Highland Peak

Highland Peak was the one that finally humbled me. At 10,936 feet near Ebbetts Pass, it doesn't sound intimidating on paper, but the approach is much longer and far more off-trail than anything I'd attempted before — miles on the PCT to Noble Lake, then scree and talus with barely a path to follow. On my first attempt, I ran out of water right at the false summit and had to turn around. I just wasn't prepared for how much this peak demanded.

I came back better prepared — more water, a better sense of the route, and a clearer head about what off-trail travel on loose rock actually takes out of you. The second attempt went far more smoothly, and I made it to the true summit this time. If I look genuinely thrilled in these photos, it's because I was — after turning back once, actually standing on top felt like more than just reaching a summit. Highland Peak taught me something I needed to learn: a peak doesn't have to be one of the tallest to be one of the hardest. I don't take a hike for granted anymore just because it doesn't sound like a big one.