I eat breakfast quickly and gulp down a cranberry Emergen-C energy drink. I talk to my parents about what route we will be taking, from which side of the mountain, and what time we need to be at the summit. My parents tell me that we should summit no later than noon and that we will be coming up from the Williams Lake trail, taking the steeper an shorter, and not yet wholly finished trail up. Then we will go down to the Bull-of-the-Woods back to our car.
I set off into the cold morning with a light pack. At the first part of this amazing hike I am interested in an area where an avalanche struck. The trees are wiped out and only stumps remain, with wild flowers and grass growing in the scarred land. 2007 is my first time in the Rocky Mountains, I have never seen the trails of avalanches in the forest. The trail curls its way through the dense spruce woods to Williams Lake, where I spot wildlife like deer and ground hogs (which I would later discover to be marmots). From Williams Lake there is a steep hike to the summit. The trees thin out and the grassy peak of Mount Wheeler begins to appear. I am amazed by the beautiful scenery, there are huge snowfields with alpine flowers, grasses. and many fuzzy marmots scavenge the hills in search of some grubs or foliage. In the distance, mountain goats are visible, some of them outlined against the brilliant blue sky. I trudge on and across a snowfield; it amazes me how the snow can withstand the blazing sun during the summer days. My parents spend some time to drink water while my brother, Daniel, and I decide to build our first summer snowman. A hundred yards below the summit, I see my brother's pace begin to quicken. He passes me and I realize he is trying to summit before me. I quicken my pace as well and before I realize we are racing to the top. When I finally reach the summit, I am winded. My parents come up a little while after us and we all enjoy sandwiches and Gatorade. After enjoying the beautiful views from the 13,000 foot mountain, we start to descend into the Bull-of-the-Woods trail to our car. Behind us, a seemingly peaceful cloud begins to erupt like a volcano, representing the unpredictability of high mountain weather. We hurry as to not get caught in the violent storm. Once we reach the car, I hope to never forget this hike. With the grassy slopes and abundant wildlife, I really enjoyed Mount Wheeler, New Mexico's state highpoint.
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