Hannegan Pass 2017

Senior Trailblazers on Hannegan Pass

Twelve of us went up to Hannegan Pass today, and we started toward the summit, Hannegan Peak. It was the right kind of day for a hike that makes you spend much of it in full sun: cloudy and cool, with promises of more sun to come. I have suffered on this hike more than once because of heat and lots of uphill, but today it seemed perfect at the start. We were full of vim and vigor.

Trail in a shaded section, heading upward

There are many rocky segments on this hike, which we just romped over on the way up, and grumbled about on the way back down, much later. This pretty section was just delightful, however.

Maple leaves beginning to turn already

As we climbed higher, we saw the clouds beginning to leave the mountain tops, with some signs of fall's ascent with the turning leaves and many of the flowers already spent. But there were still many flowers to enjoy.

Still wonderful flowers, and some blue skies, too

As we climbed higher, some of us had not even stopped for lunch, but the rest of us followed after a quick snack, and the views just kept getting better and better. Although we were spread out, Bob, our erstwhile leader, kept track of everybody, and we simply enjoyed the day to the max.

Ruth Mountain almost out from behind the clouds

The clouds came and went, but basically we had some of the best views of the surrounding mountains, partly because the clouds gave them lots of interest, not to mention keeping us cool and still enjoying one of the finest places on earth.

Bob snacking on some blueberries

The wild blueberries were incredible today, and we did spend some time stopping to eat them. I am amazed at how different they taste from cultivated ones: a little like a tiny shot of delight, each one more flavorful than the last (which makes it hard to stop).

Turning around and starting back

Isn't it beautiful? Although we didn't make it to the summit today, three of our group did go farther than the rest of us because they skipped lunch. While we were heading a little farther up, they finally sat down and enjoyed a quick lunch.

Frank, Halina, and Rick having a little lunch

Here they are, with the summit in full view behind them. It's the little hump in the middle of that cloud bank. They made it up much higher than the rest of us, but they finally had to turn around because of the time limits we had set. In any event, all of us got home much later than usual because of the long hike and the fine day.

Heading back down the valley

As you can see, the clouds never really cleared off completely, but I didn't mind a bit. I was tired and sore as we made our way back to the trailhead. We covered ten miles, maybe a bit more, and 2,800 feet of elevation gain and loss. That's a very complete day, wouldn't you say? I am now finishing my glass of wine and enjoying immensely the feeling of being so well exercised, having spent time with some of the best people in the whole world!
:-)