12-24-15

so after yesterday's run, and passing by this section that seemingly identifies a trail that is closed from 10pm-6am, i (on sort of a whim) decided that i wanted to go check it out.

i looked at google maps and saw that it was called hellgate canyon trail, and did go to the top of mt sentinel and hook up with the trail that goes up to the M.

i even mapped it on maymyrun and calculated the total mileage.  after seeing that it was going to be about 2.5miles up and then down, i felt like it was doable even though i didn't have my hiking poles.  i was going to go slow and i knew where the city was.  i sent myself the map as a picture and was confident i knew where i was headed.  

this is the trail leading in

 just onto the trail
i was cold, but it wasn't snowing

 about 1/2 mile in...

 omg, it's so beautiful out here!
at the beginning part of the trail, the path was fairly well trodden.  not totally recently (it snowed last night) but well enough that i could tell i was definitely on the right path

 the view of the city beyond.  cool!

 this part started to get tougher.  i was trying to posthole my way through, but there was really only one set of footprints that i was following now, and it was faint at some parts.  guess noone really came by recently. yesterday before the snow, maybe?

 <3 p="">

 omg!! i made it to a junction point.  i was soooo happy to knowt that i was in the right place.
so i followed the sign that told me mt sentinel was 0.5mi <-- nbsp="" p="">i wasn't going to follow crazy conyon trailhead...3 more miles away?!  no way!

 there was a thicket of trees i had to pass through

 at the top!!! or what i believed was the top.
(it was.)  click to view the entire panorama!

 that's mount jumbo across the way.
my mother-in-law always says that it's shaped like an elephant, but i can't quite tell why, or what i'm supposed to look at.  i'll have to take a better picture next time and find out

 that's the way DOWN!

 but no clear path.  the snow was all wind-blown, with no clear footprints.  anywhere.  hmm.

 hey, that tree has a windsock on it, that's a good sign, right?

 i finally found footprints further down.  but it was a pretty steep section.
this part in the picture below is a whole lot steeper than the picture depicts.  i slipped a few times and kind of sledded down on my feet.  oops!

 this was another super-steep section.  again, i wish i had my poles with me.

 whew!  i made it down without sliding off the mountain.
that part there above my head was even steeper.  some rocks to maneuver around and had to really try to grab and hold on.  it would've been a scramble going up; going down was an exercise in not slipping down too much

 almost to the M!  the university is clearly visible and identifiable

 there was a couple at the M that took a picture for me

 whew!  down off the mountain completely

 back at the car, where i started from, 2:48min later.  it was FUN!
but my feet, heels, and toes were FREEZING.

 back at the house

i made some collages of my pictures =D