Mount Bailey

WHEN: September 7, 2013

WHERE: Mount Bailey, Douglas County, OR.


WHY: Today's hike was to enjoy the company of family while on a beautiful hike. Summiting would be a bonus.


WHO: Uncle, cousins, Diana, Venice and Xander.


WEATHER: Sunny and warm. We saw temperatures in the mid 60s before our thermometer broke.


WHAT:
Approximately 6 miles.
Summit over 8,000 ft.
Round trip of 7.5 hours (including stops and lunch).

Scouting the way with Uncle Paul (top).
At the summit with the cousins (bottom).

"I liked the walking sticks because they made me feel safe, except at the climbing part. You definitely need hiking shoes. Teiya did not have good ones and she got blisters. At one point, you had to walk along a thin stretch of black rocks. It was about 5 feet wide, and the angle that the rocks fell wasn't too steep, so if you slipped, you wouldn't hurt yourself.

At the top, there was a golden marker that was bent over. If you're scared of heights, the cliffs look like they will kill you, but if you're not scared of heights, then you'll be fine. If you are afraid of heights, you can only go 3/4 of the way, but it's so beautiful, it's worth it. The mountain is kind of like a mind game with yourself." - Venice


"I saw rocks through the window and then we threw rocks through the window. The window is a giant hole in the mountain.

I was scared near the top. If you're afraid of heights, you can only go to the cone. Anything farther and it starts to get a little scary." - Xander

The Window

"I'm proud that all the kids did really well on the hike. Everyone carried their own water, food, and supplies. No one complained and it was an amazing day all around.

I got really scared (panicked, really) at one point and didn't quite make it to the top. At the time, it made sense and I was happy with what I accomplished, I was ok not summiting. As when I was descending, the place where I panicked didn't seem so bad, so I'm definitely interested in trying again someday. " - Diana