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Page Type:
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Trip Report |
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Date Climbed/Hiked:
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Aug 28, 2013 |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Summer |
The trek took just under 5 hours total (including about 45 minutes at the peak). My daughters are fit and semi-experienced hikers (on the flatland/hills of the midwest). What makes the hike to the summit of Avalanche Peak a bit of a challenge is that the upclimb is more or less continuous at about a 15 degree incline. But the hike is short -- total distance round trip of about 5.3 miles according to my GPS.
The trail passes through bear-frequented terrain so we were told by park staff (grizzly bears apparently love to eat the nuts of the higher-altitude whitebark pine trees along the trail). We made noise and were carrying bear spray. The only relevant sighting was of bear scat near the trail head. (No one minded that the bear spray never left the holster.)
My daughters showed nothing less than enjoyment (along with determination) on this trek -- their first hike to a summit peak. The scenery along the trail varies frequently enough to captivate. And fatigue experienced on the final approach to the peak magically is transformed to euphoria/energy at the peak. On the summit push, my daughters were tired but never stalled and when they got to the false summit at the front of the peak they were energetically excited and determined to push to the summit.
The views from the summit are spectacular. Much of Yellowstone National Park is visible as well as all of the surrounding peaks (including the distant peaks of Grand Teton National Park). The sociable chipmunk who visited with us at the peak was a bonus. We stayed perhaps a bit too long on the summit and as a result were pelted on the initial downclimb while still above the treeline with a burst of rain/hail that lasted about 15-20 minutes.
It was an experience -- and achievement -- that my daughters (and I) will always remember.