Start/End: Appalachia Trailhead, Rt. 2

Peaks: Adams (5,774'), Madison (5,367')

Elevation Gain: 5,150 ft

RT Mileage: 9.54 mi

Duration: 9 hours, 58 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 2+

The second and third weekends of July both involved afternoon thunderstorms, and all of the hikes I had left for the summer were above treeline and technical, so I didn't want to take any chances. A good weather day finally presented itself on the 23rd, and I took the opportunity to bag Adams and Madison. I intended to take the Class 3 King Ravine up but decided on Chemin des Dames instead after speaking to the ranger at the trailhead. Read more... 

Start/End: North Twin Trailhead

Peaks: North Twin (4,761'), South Twin (4,902'), "Guyot" (4,580'), Zealand (4,260'), Hale (4,054')

Elevation Gain: 5,495 ft

RT Mileage: 16.92 mi

Duration: 10 hours, 26 minutes

Rock Difficulty: Class 1

The last two weekends of June were total washouts, which meant no hiking. By the time Fourth of July weekend rolled around I was getting impatient, and decided to take my chances on a day with a slightly lower chance of thunderstorms. I didn't want to be too risky though, so I went with the nontechnical North Twin, South Twin, Guyot (not a 4,000er), Zealand, and Hale Loop, which is safely below treeline most of the way. Read more...