A special hike today as my good buddy Tommy is celebrating his 60th birthday. It was an honor to spend this special day with Tom and his brother John, and of course Ruby. Jughandle Mountain is a dramatic landmark in the Valley County area and is in view from many locations around the region. Also, it is a summit which I have never climbed.
Our route was almost entirely snow covered but the snow pack was firm and relatively good for a hike.
Here is Jughandle Mountain as seen from Louie Lake.
Here is the birthday boy (in red) at the summit! John was kicking foot holds into the snow all the way up making the climb much easier for his little brother. As a savvy old bike racer, Tom sprinted past both of us as we approached summit! Of course John and I allowed him to have is moment of glory as a birthday gift!
Glacier walking on the decent.
Another picture of Jughandle on the decent, notice how the weather has changed since the assent picture shown above.
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