It could have been a simple walk in the mountains. Follow the super well-established, well-maintained trail up to the the base of the summit. Turn onto the clearly defined, but unofficial trail that climbs steeply to the ridge and then a short traverse to the top.
It could have been, but that would have been boring.
Instead, we turned onto an abandoned trail and followed it for a mile. Instead of crossing the creek to stay on that trail, we headed straight up the hill through the brush. There were blueberries to be consumed, but they weren't worth the scratches and stumbles.
Although we were back on the main trail, we weren't content with the bonus adventure. When we crossed the massive avalanche gully we opted to climb right up the middle. A tangle of downed trees, marshy ground, and steep rock were our reward.
The summit trail was as expected and led us to the summit. Not that we could really tell. The clouds were thick and the views were limited at best. The best part was sitting with the group eating cookies and drinking... uh... water. It was just water.
But don't think we didn't learn. We did follow the established trail all the way back to the trailhead. Hiking in the complete darkness has a way of reminding you that there's such a thing as enough Type 2 Fun in one day. Unfortunately, that lesson never sticks so we'll do it all again the next time we go out.
