Okay, so yesterday we took our dog and set out to hike to the top of Mt. Elden here in Flagstaff, AZ. When we first moved up here we tried but only made it half way… We vowed to make it to the top before we move away and we finally accomplished this yesterday.
The hike up really kicked my butt but N and Dixie were doing fine. I made them stop for breaks very often (I was having breathing trouble). We really had no idea what a hike it was till it was over.. turns out we hiked 6 miles in about 4 1/2 – 5 hours (with all our breaks) and we went from 6,900′ to 9,295′ elevation.
You can read more information about the tail specifics by visiting: the Elden Lookout Trail #4 page at the forest service website.
We took forever to get up to the top but our hike down was a ton faster!! I got stuck in some thigh deep snow near the top of the mountain and our dog almost broke my leg pulling me down the trail while I was stuck…
It was strange to have 60 degree temperatures in town and when we reached the top of the mountain we found very deep semi packed snow. It just shows how high up we really went!
Once the hike was over our knees and ankles hurt so we grabbed tons of junk food, brought it upstairs to the bedroom and we laid in bed while munching junk and watching the 40 year old virgin.
This morning we can walk (amazingly) but I have sore really sore butt muscles..
What a beautiful dog! Isn’t hiking great? I think its the fastest and nicest way to stay in shape. Bet the dog loved it. We tend to forget what a beautiful country we live in. I for one, am thrilled that Spring will soon be here.