tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743326993739991027.post2555575162838750945..comments2011-08-06T11:38:41.803-07:00James!http://www.blogger.com/profile/14264724682049921624noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743326993739991027.post-66969063742535589242011-08-06T11:04:24.293-07:002011-08-06T11:04:24.293-07:00Back in 1995, late September, I got the stir-crazies and left work early. Ten A.M. saw me at the trail head of Mt Olympus for the first time; I was just shy of 43 years old, had lived here all of my life, and never hiked beyond &quot;doodle&quot; hikes like Ensign Peak and the heights above the University of Utah &quot;U&quot;. Anyway, to cut a long story down: I proceeded with great hubris to hike right to the top of the north peak of Mt Olympus - WITHOUT WATER. By the time I got to the top I could no longer eat my peanut butter and honey sandwich, my mouth being too dry. The return down the mountain was agony. By the time I had arrived at the lower switchbacks above the trail head, I was done in; I knew that if I stepped out of the shade of the juniper tree I was hiding behind, that the westering sun would knock me flat. And so there I stopped and dropped to my butt beside the trail. Along came a daddy with his preteen girl, and the daddy had a double water bottle pack. He let me drain one of them. That got me back to my car. DO NOT TRY THIS! Water is essential. Without that serendipity of the man with the water bottle, I would have been cooked on the side of the mountain until someone rescued me.<br /><br />The very next day I bought my own double water bottle fanny pack, and have used it many times hiking since; including Mt Olympus several more times (but usually not all the way to the top, age being the great retardant to speed that it is)....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743326993739991027.post-63770502707682168992011-07-14T21:23:11.609-07:002011-07-14T21:23:11.609-07:00were tacklin the beast tomorrow morning. anybody who&#39;s game come join us!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-743326993739991027.post-84937490139216033252010-06-30T12:30:02.431-07:002010-06-30T12:30:02.431-07:00Although I&#39;ve lived in Utah my entire life, been backpacking all around the West (including Hawaii), and have my own backpacking and hiking website, I&#39;ve never hiked Mount Olympus. And I&#39;m ashamed. It looks like such a majestic peak and the view from the top seems spectacular. This is definitely on my list of peaks to climb.Coltonhttp://www.wildbackpacker.comnoreply@blogger.com