Leader: Jerry Russom
Asst.: Bob and Betty Loveland
Seventeen climbers met in Horse Trail campground at 8:00 a.m., determined to prove that Liebre Mountain is more desirable as a walk-up rather than a drive-up. The climb was steady but not demanding, and the excellent trail led to the top in two hours. All 17 signed in and immediately dropped below the crest of the ridge out of the wind for lunch.
With a cloud deck at 6,000 feet, a strong current of wind at every exposed place, and a temperature of 53°, we were soon on our way down. Expert planning resulted in the group reaching their cars as the first drops of our subsequent 40 inches of rain began to fall.
This type of non-demanding single-peak hike resulted from an earlier evaluation of our overall climbing schedule. There must be many who prefer a low gear experience not associated with extreme fatigue or an extensive early-to-late period of time. There was time on this hike to discuss the trees and wildlife of the area and to evaluate climbing and resting procedures as well as to establish productive conversations with others in the group.
