 8:40. I grabbed my gear and set off. After crossing Escondido Creek, the trail begins its ascent via the Way Up Trail.

Nicely designed Trail markers called out the mileage and elevation. There were additional markers for those who might need assistance from emergency personnel. I passed a couple enjoying the shade of one of the shelters that are installed throughout the reserve. Once at the main trail junction, I decided to continue on up to the summit of Mount Israel, off to the west.

I started along the Ridgeline Road, then hopped onto the Equine Incline Loop Trail. While a bit rockier, I soon found myself at the Elfin Forest Overlook. Several more shade structures are here, along with a memorial pole for those who have lost their dogs. Just beyond the main area is the actual summit of Mount Israel. After a few photos, I opted to take the Manzanita trail instead, following the same route back.

This trail was also a rocky one, so a bit of care was needed. When this trail met with the Ridgeline Trail, I took a short walk to the Ray Brooks Overlook. It was warming up, and while the shade was nice, I wanted to get back down. I followed the Ridgeline Trail until the Mariposa Trail. I had never taken this one, so off I went.

It was a short little trail that quickly linked back up to Ridgeline Road. Before heading back down, I did a quick loop through the Ridgetop Picnic Area. I could feel the day continuing to heat up, so I cruised back down. When I reached the junction with the Botanical Trail, I decided to take it. All along the side of the trail, information plaques highlighted various plants and other items of interest. After a simple rock crossing of the creek, I returned back to the staging area. My wandering in Elfin Forest covered 4.7 miles with 1,055 feet of gain in 1:49.

Up the Baldy Bowl Trail

With a cup of hot coffee, I set off for the 2-hour drive to Manker Flats. The goal of today’s hike was to first climb Mt. Baldy, then climb Mt. Harwood as well. While 4:00 am comes awfully early, I certainly enjoy the lighter traffic on the freeways going to my various trailheads. After grabbing McDonald’s along the way, I pulled into a parking space at Manker Flats. While I have climbed Mt. Baldy twice before, those ascents were always during the Climb for Heroes hikes, and they use the Devil’s Backbone route both up and back. Today, I wanted to climb to the summit via the Ski Hut route. I quickly grabbed my gear, made sure my America the Beautiful pass was hanging from my mirror, and set off. My route initially was on the paved road that provides access to some of the cabins along the creek. As the pavement ended, I could see San Antonio Falls streaming down before me. This was another landmark that was new to me. I opted to save hiking over to it upon my return, and continued my climb on the now dirt road. Soon, the sign marking the Baldy Bowl Trail came into view. At the trail register, I signed in, then continued on.

From time to time, I would pass other hikers as I kept climbing. Views of the Baldy Bowl would appear through the trees, as did views of the LA basin to the south. Thankfully, the area was saved from the recent fire. I caught a glimpse of the famous ski hut up ahead of me, and before too long, I reached the small spur trail leading to it. After walking around, I took advantage of the toilet behind it. This would make a lovely rest stop, but I was feeling good, so I pressed on. The nearby spring was flowing nicely. While I had my water filter with me, I did not need any additional water.

The trail turned west, then crossed the base of the Baldy Bowl. Once past that section, the trail turned northward and began the ascent along the west side of the bowl to the peak. The trail would split apart from time to time, but it would always come back together. It was more of a “choose-your-own-adventure” type of experience. Occasionally, signs would help guide me along the route.

I could tell I was nearing the summit just by looking across to the east and seeing my position relative to the bowl. Soon, the rock shelters came into view, as did the metal plaque. I had reached the summit once again! There were a couple of others enjoying the views and the relativel quiet. This was quite the contrast to what the summit looks like during the Climb For Heroes (or probably most weekends).

I enjoyed some snacks and electrolytes under the cloudless skies. After taking a few photos, I began my descent via the Devil’s Backbone. My next goal was to climb Mt. Harwood, which sits just to the north of the main trail. This peak is on the Hundred Peaks Section list and was to be my 49th. Unlike during the Climb for Heroes, I was under no time pressures. A use trail took me up and over to the summit. There is no register or benchmark, just rewarding views.

