The Haystack-Basin-Saddleback Loop was the hike du jour on Aug 13th. We met up Chip and Siobhan at the Garden and hit the trail at 4:45am...good thing I brought my head lamp. I needed all 3 Peaks, so I knew it would be a long day...14.5 hours to be precise.
We enjoyed a nice little hike to JBL, saw a few deeer and kept moving on. We passed the Bushnell Lean-tos, Slant Rock and a gazillion tent campers along the way. It really felt good to be awake and outside. By 9:30(ish)am, we were at this sign and only half a mile from our first peak of the day.
There she (or he) is...Mt. Haystack, the 3rd highest of the High Peaks, elevation 4,960 ft. Unfortunately, to reach Haystack, you have to go up and over Little Haystack...which by the way is not little and does not resemble a haystack. It's rocky and the backside facing "Big" Haystack is steep.
See, I told you...looks like fun, huh?
We're getting closer...
Ok, now we're there! Look at those clouds and blue sky! It was very warm on the summit and windy. My feet hurt so I decided to adjust my $60 inserts which was basically a waste of time. We enjoyed a good 20 minute break. It was my choice to continue on or head back to the car. I chose to forge ahead b/c I didn't want to have to make another trip out here.
The gang--Brian, Me, Siobhan, Chip
After descending Haystack, we pushed on to Basin. It wasn't too bad---there was a ladder (below) and several steep slabs, most of which were wet. Why? Because it had just rained. Did you forget I was on this hike, LOL?!
By the time we reached the summit of Basin, elevation 4,827ft., we were in the clouds. No worry, I was just glad that I made it in one piece. Woohoo #33! That's Wally by the way. He and another guy had just come from Saddleback, our next summit. Wally looked to be in his mid-to-late 60's or early 70's. Rock on Wally! There's hope for me, LOL!
I tried to eat my PB&J but the smell of Brian's salmon was making me gag. Accccck. I could only choke back some crunchy cheetos and a swig of gatorade. The hike down Basin was steep in spots. By the time we reached the col, it was raining and we heard thunder. And boy, did I get dirty looks!!! I'll take responsibility for the rain, but not the thunder!z
Alrighty, onward to the cliffs on Saddleback. Yikes! WTH have I gotten myself into...seriously? I don't know what else to say except holy crap! There is a faint trail up the middle where the trees are and the rest is on the cliffy sections...just follow the blaze marks. Big girl panties don't fail me now.
Not a hike for weenies or the faint-hearted...
Brian said "don't look down"
Look Ma, no nets!
Siobhan giving me a push
Yes, it was that steep!
I can't even put into words what was going through my head at this moment...
I'm glad you find this amusing!
The summit is up here somewhere
Nope, not yet....
Ok, now we're on the summit of Saddleback, elevation 4,515ft and I'm holding back some serious tears. That was the scariest thing I have ever done. Ever. It was complicated by the fact that it was raining.
Me and Brian---woohoo # 34 for me!
About 10 minutes after summiting, we were headed down the Range Trail and don't ya know, it started to pour..and I mean POUR. The rain drops were HUGE! Nothing like a good soak. After a few minutes, it slowed down we were on our way again. We took the Ore-Bed Trail back down to JBL--where I removed the insert from my left boot. On the way to the Garden, I stopped again at the Deer Run lean-to and removed the right insert. Ok, the boots inserts went back to the Merrell Outlet the next day.
Great hike---18.7 miles round trip and 14.5 hours :)
No comments:
Post a Comment