A small group of us planned another grand hike. I've been wanting to return to Notch Peak (9,658 feet). Last time I was here was with the Hamilton family in early 2001, I think. I had asked Ava weeks prior if she wanted to go another challenging hike with me. She did Wheeler Peak almost exactly a year from now. Her response told me she didn't seem too interested. But, as I was getting my pack ready the night before she told me she was going. I was delighted! We were going to embark on another, memorable journey! We've had many stormy days this spring. In fact, it was a 40% chance of rain this particular day. It wasn't looking good on our drive there. We packed for all types of weather. Notch peak was completely socked in with storm clouds; it was looking rather discouraging. We were hoping for a change in the next few hours with the climb. You know what they say about weather in the Great Basin: If you don't like it, wait 15 minutes :)
It was Mother's Day. Bryan stayed home to watch Willow, Isaac and Lily (Jess & Patrick's little girl).
My friend Jess and I were determined to stand on one of the tallest limestone cliffs in America on this special day. What's better than celebrating Mother's Day than embracing Mother Earth?
We were ready to get lost in nature. We were also about to get our ass kicked on Mother's Day ~ in a good way ;)
We got a group photo: Chad, Brooke, Ava, Jess, Adam, and myself.
These were the types of flowers in bloom just at the trailhead!
We started out with rain coats. There was a steady rain when we departed. About a half hour later we shed the layers. We decided to go off trail, toward Sawtooth Peak.
Lunch break......fueling up!
Because we had a good snowfall this year and cooler spring there was water running through the canyon. I've never seen water on this trail before. Even little waterfalls. It was so cool. I was already happy we explored another route....
Ava was tired at this point, but the water and snow made the adventure more interesting again. We had already hiked several miles...
You can't tell by the photo, but there was a really neat waterfall. We took a much needed breather here. The trail was about to get much more challenging from here.....
The trees were getting more concentrated as we hiked at the 8,000 ft level. The needles were so thick on the ground it felt padded as we meandered through branches....
Adam and I engaged in conversation and took shots at each other ;)
It was great to have Chad and Brooke on this hike. They went ahead repeatedly to make sure to keep us on the safest route. We had to keep detouring due to the tremendous snow pack in spots. Chad even documented the route on his phone. They are a pair of mountain goats :) I was happy to have this power couple here. Chad is a doctor too which was essential in case something happened that required medical attention ;)
The snow was a foot deep in sections......
We were high enough on the mountain to enjoy the views looking to the North. We also dressed in rain gear again because there was a steady misting of moisture showering us through the trees....
Luckily the trees provided a little relief from the weather. Ava's umbrella did wonders too :)
This is the part of the hike where Ava almost had a breakdown. I knew she was tired. We all were. We just went straight up a mountain. She signed up for WAY more than what was expected. We literally did a hike a bighorn sheep would enjoy. Haha.
I told her that if she made it, I would buy her a stuffed animal horse that she wanted. She seemed to perk up after that. It provided a little inspiration on a hike that seemed to never end for her......
We knew we were nearing Sawtooth Peak when we hiked through our first large Bristlecone Pine grove. These ancient trees (3 - 4,000 years old) along with the limestone cliffs reminded me a lot of Mt. Washington in Great Basin National Park.
We were thankful the clouds were clearing out as we made our ascent.....
We were so relieved to finally be at a spot to sit down and take in the vast, amazing views.
Unfortunately we couldn't see Wheeler Peak because of cloudy skies, but it still didn't disappoint....
We hiked up the ridge through a second Bristlecone Pine grove. These were more sculpted; shaped by the wind in their exposed landscape. Beautiful......
I still couldn't believe how deep the snow was here in May....
This was one of my favorite spots in a Bristlecone grove. Twisted wood all around with outstretched branches like they were welcoming us. It was a reverent experience. I wondered what they've endured for century after century on this mountain. How few people have been in their presence.
*Beauties*
A symbol of strength; look at these several Bristlecone pines growing out of a crack in the rock!
Here's more of a bird's eye view of the Bristlecone grove:
Notch Peak, in all her glory frosted with snow........
I was happy we went a different route, even though it was more mountaineering than planned. We went through landscapes I've never seen before......
Just when we thought our hamstrings could get a rest; we had to surge back up another ridge.... haha
The only wildlife we saw was this Turkey vulture. I think it was hoping we would perish on the mountain for a meal ...... Haha
We hiked next to the edge with caution. I was glued to the breathtaking views.....
"Livin' on the edge"
Don't worry, we were careful. We were grateful there was no wind :)
My Ava, having her join me on this hike made my Mother's Day extra special. I just stood there looking at her and felt blessed. I can't believe it's been 8 years since I first launched into motherhood. Not long ago she was a two year old who climbed a ladder to the top of our house roof with no fear. Now she's climbing some of the most difficult peaks in Utah and Nevada. This was another epic hike under her belt!
I beam with pride!
My mighty girl through and through.....keeping up with the big dogs ;)
I changed the format of this photo to make it look like a painting :)
Jess is amazing. She tackles peaks with no additional training lol
We enjoyed the last grove of Bristlecones before we noticed the sun in the sky. It was getting low.
This is the spot I want to come back to and camp.
It was great to be on an adventure with my brother. Wish we could hang out more!
Jess and I were so happy to be standing up on one of the tallest limestone cliffs in America on Mother's Day together .....
It was time to head down the mountain. We were happy to get our boots on an actual trail! It felt like a luxury! Hahahaha
The view to the South was amazing with the large salt flat....
We could have lingered there more but shadows dancing across the valley reminded us to push on. We didn't want to hike in the dark!
I remember this tree very well when we did this hike over a decade ago. The same tree we did our group photo. It was neat to recreate that moment...
Ava was in good spirits the whole way down the mountain. Sliding on snow banks made the trip a little more exciting. It's also a great way to utilize cryotherapy on the sore muscles! Haha
Here is a summary of our hike. Instead of up and down on the trail, we made a loop:
Special thanks to my husband for watching the kids to allow me to enjoy "me" time. 12 hours to be exact (with driving)! There is no other way I would like to spend it than in nature.
We ended our amazing adventure in the House Range. Our challenging hike turned into a technical hike of crazy topography and weather. Would I repeat that route again? No, to be honest. I would not recommend it. However, I will never regret it! I don't think I'll wait another 10 + years to go before I return.
