Zero #2: WrightwoodMay 16 2017

So many mountains

May172017
Map thumbnail of location

Time to hike.

But first, more donuts (hey, it's the only thing open at 5am!) And then another round of muffins and turnovers. Okay now it's time to hike.

First up is a massive climb up Mt Baden-Powell. When I say "massive", I mean 3,000 feet in less than 4 miles.

Like this.Like this.

The climb was worth it, though! To the north was the Mojave desert, where we'll be in a week or so, suffering through brutal heat and long waterless stretches.

To the south was LA, though they were having a cloudy day.

LA is under there, somewhere.LA is under there, somewhere.

It was weird to me to imagine millions of people below, caring about their lives and thinking "eh, what crummy weather" because to us, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Not above us, anyway.

After eating lunch above 9,400 feet, it was time to carry on and descend down the mountain. And then climb another one. And descend it. And then climb another one. And then descend that.

By the time I reached my camp, I had covered almost 12,000 feet of vertical (+5,595 / -6,316).

Pretty, though.

Sunset on some mountain whose name I forget.Sunset on some mountain whose name I forget.
Frogs and Poodle Dog BushMay 18 2017