Hiking Together: Meetup: Day 24 – Wednesday 8/5/2020 – 1666.9 – clear, warm, monsoon clouds afternoon. Justin will be hiking with me today. I woke first at 4:45 am, packed up and started hiking at 5:35 am until Monarch Lake Trailhead where I stopped to wait for him. He woke at 5:30 am, drove the Jeep to the Monarch Lake Trailhead where he parked the Jeep and joined me. We started on the flat and then in two miles we started climbing 2000’ for the next 3 miles. After the climb we had many smaller ups and downs. We stopped for snacks twice, and for a 30-40 minute lunch with only 2.5 miles to go. After lunch we met a hiking family who told about climbing Grays Peak and how steep and perilous it was. They recommended the Silverthorne alternative. We arrived at our campsite about 3:15 pm and put up our tents. We discussed the two alternatives. I’m leaning towards the Silverthorne alternative. I’ve got to make a decision soon. It is right after Berthoud Pass. It really is nice to have Justin here to discuss my options with me.
