Up On Bogd Mountain

Directly south of UB lies a set of mountains, called Bogd. Its totally in walking distance so I've been meaning to hike it, I don't know why I didn't until yesterday (8/09) but it was sweet all the same. The plan was set in advance so I ignored the inclement weather and set out. Two friends bailed on me siting the possibility of stormy weather, but I was hearing none of it. Good thing Jason agreed to join me, it would've been a lonely hike without him.

The hike to the ridge was brutal! I keep forgetting how steep the mountains are around here, but once we got to the top things got real nice. UB actually looked tolerable for once. If you pull back a bit you don't notice the derelict structures all around, it starts to look like a proper city.

The weather turned out to be perfect for hiking; cool, moist air kept us from over heating. I love summer heat, but sometimes it just feels nice to layer up and get out in the woods, you know? We found some sweet rock formations up on the ridge and more then a few patches of ground with high conifer canopies yielding sparse undergrowth. Perfect camping grounds, I shall have to return for a weekends excursion. The woods opened to allow for spacious meadows and not a few fly wild flowers. I love how an overcast day can make the colors just pop in contrast. Eagles soared below us, surveying the valley for prey, while a fox bounded his way down the slope. We found some more "indian" strawberries and a whole lot of fungus. I wish we could have stayed longer.

Back at the outskirts of town we found a store that sold tallboys of IBC root beer. My first of this beloved beverage since leaving home sweet home. Nice work team.