Had a calendar snafu last minute and a constraint popped in so travel wasn’t possible, and my hiking buddy had a leaky irrigation system … so Spencer Butte worked again, beautifully!
The objective for the hike was to ascend Spencer as many times as possible and reach Baldy top too … all done, home, showered and ready by 2pm for contractors in the house.
The first 2 miles were without another human being, and for the first couple of hours only a hand-full. Uncommon birds were not seen, but heard. 2 great horned owls, 1 barred owl, and 1 sharp-shinned hawk. The trail was muddier than expected, but still trail-runner friendly.
- Hawk https://ebird.org/species/shshaw#Modal-playlist
- Great Horned Owl https://ebird.org/species/grhowl/#Modal-playlist
- Barred Owl https://ebird.org/species/brdowl/#Modal-playlist
The day started completely in the clouds and fog
Eventually things started to clear out …
The light was great, and the forest was greener than it has been … just exploding with green leaves – it only made the non-green stand out so much more.
By the end of the day … cotton ball clouds were everywhere
All Trails Factoids
Distance: 14.61 miles | Elevation Gain: 3,602 ft | Avg Pace 21:50 / miles — Recording
| Gear Type | For this Hike |
| Pack | NorthFace ION 20L |
| Shoes | TOPO Trailrunners |
| Top Layers | Baselayer LS |
| Bottom Layer | REI Sahara convertible pants |
| Socks | Dual layer REI Poly liner + REI lightweight Merino wool |
| Water | Bladder 2 L – drank it all; 14oz nalgene (left at home – mistake!) |
| Supporting tools | No Trekking pole No Gaiters No toe callous bumpers – emergency only |
How often do you have to replace your shoes??? Take it easy young man. Love, Mom