Rodeo 5, up Silver Peak

 A splendid, yet exhausting, day.  Our last hike in Arizona for this year.  Kind of an early birthday celebration for me, it’s still a few more days.  

Silver Peak is supposed to be a 4.5 mile trip in each direction. Our GPS recorded 5.45 going up and 10.4 miles round trip.  Plus 3000’ vertical rise to 8000’.  Some really great views and the 360 view from the top was incredible.   And it took us 7 hours.  The trail was rebuilt last year which explains the different length.  Like so many western trails this one is loaded with switchbacks which makes the task of getting up the mountain much less difficult.  Longer, but easier than the eastern method of just going straight up the slope no matter the pitch. 😩 And very little wind today, even on top. Temps in the 70s. 

We met 5 other people on the trail. 3 of them we spent some time on the summit.  One has a friend that now owns a house in this town, Portal.  The other two from WV have been coming here for a few years, trailering their horses back and forth.  Until last year they bought a place in Portal.  They’re headed back to WV on Sunday with the horses again.  

On the way back from the hike we stopped for take out food   Too tired to cook!

Heading east tomorrow   A little place east of El Paso   

The photos are not in any particular order  too tired for that