Bottomless Pit

It was a Friday morning when Brent and I set off to find the Bottomless Pit.
It was a place we'd been told was gorgeous,
and a 14 mile hike up Barr Trail.

Well, four miles up (seriously UP) we were told it wasn't a 14 mile round trip hike.
Rather, it was 22.

We charged ahead.
Did I say we'd heard it was gorgeous?

There were a few obstacles to overcome.

Barr trail is steep.
Very, very steep.
A lot of huffing and puffing and resting.

And then there was this guy.
And when a bear decides to hike the trail, well, you just let 'im.

From big animals to small...

Made it all the way to Barr Camp. Seven miles of trail and 3,700 feet of elevation gain.

But still 4 miles from our goal.
We continued to climb.
Then, about two and a half miles from the Bottomless Pit, we came out under the summit of the peak. 

Rough, rugged terrain all around us.
Where was the beauty we were supposed to be finding?
When Brent asked me if I thought this was pretty, I said, "No. But yes."
Even ruggedness has a certain beauty to it. 

We kept walking.
And in the middle of all that barrenness...


There is this...

So we stared in awe.
And had lunch (homemade pico de gallo and pizza, thankyouverymuch).

And took pictures...

And stared at the view from almost-the-summit.
(And really, who wants to summit?
At the summit you have a parking lot and gift shop.
Here you have a waterfall.
I mean, really, is there a debate to be had?) 


By the time we were almost to the bottom, even the bees were tucked in for the night.

Amazing, amazing, amazing.

I talked to Matt Carpenter yesterday about the area and he told me there are also the ruins of a shack up there and a couple cars - from people who have tried to commit suicide by driving off the top. We didn't see any of that. I guess anything man-made just didn't stand a chance next to this.

Lessons Learned:
1) Sometimes arduous journeys lead to beautiful jewels.
2) Sometimes, in the midst of the most rugged, barren-looking terrain, life springs forth.