Today's hike was the highest and farthest hike I have ever done, but it was for sure the best. At 6000ft high and 11 miles long, the hike winds itself through the area around Mount Doom from the Lord of the Rings. All of the movies were filmed where we hiked so it was pretty sweet to feel like you were in the movie as you moved through the volcanic rocks. We even had some speakers playing the Lord of the Rings soundtrack so that certainly added to the experience.
It was quite the climb to the top and involved tackling "devil's staircase". I was super proud of our entire group for making the steep ascent, and it was a great sense of community when we all stopped at the peak for a lunch break. Coming down the other side of the mountain we were surprised by the sight of some sulfuric ponds and lakes. Their waters were super aqua and clear and an awesome site to see.
Overall we completed the trek in just over 7 hours, and it was a great feeling of accomplishment to make it to our destination. We were blessed with perfect weather, as we had neither rain nor blaring sun. This hike reminded me of my love for the outdoors and makes me want to take more advantage of the hikes available to me at home this summer.
As if hiking the entire day wasn't enough entertainment for the day, a group of us decided to hit up the local town at night. We went to a cool burger place for dinner and then across the street to a bar where it was ladies night. We all had a good time and even got to fit in some more karaoke at another bar before calling to quits for the day.
Today was the perfect example of how much enjoyment one can get from merely exploring the world around you, and I wouldn't have rather done any other activity. It's almost been one week with the entire group, and while I'm shocked at how quickly time is going by, I am also surprised when I look at how much we've already done together. Stay tuned for all the adventures still to come!
It was quite the climb to the top and involved tackling "devil's staircase". I was super proud of our entire group for making the steep ascent, and it was a great sense of community when we all stopped at the peak for a lunch break. Coming down the other side of the mountain we were surprised by the sight of some sulfuric ponds and lakes. Their waters were super aqua and clear and an awesome site to see.
Overall we completed the trek in just over 7 hours, and it was a great feeling of accomplishment to make it to our destination. We were blessed with perfect weather, as we had neither rain nor blaring sun. This hike reminded me of my love for the outdoors and makes me want to take more advantage of the hikes available to me at home this summer.
As if hiking the entire day wasn't enough entertainment for the day, a group of us decided to hit up the local town at night. We went to a cool burger place for dinner and then across the street to a bar where it was ladies night. We all had a good time and even got to fit in some more karaoke at another bar before calling to quits for the day.
Today was the perfect example of how much enjoyment one can get from merely exploring the world around you, and I wouldn't have rather done any other activity. It's almost been one week with the entire group, and while I'm shocked at how quickly time is going by, I am also surprised when I look at how much we've already done together. Stay tuned for all the adventures still to come!
Myself at the ponds at the top
Volcanic crater at the top
No comments:
Post a Comment