After rejoining the main trail, I navigated the Devil’s Backbone without issue. I opted to take the straighter route down to the Notch, and my knees were not happy. Once at the Notch, I found a table in the shade and enjoyed my PB&J while staring back up at the peak I just climbed.

While the ski lift was running, which had some appeal, I grabbed my poles and set off down the service road. Soon, I reached the spur trail to the falls and made my way over to them. A few folks were there enjoying the cool water. I grabbed a few photos, dunked my hat under the falls, and headed back to the car. After my miscalculations about Mt. Whitney, doing this hike felt redemptive. I covered the 9.9 miles in 5:11 (sans time at the summit and the Notch), and recorded over 4,495 feet of gain. That leaves just two more peaks left to complete all 12 peaks on the Six Pack of Peaks Challenge-SoCal.

Best Laid Plans…

It was another cold night at camp, according to my Govee, the low was 27! However, my legs were feeling great after our hike up to Cottonwood Lake. I had hoped they would recover enough during the night to feel comfortable about climbing Mt. Whitney on Tuesday, but when my right calf cramped some, I knew that I had to call it before we began. I felt awful about it. It was solely my fault for overdoing it.

We still went up to Whitney Portal like we had planned and enjoyed our pancake (yes, single) and eggs. We wandered over to the trailhead and watched a group of backpackers weigh their packs before heading off. The mountain will be there, and no need to create an incident if my legs aren’t up to the task. It was a hard lesson to learn, but there will be a next time! The drive home was uneventful; that pancake kept us mostly full for the entire drive! I hope my friends who are trying to summit in the coming week have better luck than I did.

Exploring Cottonwood Lakes

I awoke to a layer of frost on the top of my Outback. Thankfully, my sleep system worked great, and I didn’t feel it overnight. After cooking up a nice warm breakfast and enjoying a hot beverage, Ted and I set off for another acclimation hike. We had several options to choose from: hike up Cottonwood Pass to Chicken Spring Lake, head up to Muir Lake, or go to Cottonwood Lakes. Since I had backpacked Chicken Spring Lake last year, I was more inclined to visit either Muir Lake or some of the Cottonwood Lakes. We wouldn’t have to decide until about 4 1/2 miles in, so we began hiking north along the Cottonwood Lakes Trail. A fairly steady stream of backpackers came hiking down as we kept making our way up. At one point, we had to step aside to allow some burros and their handlers to pass by. They were returning from supplying the Golden Trout Wilderness Camp.

After a couple of crossings of Cottonwood Creek, we came to a trail junction. The left fork headed to New Army Pass, while the right fork would still give us the option to go to Muir Lake. A group of backpackers was taking a break, and we chatted a bit, mostly about the classic external framed pack that one of them was using. It turns out he has been using it since the 60s! While we had been climbing a bit, the real elevation gain was now before us. The climb wasn’t too bad, but you could feel that we were closing in on 11,000 feet.

Soon, the trail eased, and we reached the junction to Muir Lake. We opted to head to Cottonwood Lake #2 as our lunch destination. As we passed by Cottonwood Lake #1, a golden eagle soared above us! What a sight, and we caught a photo of it. We followed the shoreline to a nice spot for lunch. What a view–I can see why permits to camp here are so coveted. Trout could be seen swimming in the clear water as we ate and relaxed. We filtered some water and began to head back to camp. Instead of taking the same trail, this time we used the New Army Pass Trail. I’m so glad we did, as we were rewarded with a lovely waterfall.

As we made our way back, fresh backpackers were making their way up the trail to begin their adventures. After rejoining the Cottonwood Lakes Trail, I began to notice my legs starting to feel the miles and effort. I hoped I had not overdone it with this hike. As we continued on, that fear kept growing. Maybe once at camp and a good night’s sleep, I might recover.

