Mile 1910.7
Elevation 2,953 feet
Miles Hiked 5.2
As witnessed by the miles hiked, the trail is very difficult. I left the last shelter at 7:30 AM and did not arrive at this shelter until 7:00 PM. There are a lot of ups and downs with difficult rock climbing up to Mount Success at 3,565 feet. This is not your typical “walking down the trail” hiking. A lot of it involves near vertical rock climbs and descents. One section had rebar steps sunk into the rock and then a wood ladder. Considering all the past vertical climbs I’ve had to do without such conveyances, I wondered why the trail maintainers bothered.
All the climbs have taken a toll on me. Aside from the loss of several nails on both feet, I’ve pulled a hamstring. The rock climbing requires leg strength to pull your body (and backpack) up the rocks, so I’m having significant problems in this regard due to the hamstring problem.
I met another, older hiker at the Genetian Pond Shelter and while we aren’t hiking together (he’s faster than me), we do meet at the campsites to compare notes and talk. His trail name is Redbone (Bill).
