9.3 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain •
It was the last day my vacation week and I wanted a higher elevation hike to stay cool! We were so lucky to find a parking space right in front of the TH! The parking area was overflowed! The Top Spur trail up to the PCT is so root bound and rocky that it shows how much it's being used. Flies (not the black biting ones) annoyed us until we hit the treeline!!! The snow fields were all but gone but Ladd Creek was still flowing heavily. Many of the high elevation ponds were dried up and it was saddening. Still some nice flowers in the meadows during the final climb. We didn't make it to McNeil Point as my wife wasn't feeling good about that last rocky scree area. We have a rule that if either of us doesn't feel comfortable then no questions asked we turn around to hike another day! No bad feelings/comments expressed and full moral support makes for our great hiking team! The flies were no less aggressive on the way back, but at least they weren't biting, and trying to get our sweat and salt. Excellent day!