Back at camp, I took it easy. After making a simpler dinner, we again enjoyed a night campfire before turning in. I hoped that I had not sabotaged my ability to climb Mt. Whitney by doing too much to acclimatize. To be continued…The final stats for this hike were 13.1 miles and 1,480 feet of gain. Not counting our lunch break, the hike took us 5:45.

Hiking Trail Pass – Horseshoe Meadows

With the Outback packed with our gear for two nights at Horseshoe Meadows, we set off just after 8. The drive was uneventful, and we made it into Lone Pine for lunch before making the drive up the mountain. Once at the walk-in campground, Ted found a site to pitch his tent, while I registered our stay. I planned to sleep in the car, so all I really had to do was transfer our food into the bear locker. Once everything was squared away, we set off on a light hike up Trail Pass to help us get acclimated.

We strolled through Horseshoe Meadows, making the crossing over the creek that flows through. From there, we began the gentle climb toward the pass. It felt good to stretch my legs after the drive up from San Diego. At the pass, we chatted with some other hikers section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. After our short break, we set off along the PCT southbound to Mulkey Pass. Once at that pass, we began our return descent to the meadow. This trail was a bit steeper and not as clearly used as the trail we used when we went up. When the trail reached the southern edge of the meadow, it turned northeastward for a bit before crossing the meadow proper. We were a bit east of our camp, so we had a short road walk to complete our loop.

As the day drew to a close, I cooked up some dinner (blackened salmon, rice pilaf, caesar salad, and sourdough) and then we relaxed by the fire before turning in for the night. Our loop covered 5.34 miles, 785 feet of gain, and took us 2:14.

Overnight to San Gorgonio

They say the third time is the charm, right? I wanted one last hard hike before Ted and I attempt to summit Mt. Whitney. I debated between hiking up Ontario and Bighorn or doing San Gorgonio as an overnight trip. With the water sources on San Gorgonio slowly drying up, I figured I should take that option. I pulled into the familiar parking lot and quickly gathered my gear. It was a bit warm, but there was enough of a breeze to offset it. I drank my liter of water and crossed over the road. I opted to only carry 1/2 liter of water and another 1/2 liter of electrolytes. My plan was to possibly filter at the crossing of the South Fork of the Santa Ana River if needed, and really load up on water at Lodgepole Spring. Instead of camping at Dry Lake, I decided to aim for camping further along at the Trail Flats campsite. The first part of the hike went quickly, and I, of course, made a stop at Poopout Hill for a photo. Soon, I reached the junction with Dry Lake Trail and Dollar Lake Trail. I crossed over the side streams and continued to the river. When Ted and I were here last August, it was flowing enough to make us cross cautiously. This time, I could simply rock hop across the water. I still had plenty of water and was feeling good for the next section. The next 1.6 miles would climb about 850 feet, and be a good workout. One difference from my last time here is that I weigh about 25 pounds less! I cruised through this section, and soon Dry Lake came into view. It certainly was smaller than last time. I took the trail along the north side over the spur trail to Lodgepole Spring. The spring was still flowing, but I had to go a bit further to find a good spot to fill up and filter. The plan was to fill both bottles, as well as my 3L CNOC bag, and haul all that up to Trail Flats. My light backpack just got heavier.

I continued looping around the edge of the lake until I rejoined the main trail and started the climb to camp. From here on out, the trail would be new to me. Over the next mile, I would climb over 500 feet. While the pack was about 10 lbs heavier, I felt good. I spotted the campsite sign attached high on a tree, and began to survey my options. I quickly found a nice flat spot and began setting up camp. I opted to bring my REI QuarterDome SL1 this time, since there would be no moon in the night sky, and I could lie in the tent and stare at the stars above.

I made dinner, watching the sun slowly dip behind the ridge. I hung my Adotec food bag and crawled under my quilt. The stars slowly began showing themselves as I continued to listen to The Two Towers. When it was dark enough, I was going to do some astrophotography, but my iPhone had offloaded AstroShader, so I could only use the built-in camera. Since I was hoping to reach the summit for sunrise, I set an alarm for 3 am. Some night hiking will also be good practice for Whitney.

