Hey hey,
I am back to tell about another wild and crazy adventure. This one entailed a 2500 ft climb, and decent, 10 miles, 6 hours, 200 people, two kegs of beer, temperatures in the 40's and one medium sized brown bear. Saturday morning, myself and a few friends headed up to the base of Mt Rose. The highest peak in the valley, at about 10, 800 feet. We met a bunch of people there and began a hike up to the summit. The hike was pretty rough at some points, the second half being full of inclines and switchbacks. And to make it a little more grueling, it was windier than snot, and colder than the dickens. The highlight of the day was during a rest/water stop half way up the mountain. We were standing aroung catching our breathe when we spotted a young and curious brown bear about thirty yards away from us! What a great sight site for a bunch of outdoor enthusiests. But back to the trail it was. As you ascend, the air gets thinner and colder, and breathing becomes more strenuous. As you hit the switchbacks, you can see people crossing the ridge to the summit above you. A cool sight. To the Top. The view was spectacular. Lake Tahoe is visible to the Southewest, and the city of Reno to the Northeast. Donner lake, and the two resevoirs to the west. In the background, you see smoke rolling from the wildfires in California. As a celebration, two guys carried a keg of beer to the top. Everyone enjoyed a nice glass of booze at the summit. We did'nt stay long though, because it was mighty coold and mighy windy up there. On down, the same way we came.

A few feet above sea level,
Tom