Ob Hill.

Living in Colorado has created in me a deep love for hiking and climbing mountains. The rush of being on top of a mountain peak after miles of aching quads is so exhilarating, yet so calming.

So when I saw the hiking options around McMurdo, I was thrilled. There are certainly no 14ers around here, but there are some great hikes with incredible views. I did the Arrival Heights Loop my second day here, which was awesome. Last night I opted for the summit of Observation (Ob) Hill:



The beginning of the trail

 I couldn't find the trailhead at first, but I could see the trail, so I climbed under some big scary pipes to get there. At first I thought that I was being a really bad employee and trespassing all over the place, but then I found out that you actually do have to go under (or over) the pipes to get to the start. So then I didn't feel bad.

So, here's a chronicle of my hike.



About the halfway point



Stopping to take in the scenery



The summit.



"You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you." (Nehemiah 9:6)



I also got to experience my first "sun dog"! A sun dog is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates kind of a halo around the sun, with light on the edges of it. Our trusty friend Wikipedia has more info on it if you're interested. :) I got some awesome photos of it though.

Pretty awesome. I did a little editing to make the sun dog more dramatic, but the originals are up on facebook.

Peace, love & dawgs.