Mt Charleston summit

We started at 5:00 am with headlights and reached the summit at 10:00. 17 miles and 4700 feet by the time we got back to the car.

 It was dark when we started but we could take off our headlights after about 30 minutes.

Sunrise on the rock face below the first viewpoint.

 After cresting the ridge it is about 4.5 miles of ridge walking to the summit.

 At mile 6 there is a rock outcrop with a view where I saw this plant I haven't identified yet.

This was also there. I think it is an Alpine Rayless Daisy

 This must be a Rock Ivesia

Penstemon were blooming all over at around 10,000 ft.

 Columbine were blooming around 11,000 feet. I had never seen alpine columbine before, and they came in many different colors from the red/yellow found down low.

 On the first section of trail above timberline where Columbine and Primrose were blooming. This is about 1.5 miles from the summit.

 This is near the summit looking back down toward the trees.

 High mountain rock fields. The summit is above my left shoulder but you can't see it from here.

Click on this link. Then click on the photo

Panorama on top

On top of Charleston

 Looking west

 Evening primrose

 Lavender Columbine

Pink and lavender Columbine

 Pink and yellow Columbine

 Blue, pink and white columbine

 Shooting star in the middle of some columbines

 Pink columbine and rock Ivesia, and a blue columbine on the right edge

 Nice cluster

Another nice cluster.

Sierra club, Upper bristlecone, Bonanza, no name

7 hikers started out on an 7.6 mile, 1800ft gain hike today.

The group on upper bristlecone just before the left turn to Bonanza

A rest stop part way out Bonanzas ridge

Some kind of Buckwheat

Lunch stop on Bonanza ridge

Scarlet Gilia seen on No Name ridge

Second Mt Charleton training hike

Did the same hike we did Monday but cut off about 45min total. Still 12 miles and 3500 feet.

The path across the snow had developed a hole since Monday.

One of the large burnt out Bristlecones

Cooper's Rubber weed

Alum Root

A herd of deer came through

Rosy Cliff Bush

Mt Charleston training hike

Mt Charleston training hike. 12 miles and 3500 feet of gain. Took us 8 hours but we stopped to take pictures and didn't start till 8:15. We were out of shape after the Alaska vacation where we ate too much and didn't hike much.

We plan to do it again on Wednesday (tomorrow).

Photoshpere of the view at our high point. Approximately 2 miles from the top of Charleston You have to click on the photo when it comes up to expand it properly.

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Eaton Penstemon lining the trail

Field of Wooly Mullein

Purple Penstemon

Not the endangered Mt Charleston Blue

Females are not as blue

Cooper's Rubberweed.

Cooper's Rubberweed

View toward Mt Charleston

Cinquefoil

Surprised to see Shooting Star this high and this late in the season

View toward the Southwest and  Nopah Range

Trail up Griffith Peak