Vegas Day 4

"It doesn't have to be fun, to be fun."

I heard that line once, and it stuck with me. Today's hike up Turtlehead Peak was a perfect example of that saying.

When we arrived at the parking lot, we were the only car around. It was 39 degrees when we stepped out of the car. Despite growing up in Chicago, I am now a FLorida boy through and through. Heck, I turn the seat warmed on in my car if it dips below 60, so 39 is down right freezing.

The amount of work we had ahead of us soon made any concerns about the temperature seem small. The longer we walked, the higher we got, and the layers of clothing began to peel off.

The sign at the trailhead classified this trail as "strenuous". I would disagree. This trail wasIncredibly Strenuous. We climbed over 2300 vertical feet in just under 2 miles. Most of the climb was amidst loose rock scree, which is the equivalent of trying to walk across hard word flooring covered with marbles. When we weren't walking through scree, we were climbing over boulders, which at the time wasn't so much fun since I was gasping for breathe most of the time. (My wife on the other hand would have beat me to the top by an hour if I wasn't holding her up.)

The final ascent felt like a 45 degree incline. It was hard to tell if my lungs or my legs were burning more. The payoff once we got to the top made every step worth it. Panoramic views of mountains to one side and Vegas to the other. We stayed for almost 30 minutes just enjoying the view (and catching my breath).

The descent was easier on the lungs, but harder on the legs. Hiking down the loose scree was like downhill skiing on a beg of rocks, with 100 foot drops on either side.

Turtlehead was a great hike. There were times that I doubted whether or not I would make it to the top. Happily we did. Here is the proof.