I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I think it was from the espresso I’d had in the morning. My mind didn’t want to shut down, even though I was tired. But I persisted and fell asleep. The alarm woke me nice and early, and I got ready to head out for my hike.
Yogurt with pumpkin seeds, raisins, and walnuts for breakfast. I decided to try to hike Sturgill Peak instead of doing my normal route up the East Fork Brownlee trail. It would be my fourth attempt to reach Sturgill. The first was with Ambrose, back in 2023, by car. We got stopped by snow. Over Memorial Day weekend, my hike was stopped by snow as well. This week, I tried to drive it with my parents, but there was construction. I figured fourth time had to be the charm.
Based on the Idaho Trails map, the trail that I’d taken on my second Memorial Day hike appeared to start not far from where I’d camped. I drove up that way and found that it was a proper trailhead with signage and a double outhouse. As I got out to start my hike, three cows wandered down the the trail. They’d clearly also been at the site earlier, as there were piles of cow poop strewn about. I like where I camped, but I think this site might be more convivial for next Memorial Day.
This trail isn’t quite as steep as the East Fork Brownlee. It allowed my legs to warm up a bit before hitting me with the climbs. After having that issue with my heel while walking on Friday, I was very conscious of how that leg felt, especially the muscles of the lower leg. They continued to be sore, but the issue with the heel did not recur.
The first stream crossing seemed much lower than the last time I’d seen it. When I got to the part of the trail where I’d slid down on my butt on the snow for fun, it looked very different – there was no snow to be seen. And, delightfully, the place where I had to turn back before was now completely clear of snow and I was able to hike on to new trail.
The trail continued to climb, but in a leisurely fashion. Not like the high speed rock’n’roll of my usual trail. There were steep sections, sure, but there were also plenty of fairly flat sections. I came across lots of water across the trail, including a spring. Ambrose taught me that if the water is coming right out of the ground, it’s safe to drink. I remember looking so hard for a spring along the Queens River trail so I could try it, straight from the source.
Then the trail climbed out to a clear spot, with no trees blocking the incredible views. I wasn’t at the peak yet, but it was beautiful.
The trail meandered a bit before coming to a junction. From there, I took the right and headed towards Sturgill Peak. Now, at the trailhead, there was a sign indicating that Sturgill Peak was 3 miles away. This was misleading. At exactly 3 miles, I had reached the road that leads to Sturgill Peak. It was about 0.6 miles before I got there, and that last bit was the hardest part of the trail. The lookout is situated on a high prominence, and I had to hike up some steep roads to get there.
Along the way, I knew exactly where I would have turned the car around, had I made it that far. I thought that Ambrose might have gone on past where I would have turned back, but there was another section higher up that I’m pretty sure even he would have turned back for. On most days, I probably would have gotten extremely hot on this climb, but with the start of summer, we’ve gotten a cold snap. I was freezing the whole way up, with the wind whipping at my face. When I made it to the lookout, I found ice melting off the roof and the railings. But, oh, the views were worth it.
On my way back, I noticed a body of water in the distance. I wondered if it was the Mann Creek Reservoir, so I pulled the GPS out and checked. It was indeed, and visible from 15 miles away.
The hike back was uneventful and fast. Much faster than I can go on the other trail, because there are less loose rocks on this one. It’s not as tricky to step through most of it, and I’m not as worried about sliding down the trail. I appreciated that there was fresh maintenance on this trail as well.
It was nice to have a pit toilet right there at the car. I made use of it before I headed home. There were some birds I had to stop and wait for on the drive, and a calf ran along the side of the road for a spell. Before going home, I stopped in town to get myself a hot chocolate. If it were hot outside, I would have thought about a milkshake, but with the cold weather, hot chocolate was a perfect treat.
I did laundry when I got home – after a shower, of course. Ate lunch, did my Move U exercises, and packed up for my business trip this week. It’s hard to pack for a business trip when I’m going to a hot weather place. Because it’s going to be extremely hot outside, but freezing cold with air conditioning inside. I need to decide whether to bring a hat. I don’t think I’ll be spending that much time outdoors.
I actually turned my heat back on today. Yesterday, I just bundled up and used a space heater, but today I figured I’d be comfortable after that frigid hike. I don’t miss it being in the 90s, but the 40s is a bit too cold for my bones at this time of year.