Mt. Verstovia

So for all of those beautiful people out there still reading my blog, we have a weather update that it is shockingly still hot and sunny here. I was also able to garage sale my way through the weekend and come back with free camping gear! Since it was s nice out, some of us decided to hike up Mt.Verstovia, which is one of the top 3 hardest hikes in Sitka. The hike is straight up and takes about 3 hours to get to the top. There were 6 of us that decided to tackle the mountain, which has an incredible 360 view of Sitka and the surrounding mountains at the top. The start of the hike was straight up stairs and it only got steeper form there. About 45 minutes in we came to the first viewpoint/lookout and downtown Sitka was tiny already. We were also all tired. From there is was just more up and up and up. At the 2 hour mark we finally reached the point where the mountain got so steep that we needed to hold onto cables so we didn't fall. The cables were also nice so you could pull yourself up the mountain. Finally we got to the point where a clearing appeared and before our eyes was probably the best sights you could ever see in your life. From the clearing it was another 10 minutes of stairs to get to the 360 viewpoint. We finally got to the top and it was better than seeing the Mediterranean in Italy. It only took us about 2.5 hours to get to the top. There we took a ton of pictures and just all talked about life, what brought us all to Sitka, our career goals and so much more. I have realized that in Sitka in particular, you really get to know people when you are going up mountains and on top of mountains. After pictures we finally decide to start the hike down the mountain. That was another 2 hours down and I only slipped 10 times, no big deal. With a mountain trail as steep as Verstovia, getting down the mountain sometimes takes longer that getting up since steps and the trail is so steep. Once we made it back down the mountain we head a 3 mile walk back to the house with all of our hiking gear(on long hikes we all need backpacks for the amount of water and snacks and other things like rope gloves and spikes for when it rains) I definitely am in need of a nap and a shower.

Have a good day fam,

Ashley