This hike was very much spur the moment. We did minimal planning, minimal research, and were across the board wildly underprepared. That being said, this was also one of my favorite hiking adventures because of it.
We began by hiking up to Lake Blanche, which is an absolutely stunning and manageable walk, perfect for any adventurous soul.
However, because we were looking to one up your run of the mill adventurer, we decided to continue the hike up to the summit of Sundial Peak.
This posed to be significantly more difficult and longer than we had initially planned for. As we crawled and scrambled to the summit, rocks crumbling underneath us, we realized we probably should’ve risk assessed this mission, prior to embarking. Hindsight is 20/20.
That being said, I love hikes like this. When your limits are pushed farther than you ever anticipated. The feeling of accomplishment you get from overcoming adversity and succeeding despite the odds. When your hunger and fatigue become forgotten notions, and you’re blinded by the dopamine rush from reaching your summit. This is when I feel most alive.
Pro Tips:
Plan for 2 extra miles than what the trail map says (it is better to be over prepared and pleasantly surprised than to be underprepared and disappointed)
Prepare for lots of rock scrambling and crawling
Start this hike early in the morning to make sure you're not racing for daylight
Go get a burrito after...you've earned it
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