It was sunny and warm and I decided that it would be nice to go up Verstovia for the first time this summer. I rode my bike out to the trailhead and locked it up to some cables supporting a telephone pole. I had been thinking before that since the trail had been improved I might actually be able to ride my bike up a good portion of the trail, but in considering that possibility as I hiked up, I realized there would be far more carrying the bike involved than riding the bike.

I made it to the first view point and took a number of pictures with my regular camera as well as one picture with the digital camera. I took a bit of a rest there and then kept on going.

I have a tendency to hike as fast as my heart and lungs will allow me, this makes it seem necessary to take decent breaks periodically. I would probably be better off if I slowed the pace down slightly, though I think it would be nice to be able to go the pace I might want without having my heart and lungs complain so much. Maybe by the end of the summer I will be in that kind of shape, but I sort of doubt it.

I proceeded on to the next view point at which I again stopped and took a couple of pictures. From here you could see Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe. During my rest here I was passed by two hikers. I waited a little while longer to give them some space before hurrying off again when I heard more people coming up the trail behind me.

After this point, it did not seem like nearly so much work to keep going. I don't know whether this was because I slowed my pace or if I finally was warmed up or something else. In any case, I did not really stop again until I reached the top.

Where the trees start thinning out and it begins to look more like alpine, there was a some snow covering most of the ground. It was in here that I caught up passed the couple who had passed me previously. Upon reaching the top of peak 2550, I went to pull out my cameras for some pictures and discovered that the digital camera was no longer in my pack. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that I had set it aside at the last stop while I looked through my backpack and had neglected to pick it up again. I decided I should probably head back down to get it.

I had not gone back too far when I met up with the people I had heard coming up behind me earlier. I asked them if they had seen the camera and it turned out they had picked it up. That was fortunate for me, and after talking with them for a while, I decided to head back up to the top with them and take some pictures.

When I reached the top for the second time that day and tried to take pictures this time, I discovered that the batteries in the digital camera were low and it would not take pictures. I was able to take some pictures with the regular camera though.

I left the top around 7pm and it took me 35 minutes to get back down. This was probably a little faster than necessary in some places. Near the top I rolled my ankle though it didn't seem to cause any injury other than the initial discomfort of rolling it. Also on the way down I passed a group of guys headed up with snowboards. It seems pretty late in the year for that, but I guess there is still enough snow for it. I am not sure how good the condition of the snow is though.

Home | Summer 1999
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