Backpacking to Lake Hardy and South Thunder

[steve]

7.18.14 featuring @WillisBodillus , @WasatchWill , @Tess , and @Mike K

 

[Nick]

Looks too easy! Nice job on the video.

 

[steve]

Thanks. I try to keep my videos short because I know my viewers don't care about 99% of it, but this one had too much good stuff to make it any shorter. Plus, more info is always better for people who are contemplating this trip in the future.

That trail kicked my butt. I think it was 7000 feet of elevation in 6 miles.

 

[Nick]

It looks brutal. How much of the gain is on that dirt road? Why is it closed? Loved the shot of Fender at the end not wanting to leave the car.

 

[steve]

I believe the road was 2 miles long. There's a lot of private property up there, and I imagine that's why they gate it off. The road probably helped us gain 2500 feet.

I've never seen Fender that tired before, EVER.

We could have climbed to our camp spot about 3 times faster and arrived before dark, but my friend Riley was having terrible shin splints, and he wasn't as prepared as the rest of us. In hindsight, I shouldn't have invited him on this trip without a test hike first. Oh well, live and learn.