They say the second time around is easier, I say it depends on what you're talking about. Kent and I just completed an ascent of
South Schell Peak and it was not easy. Last summer we made it to within 300 ft. of the top before a thunderstorm forced us to turn back. This time around, the weather was perfect, as far as hiking goes, there was no wind. We climbed 2,600 ft. in 2 miles, it took us about 3 hours. My dad always asks us why we push ourselves so much on these crazy hikes; it's because the views from the top are amazing, as you will see in this post. We enjoy all kinds of hikes, but it feels good to know that we can still climb mountains.
 |
| The sun was just coming over the mountains as we drove to the Trailhead |
 |
| After looking at the map, we have decided this was the best place to start |
 |
| Wouldn't you know, it was steep from the get-go |
 |
| We weren't expecting a trail, but it looks like we're on a horse trail |
 |
| It was quite cold in this shady ravine, after all Ely was 20° this morning |
 |
| Beautiful morning for a hike |
 |
| The sun warmed us right up |
 |
| These could be Basque sheepherder carvings |
 |
| These unique trees made great trail markers |
 |
| We came upon this coyote, it looks like he got caught in a trap |
 |
| We are climbing higher |
 |
| This is where it really got steep |
 |
| Although the top looks close, it really isn't |
 |
Follow the snow line . . . it will lead you to the summit.
Extra points will be given if you can find Kent! |
 |
| South Schell Peak 11,778 |
 |
We added our names to the register
N. Schell Peak (11,883) and Taft Peak (11,736) can be seen in the background |
Click once to open, click again to play
 |
| Looking to the west towards Ely |
 |
| We enjoyed a few snacks before heading back down |
 |
| Starting our descent |
 |
| It looks like Kent is on top of the world |
 |
| I'm always looking for interesting rocks and the lichen on this one caught my eye |
 |
| This was a welcome sight, back to where we started from ... woohoo! |
 |
The aspens were shimmering in the afternoon sun
|
 |
| This is an aerial view of the route we hiked |
 |
| Looking back to where we hiked ...wow! |
 |
| We drove up to Bird Creek on our way back to Ely |
 |
| Bird Creek is a really nice campground |
 |
| The next morning we decided to check out Big Warm Spring |
 |
| What a neat place, in the middle of nowhere |
 |
| Can't wait to get in ..... |
 |
| This is the largest thermal spring in Nevada .... a perfect 94° |
 |
Big Warm Spring Waterfall
|
