A chilli dog worth 5,000 fr.

Peak	Mt Wilson
Group	N/A
Trailhead	Sierra Madre

This was my second Mt. Wilson summit attempt and I’m so relieved to have made it! What kept me going was the thought of Cosmic Cafe’s chilli dog and apple pie at the top. And what a great motivator it was!

I had attempted the week before but had to turn back after Orchard Camp with a friend who had to end early due to the heat. My group had decided to take the Sierra Madre since it seemed more challenging – and boy was it.

This week I returned to meet a friend to make the hike with. I fortunately we were unable to meet so I completed my first solo hike!!! The first and last 2 miles were a BITCH. The last 1.4 miles nearly sent me back but I was running low on water and had to refill. My headphones blasting Springsteen, Cat Stevens and Simon and Garfunkel were a huge help. And whaddya know – I made it!

I almost hitched a ride down due to exhaustion but I’m glad I made the decision not to as the descent was a major confidence booster and a lot of fun.

In all I topped out at 4,900 ft. elevation gain and 14.2 miles in 9.75 hours (minus my breaks comes out to 8 hours of hiking). And the chilli dog was well worth it all.