Taking hiking novices out to enjoy my world is looking to become a habit of mine. The weather did not work out in our favour for this hike. We started in dense clouds, but this did not deter the adventurous heart. Granted, the bugs in the early morning were quite annoying. We walked with our heads down, observing the roots beneath our feet in an attempt to avoid getting struck in the eye.
The first time I came out to tackle the first peak was in the winter, and with a bunch of snow the landscape looked significantly different. There were a lot of sections of the trail that deja vu haunted me, or I would see a tree that I recognized. Dense cloud cover only further assisted my memory of the previous trip since we did not have much of a view that day either.
Oddly enough, the hiking buddy I had that day also made the comment as we ascended the first peak that they felt as though they were conquering Mount Everest.
I am thoroughly surprised how many people were up on the trail despite the low clouds and endless bug ambushes. Down in the parking lot there were even more people arriving and soon enough there were plenty of people everywhere. I must say I am curious how scenic the ski lift right is that is being advertised during the summer because from the ground perspective it looks like there are great views of some trees on the way up….