I took a hike out past Long Trek Mt to Montezuma Peak since it was the same set of trails I hiked the other day, only Montezuma Peak was a little further in. Montezuma Peak looked doable from a distance, but once I got close to it I realized it was going to be harder than I thought. After departing the CDT to begin the frontal assault ascent, there was a lot of loose gravel on an incline that was about 40 degrees so it made footing tricky. Two steps forward, one step back. Near the top, it became steeper, so I opted to scramble up the rocks instead making it a Class 2 (arguably Class 3 since I had to use all 4 hands and feet) climb. The views from the top were beautiful, but smoke from wildfires all around the area made visibility poor for things in the distance. Coming down was tricky since it was so loose, so trekking poles defeinitely helped keep my balance. Another 13er (13,158 ft elevation) bagged!
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(4.00)
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