David

A great capstone to the week! Even though "switchbacks" seem to be a foreign concept to trail designers in Idaho, recent physical conditioning and two days of rest after completing Utah's highpoint made this mountain quite manageable. I focused on safety rather than setting any speed records, and I started with four quarts of water and strap-on crampons since I expected a 12-hour trek with a snow couloir en route. However, the cool breeze and shade offered in the morning hours by the mountain facilitated a fast ascent (relative to my normal pace) followed by the discovery that mild conditions earlier in the year had led to the snow couloir being fully melted away. Thus the summit was reached in only 4:40, and the total trip was completed in just 8 hours including a half hour at the summit. Needless to say, almost half my water was still in my pack at the end of the trek.

"Chicken Out Ridge" made this the most fun highpoint to date! I only wanted to do this trek if I could do it safely -- which, in part, meant with others in the area. I was thankful that Ryan, Lonnie, Shane, James, and Ross were attempting the peak together at the same time and at the same pace. Thanks for letting me hang close with y'all during the trek!

The conditioning really paid off. Even after the rapid and steep descent, I had no sore muscles and no aggravation of past tendonitis in my knees. Wow! This, the most difficult highpoint attempted to date, has actually been the easiest and least painful (of those over 8,000 feet)!