All the way to the top!

We've been looking at it for days and wondering, could we really climb it.  When one of the rangers talked to us about it, it was obvious that she didn't think we could.  It is only two miles to the top.  We had to try!

Can we really do it?

Aged climber!

Golden Eagle

    We climbed and climbed.  Actually the path was more difficult than the climbing.  It is dry, soft sand, much like walking on the dry top of the beach, only there is no wet sand to move down to.  In fact, nothing is wet.  Not a drop nowhere!

View halfway up.

We did take our time as we climbed and climbed.  We weren't sure which hump was really the top but the trail was well marked.  It took us an hour and a half to get to the top.  We sat and ate our lunch as we contemplated the view.  This vast valley, named Antelope Valley is crisscrossed with lines that are not roads.  The lines are straight and go on forever.  Perhaps they mark sections of land.  There are many for sale signs along the road.  I bet you could get lots of land cheap!  Come on down!

The trail up in the distance.

A green plant is so unusual that you have to take a picture of it. This one looks like swss chard!

Looking Southeast.

Looking Northwest.

Northwest from the top.

Looking South from the top.

It seemed a little funny, that after our hour and a half up, it only took us a half-hour to get back down.  We passed by a truck hidden by tumbleweeds and a little bit further, Louie decided he was finished.  It took some coaxing to get him the final 1/10 of a mile back to camp.

Where is the truck?

Tired hikers close to home.

And we made it back home.

  We all made it back, even Louie.  He stopped for a quick drink of water, then walked into the trailer and made a bee-line for the dirty clothes basket where he put himself to bed.  I don't know if he was more tired from the walking or from smelling all sorts of scat and marking every bush.