Cloud Peak, 13180 feet/4017.3 meters, Cloud Peak Wilderness, Wyoming

This is one of top3 toughest dayhikes in my experience. 

15.5 hours hike total (7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) for 23 miles with 5337 feet/1627 meters elevation gain. Last 5 miles of rock hopping is no joke. 

But... come on, the rewarding way surpasses the hardship. The view is incredible. 

Actually when we started we were not intending to summit cloud peak. We planned a  rather moderate day hike to the Florence pass. When we reached the bottom of the Florence pass at Mystic lake, it was only 10 a.m. and the Cloud peak became visible. That's the time when we decided to go to Cloud Peak.

Lake Helen

Actually there were already so many great scenery and moments before reaching the Mystic lake. Lake Helen was gorgeous reflecting mountains. Really nice morning peace was there. 

pika

Another thing I need to mention is wonderful wildlife sightings. Along the Lake Helen shore, there was a cute pika. Now late August, they were busy stocking up hay for winter. Many pika were hidden in the talus: we knew because they say "peeee!" a lot even though we didn't see them. 

bull moose

There were two bull moose before reaching Mystic lake. They like to eat willows in the cloud peak wilderness. It seemed that the valley had a lot of willows and moose eat them. 

 

Mystic Lake

Mystic lake is another beautiful lake. Many people camp here and climb to Cloud peak on the next day. After Mystic lake, there is no official trail but well established social trail continues until the boulder section begins. It was piece a cake until there. Route finding is not difficult even in the talus. Just tedious to do rock hopping for 2.5 miles to the top and 2.5 miles down. Especially the last 500 feet climb was tough for me due to altitude. I was not completely acclimatized. 

Half way of the boulder section, the view gets more and more dramatic. High mountains lakes were coming into the vision as you see in the left picture. Lakes are so dramatic. Color is amazing. 

view from summit

Around 3 p.m. we reached the summit! Oh my. I was at the top of vertical glacier! The bottom of it are two different colors of lakes. INCREDIBLE. Bonus points for just us at the summit!

bull

On the way back, we saw another bull whose velvet was just off (left picture). It was my first time seeing bull of freshly velvet-off antlers. 

female moose

Then another female moose we spotted. She was in the lake (right picture). After an hour or so, we started using headlamp to hike. That part I have to confess I didn't enjoy. We were very tired and no more view :(  Glad we made it to the trailhead at 10:30 p.m.