Fri, Jun 11 2010 - Mount Yonah afterwork picnic, sunset & stargazing hike (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Tony C, Nancy L Participants: Tony C, Nancy L, Larry Cooper, Clay White, Steve H, mh185094, Jim, voimama, Christy Dyer, Dan A, Jay G, Melanie Dixon, Brad

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Write Up:
This was the first time we've tried Mount Yonah as an afterwork hike and it worked out well...we managed to leave the carpool at 5:45 and took our first steps on the trail at 7:15...that gave us about 90 min before sunset and we only really needed just over an hour to get up to the upper west face of the mountain. 

A little rainstorm ended right before we got up there...perfect timing because it really cooled everything off.   But we charged up the trail...took the mandatory break at the lower overlook but besides that, it was a steady climb and a challenging but reasonable pace.  

We made it up there with plenty of light and about 25 min before sunset time.  So we used that to take turns posing at the very photogenic rock outcropping....several were up for it and then we settled in to enjoy our self-catered picnic and enjoy the show.  The sun dropped right behind Blood Mountain and then the sky appropriately blazed crimson, before finally fading and the night sky creeping in.

It was near a new moon and we did a little stargazing...Venus was low in the western sky and easy to pick out....we didn't know many constellations but still looked beautiful all the same.   So it was yet another fun day trip to Yonah...hopefully many more in the (near) future....

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