LeAnna has been wanting to hike up Mount Charleston for awhile now and yesterday we found some time and good weather for an attempt. We debated bringing Oscar but decided it might be a bit too long and/or hot for the little guy. It's about 18 miles round trip with ~3000' elevation gain/loss.
I had done the peak one time before with Keith (loooong time ago!) via the South Loop Trail and down the North Loop/Trail Canyon. Unfortunately the South Loop is closed indefinitely due to the large wildfire a few years ago so this time we went up and down the North Loop/Trail Canyon Trail.
All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better day. The temperature was reasonable the whole day, with scattered clouds offering shade at times. By the time we summited the clouds had built up into quite a menacing cumulonimbus but we didn't get rain or thunder until we were well down the mountain.
The North Loop was much more enjoyable and beautiful than I remembered from my first trip. I guess since I was just coming down I was perhaps tired and just ready to be done hiking?! At any rate, we laughed at the trail descriptions because for being the least recommended summit trail it was still pretty damn nice!
The highlights for me were seeing the amazing bristlecone stands that appeared very healthy. It was easily as impressive as the bristlecone forest in the White Mountains in California, just a bit further hike ;-)
LeAnna crushed the hike and the only trouble she had was about 2 miles from the car when her IT bands around her left knee decided it was time to be done hiking! It reminded me of the trip Keith and I did in the White Mtns in New Hampshire and my knees did pretty much the same thing! Holy cow that was painful. Keith, as I remember, you hiked out a short cut and went and got the car and came back and picked me up??? That was the end of our trip right?
A long way to go. That's the peak in the center background.
2 miles down!
Hiking through a cool old burn scar from a fire in the 1940's.
Hiking through an idyllic stand of Aspen.
A Bristlecone doing its best impression of a Christmas tree.
Cool bristlecone snag.
Nice spot for a snack.
Getting closer!
LeAnna demonstrating her advanced glacier travel skills.
So many amazing bristlecones in all shapes and sizes. I could have taken pictures all day!
Getting higher, menacing clouds building over the peaks.
Almost above tree-line, just a few hardy specimen left.
Above the trees and finally onto the summit talus switchbacks.
The home stretch (well, if you don't count getting back down)
Sweet, sweet success! LeAnna's summit victory pose!
Summit 360 pano.
Looking west into Pahrump.
Bit of rain around us but dry on the summit. Just windy and cold!
The obligatory summit selfie.
Now to do it all again in reverse.
Success!!!
4 comments:
Wow! I have to go take a nap.
Nice hiking! See you both soon:-)
Love, Dad
Spectacular! With the picture taking possibilities it is hard to believe you made it in one day! What a great way to spend a day.
I've never seen a bristle-cone that didn't look like it had spent it's youth as a lawn ornament in front of the German trenches. Amazing to see one so bushy (bristly, probably) and symmetrical. Congrats. 18 miles is a big day.
You guys are a couple of bad asses! Crushed it!
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