Ok, so this past weekend we went on this hike that literally almost killed us. It all started when my friend Jared Antczak called to invite me to hike with him to the top of twin peaks. I was talking to Gina about it, and kind of jokingly said that it would be fun. But seeing as how I almost didn't make it on a hike a week earlier with another friend of mine, I didn't think I could do it. Gina took the initiative and called Jared back and told him we were in!! Gina kept saying we could do it and that it could be that hard. HA! Ask her that now!
So Saturday came along and it was time to start our climb. We had intended on starting at 7 but didn't actually start up the trail til about 7:30. At first it was fun, steep at times, my heart was pounding and my lungs not working quit
e right, but it was ok. We joked with each other and the morale of our group of six was high. We had a description of the hike that we were using to judge how far we had gone and how far we had to go. Really it felt like we were following a treasure map. Anyway, a few misunderstandings from the reading made us feel like we were doing really well and making good time. It wasn't til about 2 hours later that we realized we were still at the beginning of the description instead of nearing the end like we had thought! Non the less, we were ok. We hiked a good 5 hours before we got to the "upper meadow" which really was not meadow at all. We stopped there for a few reasons; we were tired and wanted food and water, there was snow there and we wanted to play in it, and last but not least we wanted to look up at what we were about to climb. Looking back, we should have been able to tell right there that we should have turned around and called it a day. 
However, we finished building snowmen and making snow angels and started up what would turn out to be the hardest, most intense climb of all our lives. It was so steep we had to use all fours at times. The ground was not solid but made up of loose gravel and boulders that were the size of basketballs all the way up to small elephants. Every step was sketchy, rocks sliding out from underneath you, falling over, looking up and seeing haw far you had to go, and looking down to see how far you had gone! It took us a good 2 hours plus to climb up that bowl to a saddle between two peaks, but the fun wasn't even close to being done.
From the saddle, not all of us continued. Those of us who did carried on following our treasue map trying to find ledges, eight
foot walls, and cracks that we could climb up. We lost a couple more along the way, but those who prevailed to the top were rewarded with one of the best views I have ever seen. It truly was spectacular. You could see for miles and miles in all directions. The blissful scene was quick however as we made our way back down to the saddle to meet up with everyone else and we realized that what you go up, you must go down!! Climbing up the boulder field was a challenge and time consuming, but going down it was not easy at all. It was harder. It took us longer than going up. We all fell a few hundred times had moments where if we slipped it was a good 300 feet before we would have stopped! It was crazy. It was taking so long and by the time we got out of the boulder field and down a creek bed that was more rocks, it was about 8 o'clock and we still had about 3 to 4 miles to go! Oh and on top of that, we were all out of water and had been since about 4!! We were all dehydrated, fatigued and ready to be done. However, it was getting dark and we needed to get down quick! We carried on and on, the trail never seemed to get less steep or show signs of ending. Daylight quickly left us and we found ourselves in the dark! Luckily, our good friend Jared who we will forever be in debt too, realizing our situation had started to run down the trail. He past my little brother on the way and stole his car keys and continued running to the bottom, mind you he had hiked all the way to the top an
d was also out of water. He got to the bottom a little after 7:30, took the car to the seven eleven down at the bottom of the canyon. He bought a bunch of gatorades, waters, bananas, and some flashlights and quickly drove back up to the trailhead. He started the hike AGAIN and began to run up the trail to find us. All of us were on the verge of hullicinating, seeing lights and other things. The darkness made our depth perception go crazy making our us stumble and fall even more! Jared, 30 minutes back up the trail past my bro and his friend and gave them a light and some fluid. He then realizing we were still far out began to once again run to find us. He found us just as the it became pitch black and literally could not see anything! He found us and saved our lives. We thought that we had maybe fifteen more minutes to go, but in reality we had over an hour left to the bottom!! It would have taken us three times longer at least had we not had that light! We got back to our car a little after 10:30 at night, thankful to be alive!!! Jared, we love you!
So Saturday came along and it was time to start our climb. We had intended on starting at 7 but didn't actually start up the trail til about 7:30. At first it was fun, steep at times, my heart was pounding and my lungs not working quit
e right, but it was ok. We joked with each other and the morale of our group of six was high. We had a description of the hike that we were using to judge how far we had gone and how far we had to go. Really it felt like we were following a treasure map. Anyway, a few misunderstandings from the reading made us feel like we were doing really well and making good time. It wasn't til about 2 hours later that we realized we were still at the beginning of the description instead of nearing the end like we had thought! Non the less, we were ok. We hiked a good 5 hours before we got to the "upper meadow" which really was not meadow at all. We stopped there for a few reasons; we were tired and wanted food and water, there was snow there and we wanted to play in it, and last but not least we wanted to look up at what we were about to climb. Looking back, we should have been able to tell right there that we should have turned around and called it a day. 
However, we finished building snowmen and making snow angels and started up what would turn out to be the hardest, most intense climb of all our lives. It was so steep we had to use all fours at times. The ground was not solid but made up of loose gravel and boulders that were the size of basketballs all the way up to small elephants. Every step was sketchy, rocks sliding out from underneath you, falling over, looking up and seeing haw far you had to go, and looking down to see how far you had gone! It took us a good 2 hours plus to climb up that bowl to a saddle between two peaks, but the fun wasn't even close to being done.
From the saddle, not all of us continued. Those of us who did carried on following our treasue map trying to find ledges, eight
foot walls, and cracks that we could climb up. We lost a couple more along the way, but those who prevailed to the top were rewarded with one of the best views I have ever seen. It truly was spectacular. You could see for miles and miles in all directions. The blissful scene was quick however as we made our way back down to the saddle to meet up with everyone else and we realized that what you go up, you must go down!! Climbing up the boulder field was a challenge and time consuming, but going down it was not easy at all. It was harder. It took us longer than going up. We all fell a few hundred times had moments where if we slipped it was a good 300 feet before we would have stopped! It was crazy. It was taking so long and by the time we got out of the boulder field and down a creek bed that was more rocks, it was about 8 o'clock and we still had about 3 to 4 miles to go! Oh and on top of that, we were all out of water and had been since about 4!! We were all dehydrated, fatigued and ready to be done. However, it was getting dark and we needed to get down quick! We carried on and on, the trail never seemed to get less steep or show signs of ending. Daylight quickly left us and we found ourselves in the dark! Luckily, our good friend Jared who we will forever be in debt too, realizing our situation had started to run down the trail. He past my little brother on the way and stole his car keys and continued running to the bottom, mind you he had hiked all the way to the top an
d was also out of water. He got to the bottom a little after 7:30, took the car to the seven eleven down at the bottom of the canyon. He bought a bunch of gatorades, waters, bananas, and some flashlights and quickly drove back up to the trailhead. He started the hike AGAIN and began to run up the trail to find us. All of us were on the verge of hullicinating, seeing lights and other things. The darkness made our depth perception go crazy making our us stumble and fall even more! Jared, 30 minutes back up the trail past my bro and his friend and gave them a light and some fluid. He then realizing we were still far out began to once again run to find us. He found us just as the it became pitch black and literally could not see anything! He found us and saved our lives. We thought that we had maybe fifteen more minutes to go, but in reality we had over an hour left to the bottom!! It would have taken us three times longer at least had we not had that light! We got back to our car a little after 10:30 at night, thankful to be alive!!! Jared, we love you!
5 comments:
Wow, you guys are ambitious! Hiking one the highest peaks in the wasatch. My husband has done it a few times. Way to go!!!
That is by far the worst death march I have ever heard of. Except playing in the snow. That part souded fun.
loonie bins.
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