Super Angie...100 degree hiking

Today we went hiking to train for climbing Mt. Fuji, which we will climb next week in Japan. After researching that mountain, we decided climbing Mt. Olympus would be best for our training. We left our house at 6am and got to the trail head at 7am. The climb was still in the shadow because the sun hadn't come over the mountain yet, so we enjoyed that A LOT!!
Here I am...ready to hit the trail!

We like to follow the mountaineering skills Rick has learned from his various guides, so we only stop once every 45-60 minutes. This really makes your hiking more efficient. Here I am at our of our stops. Drink and eat and back on the trail in 5 minutes.
We made REALLY good time, hiking 1400 feet an hour. Our trip to the top took only 4 hours, including our rest stops! Not bad. I also practiced my Mt. Rainier glacier walking skills--no glacier here of course, but very steep!
Yes, I'm strong! I made it through the steepest part. I have learned more about controlling my asthma and how to push my body.
Great views are we hiked. It was simply gorgeous. I loved the different plants and trees. We even saw cactus.
Kind of dark, but here I am sitting at an outcropping at the saddle.
The last 600 feet is class 3 rock climbing. It was so much fun to scramble up it. I pull some sweet moves!
On the summit giving a big thumbs up!
Coming down...it was really hard coming down. Once we got out of the lush green and the tall shade trees, we had to walk through 105 degree heat with very little shade. I was very emotional and ran out of water. Learned a lot on this hike and know better what food I want to take on Fuji. It was a FABULOUS day spent with my biggest supporter...Rick. He was awesome today. He supported me and encouraged me the whole way. He also pushed me and I pushed him. Despite the heat, it only took us 2 1/2 hours to get down!

Thanks baby! I had a blast!!!
--Super Angie