The alarm went off, and I broke camp. I had debated leaving most of the gear here and hiking lighter to the summit. But in the end, I just packed up everything and set off. It was cold, and I was wearing my sun hoodie, my camp shirt, and my puffy, but quickly shed the puffy. The trail was easy to follow under the light of my headlamp. I ate a bar at Mine Shaft Saddle and pushed on under the starry skies.

The trail climbed at a nice grade along the east side of the mountain. The faint glow of the coming sunrise started to show off to the east. I passed the C-47 crash site without seeing it. It started to get colder as I kept gaining elevation, and I finally stopped and put the puffy back on. The lights of Palm Springs also came into view as I worked my way up a series of switchbacks, before the trail turned westward. The sun’s rays illuminated San Jacinto’s summit to my south, letting me know I had mistimed my attempt. Oh well, the night hiking was still good practice. The trail turned northward and reached the junction with the Vivian Creek Trail, just 0.4 miles from the summit. I remember how hard it was this last time I was here. Now I felt pretty good, with just a small headache.

I reached the summit and spotted a tent set up in one of the wind shelters. I took some photos with the summit signs before heading over to the tent. The occupant had come out and he gave me a wave. He had arrived at the summit around 9 last night via Vivian Creek and said it was cold and windy overnight. I fired up my stove, made a cup of coffee, and ate my oatmeal. We chatted for a bit while we each ate our breakfasts. The small headache faded away, and I assume it was either the need for some caffeine or a bit more fluids.

As much as I enjoyed our conversation, I knew I had quite a few miles left to hike to get back to the car. I debated whether I should return the same way I ascended, or loop around and come back via Dollar Lake. I opted to try the Dollar Lake route, as it was a bit shorter. I bid him farewell and set off back down the trail. I paused at the junction back to Dry Lake and mulled it over once again, but decided to stick to the plan. The trail split again, the left fork heading down to Vivian Creek, and the right fork heading toward Dollar Lake. I guess there are enough people not paying attention that a warning sign had to be added to keep people on the right track.

Another reason that I opted to take this route was that the trail passes by several Hundred Peak Section peaks, and I was considering adding them to the adventure. I didn’t do any advanced planning, so I only had whatever the topo maps showed me and what my eyes actually revealed about each summit. The sun had started to warm things up, and I stashed my puffy back into my pack. I was also right near Jepson Peak. I looked over the map, and it looked like it was a 0.2 mile jaunt off-trail to the summit, with almost 300 feet of gain. The legs were feeling good, so I went for it. I zig-zagged up the side of the peak until I reached its summit. There was no marker here, and I skipped signing the register. I did have a nice view of San Gorgonio off to my east as a reward. I then followed the ridgeline over to a small bump to the north, before working my way back down to the trail. Once back on the trail, I cruised along. Santiago and Modejska Peaks could be seen off to the southwest, rising above the marine layer. As I neared Dollar Lake Saddle, I decided that climbing Charleston and Little Charleston Peaks would have to wait. If I had brought an extra liter of water, I might have considered it. The rest of the hike would now be sunny and warm, so I wanted to conserve my fluids, as I still had almost 6 miles to go.

The trail did become both more exposed to the sun and rockier in nature as it worked its way downward. I put on my headphones and resumed my audiobook. I was at the part of the story when Merry and Pippin meet the Ents. Seemed perfect timing as I walked through the wilderness. After 2.3 miles, I again reached the junction to Dry Lake. I took a break under the shade of some lovely trees. I still had enough fluids to get me back to the car, so I did not wander over to the nearby creek to filter some additional water. The last 3.6 miles went quickly, passing backpackers making their way up to their campsites, and a day hiker or two. Soon, I passed the cabins at Horse Meadows and knew my adventure was drawing to a close. I am extremely happy to have climbed San Gorgonio again and to have done it as an overnight adventure. The entire hike was 22.41 miles, with 5,116 feet of gain. My hiking time was 3:59 from the trailhead to camp, 2:38 from camp to summit, and finally 4:45 from summit back to the car. Now to rest up and start packing for Mt. Whitney!