A day without a pending thunderstorm is always a plus when hiking up to any destination at the top of Lumpy Ridge. Instead we had some intense sun as we hiked across the fields above MacGregor Ranch and headed for the gully next to Sundance Buttress. At the base of the gully, we realized we still had about 1500 feet to go - this was going to be steep. As we reached the first rock walls, the path took us through this enormous cave, large enough for all to take a break on the way back down later.
We finally finished zigzagging our way up the gulley and reached the saddle with the Needles on either side of us. Our first ascent was the eastern Needle, which is the tallest. Just a little scramble and we were there.
After lunch at the saddle, we did a quick climb of the next Needle. More great granite, and more dramatic dropoffs. The more I hike around Lumpy Ridge, the more I am intrigued. It is so different than any other area of the park, formed by uplift and not glaciated. Domes of granite pop up everywhere, inviting you to scramble around like a kid.
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