The last time I was there, I remembered the Poodle Dog bush was overwhelming along the ridge. Also, the ridge was mostly clear and easy to walk through. However, this time there was a large section along the ridge that was overgrown with thorny bushes. Not hard to navigate but a bit challenging to avoid and getting impaled by the yuccas. Ouch!
We took our first break at Josephine Saddle. Then we headed up the mountaineer's route. As I mentioned earlier the terrain was not quite the same as before. However, no more Poodle Dog except for a very tiny bush yay!!!!!
Ascending the class 3 rock scrambling was just as fun as I remembered. It was a clear day and the views were amazing! I took my time to soak in the views. I did manage to find one lonely purple flower hidden in between the rocks.
At the summit, we ate lunch and took the obligatory summit photos. Someone brought Strawberries to share. I signed the register and noticed an old Eispiraten sticker which was cool.
We descended the trail going back to Red Box.. The route was clear and not as slippery as I remembered it.
All in all, it was a perfect day.
Stats: 8 miles, 2300' gain
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