Last Sunday was a beautiful day for a day hike. We opted to hike Excelsior Peak via this route because it was more difficult. My husband and I are moderate hikers who are trying to challenge ourselves to do more difficult hikes.
This trail is difficult; there are steep staircases, loose rocks, and one downed tree. I allowed a friend to borrow my trekking poles for a different hike (MISTAKE!). Some of the steps were almost too tall for my 5'5'' frame and you can see where people have created their own paths to walk around. Between the big steps and the loose rock, having trekking poles would have been helpful when navigating the trail. Although we are hikers who tend to go for moderate trails, we were able to go slow and make it to the peak.
We started our hike at 5:50 am and there were already 3 other cars in the parking lot. We reached the pass by 9:30 am and the peak by 10:00 am. We returned to the car by 1:20 pm. There is some discrepancy around mileage. This entry says 7.8 miles round trip to the pass and back but the kiosk at the trailhead said 9 miles round trip. My husband's very inaccurate phone tracking app said 3 miles (It wasn't 13 miles).
The spur to the peak is 0.8 miles round trip from the pass, so we hiked anywhere between 8.6 miles to 9.8 miles (or maybe 13 according to Curtis).
Bugs were feasting. Along the section of the trail below the tree line, there were only a few bugs. The bugs were present once you were above the treeline. A combination of black flies and mosquitos. Bring bug spray and wear long sleeves.
There are still a few wildflowers hanging around. I wouldn't expect to see them in the next week or so. There aren't good places to filter water. I brought 4 liters and drank 3.
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