Obscure Trail Monkeys: August 2011

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mt. Olympus

Mt. Olympus is a strenuous do-or-die hike. Maybe that's why it's our favorite and we do it several times each year. If you can climb Olympus you can climb anything. If you've hiked it you know what I mean. We call most of the hike: The Never Ending Staircase. Our time for this trip was not the best, we summitted in just under 2 hours. Previous records have been a lot closer to 1.5 hours. Our goal is to someday beat 1.5 hours. Hopefully, the next time we try it the weather will be cooler.

Steve on the Summit.

Sam starting the scramble to the top.

Steve, scrambling.

Steve on the descent, doing his famous Godzilla leap-frog jump.

Sam on the Summit.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Quest for King's

About two years ago we climbed King's peak in one day. We started early in the morning at the trailhead and returned in about 12 and 1/2 hours. We were in pain and struggled to finish the last 3 miles. At the time, we vowed never to do it again. Two years have passed since then and we are in much better shape, having ran marathons and trained in trail running as well.

This year we participated in an ultra-marathon "race" called Quest for Kings. The easiest way to climb King's peak is to start at the Henry's Fork Trailhead (9430') and follow the trail 10 miles to Gunsight pass (11,888'). Climb the cliffs to the west and hop, skip and jump over the boulder fields to Anderson pass (12,700'). Then scramble up the shale to the top of King's peak (13,528').