Sourdough Mtn – An honest day's work

[Tom K]

<div>I hesitated to post this one as a trip report, because it is usually done as a day hike, even though there are campsites along the way.  In the end I decided it was worth sharing just because it is such an incredible hike.</div>
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<div>I finally got a weather window and did my long planned hike of Sourdough Mtn with another old goat last Saturday.  He’s only 69, so I’m not sure he qualifies, but I decided to cut him some slack.  Whatever, it was an awesome hike, everything it is cracked up to be;  in short, a first class butt kicker with spectacular views from both the summit and an exposed, flower covered slope about 800 feet below the summit that just falls away beneath you for over 4000 feet.  You gain 3000 feet in the first two miles and another 2100 over the next 3 miles to the summit, on a trail that varies from mellow to gnarly.  I went into this hike with a big question mark hanging over my head:  Could I still get away with this level of hiking?  The answer was:  Yes.  Barely.  I felt strong going up, but had an adductor cramp episode on the way down, just below the summit.  I worked through that, and was fine until about 2 miles from the trail head, when fatigue became a serious issue.  At that point it became a matter of maintaining total focus to avoid a potentially nasty fall on a particularly rough section of the trail.  I made it without incident, totally tapped out but euphoric.  My partner redeemed himself for being under age by magically producing out of thin air two cold beers from a mini cooler.  Never has a Tecate tasted so good.  This hike had been on my list for about 10 years, and I realized that it was this year or never.  What an experience!  Highly recommended to anyone who lives in the area, or happens to be passing through and is looking for a quality mountain experience.</div>
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[Paul Schuyler]

Where is Sourdough Mtn?

[BlackHatGuy]

north cascades

[Jenny A]

Looks amazing!  Even a day hike is still “a trip.”

[Author]

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