Sturgill Peak was the destination of the first official peak hike in 2009 for the IMR club. The original plan had been to go out on June 6th, hike, then come back and camp for the night. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. There was a brief break in the weather for Sunday, so we headed out for just a day hike.

Before leaving for the hike Frog (our trip organizer) had scouted out conditions and let us in on the fact that a week earlier there was an infestation of Mormon Crickets. This presents a problem to enjoyable hiking in that the keep moving and can cover the path in front of you. It’s not the most beautiful sound, crunching under your feet. Thankfully, none came out to play while we were there. The hike started out ahead of the old campground along Mann’s Creek. The forest service road is the direct route and was a bit on the moist side thanks to the week of rain. As we followed the road there were plenty of wildflowers to photograph and enjoy.

Once we passed the halfway point, the road became much more steep and we had a great view of Hitt Mountain. Hitt Mountain was previously a ski area, but there were no signs it was still open. Finally we came around that last corner and the lookout tower at Sturgill Peak came into view. We gathered that last burst of energy to summit that challenging last 400 feet to the top. Once there, the view was worth the effort.

Sturgill Peak watch tower sits at an altitude of 7589 feet above sea level. We had hiked 7 miles and a total gain of 3000 feet, so we took this chance to rest and have some lunch. Well, I didn’t eat, I had photos to take! The temperature was a comfortable 55 at the top, and a bit windy. There are plenty of radio towers as well, though clearly none were intended to give a good cell signal. Oh well, it’s nice to unplug from time to time (so I hear).

After about 30 minutes we set off to get back to the base. The descent took just shy of two hours. The sun had come out and the heating had begun. When we reached the truck and started for home, guess what we saw? Mormon Crickets in the streets. So glad they were napping earler! I will be back, next time with more friends and a tent.

Now a Video of the adventure

Tjd
– Post From My iPhone