Mammoth 2022
Mammoth Trip, 2022
June 26
Reversed Peak
When we climbed Reversed Peak in September last year, we thought it would make an excellent first day hike. Short, fun, with an opportunity for an interesting rock scramble at the summit. We could acclimate to the altitude and have plenty of energy for something harder next day.
We have this tendency to wear ourselves out on the first day and then almost need a rest day.
Good strategy in principle, except somehow our Mammoth prep this year was insufficient. We'd hiked a good bit, but mostly on easy terrain. We were plagued by injury - Bill's chronic plantar fascitis, I fell hard on a training hike injuring my face, and later that day strained my left extensor tendon making steep downhill hikes tedious and painful; and Stella had injured her lower back muscles and barely nursed them back into compliance by the day of departure, so that we almost called the mission off.
We've always gone to Mammoth in September, but the last couple years have shown that we have to expect the Sierra to be on fire and the air unbreatheable in September now. Thus we moved the trip ahead to June, with perhaps another trip in September if conditions allow. But training for the early trip conflicted with our normal springtime and early summer activity schedule, making it hard to focus. -F.
