Mount Elden

With another weekend free, it was time to find out what my next project was - Zion National Park: Fencing. I just hope it's not barb wire again. It's an eight day project so pretty long but it'll mean I'll have 5-6days off after it. With the weekend free it was time to get some food, a new pair of gloves (I cinged mine in the fire when I was a bit too eager to get my hands warm after washing up!) and figure what to do with my time off. On Sunday me and others from Team Wupatki set up to climb Mount Elden, one of the mountains surrounding Flagstaff. The journey started out ok as I'd packed my Power Bar but soon the up hill climb was starting to take it's toll and I wanted to simply collapse.

The trail was rated Strenuous, and yes it bloody was. The higher you got the harder it got, and when we reached a top, we realised we'd taken the wrong trail and gone up the wrong mountain and so had to climb higher to get to the right one. 3 hours later we sat down and ate lunch at the Mount Elden Lookout - 2,300 feet above Flagstaff. On top it was bloomin' windy of course but the view of Flagstaff and the surrounding area was breath-taking. So some would say it was worth it! ; )

Then it was time to make our way down again, which can actually be hard, it doesn't make you out of breath like going up does but it's bloody hard on the knees and when you're as uncoordinated as me you have to take your time. Slow and Steady wins the race, well, in my case not when the race but had me back in Flagstaff in one piece at least. Now that my limbs have forgotten the pain, I can say it was a good trek.