This park was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our campground. So early one morning, on a slightly cooler day, I hiked up the mountain.
Before the hike though, I went to their lookout. What a great view of the river and of the rising fog.
A post-hike photo at the trailhead.
A hiking pal (although he crapped out on me after just a few steps, choosing instead, to hand out on this rock).
At the top. This gal looked to be reading or something - nice reading room!
The Arkansas River again.
I went up one way (east summit), which involved a section of bouldering and was fun, and went down the other way, which involved this amazing staircase of semi-flat slabs of rock. Imagine being the ones who did the placement...! Part of the way down, I had fun hiking and chatting with this group of girls and one mom.
Even though this way (the west summit) was easier (no route selection), it still involved some big and/or tricky steps, so sometimes using hands AND rear end as well as feet was a good idea!
As with many other trails around the country, colored paint splotches on trees and rocks indicated the path. I've never seen this method in CA, but it appears to be the standard method everywhere else. It detracts from the natural, wild feeling of a trail, but it also makes it easier for unfamiliar folks (like moi!) to stay found.
Back at the lookout with Bill for a sunset.
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