To the Top of Our World!

Our first climb of the day~

When my friend Joyce starts talking about a ride up  Mt. Washington & over to Stimson Hill, I'm all ears!  Before long - we had a ride planned.  It's a beast!  No other description does the incredible climbs any justice at all...  By the time you're at the top of the first steep, technical trail - you've just begun... & you'd better hope you've got enough horse for the day's work!

Up Mt. Washington, Rest break~

It was a warm day, humidity high - but with a very nice cool breeze.  Coming off this new, well marked trail put in by Scott of our local BCH chapter - we came out on the logging road.

We come out onto the roads

 Now the real work begins!  We were really lucky, there was still rain water from the last storms in puddles along the road.  Plenty for the horses to drink.  This ride goes up & above & beyond our "Hill of Death" climb on this same mountain.

We're climbing higher~

At each stage, our mouths were agape at the views.  Even with the light haze, we could see all the way south to the skyscrapers of Seattle.

On Stimson, we're up  over 2,800 feet~

Once you're on the top, all we wanted to do was keep going!  You know - to see what's on the other side?  :-)

Joyce & Jesse

So...  we kept going!

We're finding more roads~

As Joyce said about this time, it's fine remembering a left, a right, another right - but sooner or later you've remembered what you can...  Since we were almost ten-miles in at 2.5 hours, we decided it was time to turn back & save more exploring for another longer day.

As we turn around!

We see what's behind us!  Whitehorse Mountain & Three Fingers dominate the landscape.  Still covered with their blanket of pure white snow.

Near the summit of Mt. Washington - Mt. Pilchuck farther south~

 We continued a little further, neither of us ready to leave- still scoping out the country~

More roads out this way too!

What goes up...  must come down...  & the down is almost as hard as the up!  We didn't realize until later that we'd made it to the summit of Stimson.  As we turned back - new views just kept coming.

Heading back down~

2.5 hours going up, 2 going down

We got off several times & walked along side our very good horses!  It gave them a break from the pounding & gave us a change to limber up.

Our route & turn-around point just past the crest~

Over the day's ride, the stats were amazing!
Mt. Washington by hhmstead at Garmin Connect - Details