Leavitt Peak ^2x P2K SPS / PYNSP / WSC / PD

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I had planned to take the day off, considering how bad I had felt the previous night, but when I woke up in the morning I was feeling much better. Rather than sit around a motel room in Bridgeport (even worse it was a bed and breakfast and I can't really stand B&B hominess) I decided to take a hike to Leavitt Peak. I had climbed the peak 12 years earlier, but it was part of an overnight trip and I had yet to dayhike this relatively easy SPS peak off Sonora Pass.

It was shortly after 9a when I reached the pass where I parked along the side of the road. There were two other cars parked nearby but not a soul in sight. I took the Pacific Crest Trail as it winds its way on the east side of the crest up a circuitous route to the main crest. The trail branches in several locations, all unsigned, though it doesn't seem to matter which branch is taken. The lower one I chose wound through a small canyon that had been partially washed out in past seasons, explaining at least one of the branches that had been created to avoid this rutted section.

It took just about 2 uneventful but easy hours to reach the summit, mostly along the trail. Where the trail traverses around the SE side of Leavitt I headed up the steep talus towards the summit. Another hiker was a short distance behind me in reaching the summit. He introduced himself as Chris Testa who would be joining in the Sierra Challenge the next day. I lolled on the summit for half an hour before deciding to head down, leaving Chris to enjoy the summit to himself for a while longer. On the return I found a fairly good use trail that goes down the East Ridge, then off the north side of this ridge back to the PCT. It was much better and easier than the steep talus slope I had taken on the way up. The junction with the PCT is not obvious nor marked with ducks.

Shortly after 1:30p I was back at the car, and then back to Bridgeport an hour later. Voila. I suppose if the whole SPS list were that easy it wouldn't be anything to get excited about. But it is nice to have an easy day now and then.

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