"9.10.19 Charleston Peak #82. (17th time this year matching my all time record in one year) 13.5 miles, 5,000’ gain, 5:51hrs total including :12min on the summit. Took the Cathedral Rock/Upper Little Falls Ridge mountaineer ascent to the south ridge/SLT. Then Old SLT Down. Maia joined me so I could show her this amazing secret route. One of my Favs. She is tapering for a 100 mile race so we parted ways at the ridge. After my trip and fall and gruesome thumb injury on my last summit, I had to get back on the horse before I become afraid of trail running. Today I had high knees and good form but I took my time and kept it slower running down as to not take a chance on hurting my injury while it’s healing. Cold & windy today. Flowers are dying and the meadows are turning brown. Winter is Coming. Or at least Fall." — paula.raimondi • Sep 10, 2019

"9.6.19 Charleston Peak #81 (16th this year) w/Maia. Via Big Falls class 3 (and 2) ascent. Winter Mountaineer ridge and cliff bands variation (skipping the airplane gully.) 13 miles, 5,400’, 5:39hrs total starting at Echo TH and NLT descent. This is a special, unique and scenic route very few ever see. It’s challenging and rewarding. I was honored to guide Maia for her 1st time so she can see how spectacular it is. I had a few navigational errors. One on the cliffs which was almost class 4 and a short spell in the thickets. Our Mountain Bromance has been so epic! I’ve enjoy every moment. I did take a crash downhill and tweaked my thumb and bashed my knee but I’m ok. Only my pride (and maybe my thumb, which bent in a weird direction) were seriously damaged. " — paula.raimondi • Sep 6, 2019

"Yet again! I knew it would be a zoo up there this weekend, so went to my fave place to not see people ;-) It was still very warm up there, nary a hint of fall crispness, even at 10,000 ft. I saw no one until coming back down Bristlecone Trail for the last mile. And let me tell ya, it was a complete sh*t show for that last mile. Dogs running loose all over the place, a trail runner barreling down the trail not yielding to uphillers, not saying "excuse me" & blaring music, girl scout troops & people everywhere. But the worst was a guy carrying his hiking supplies in a plastic grocery bag who threw his granola bar wrapper down on the ground right in front of me. I just picked it up, shook my head while giving him the stink eye & kept moving...ugh!" — StudioHoodoo • Sep 1, 2019

"8.31.19 Charleston Peak #80 w/Maia. Big Loop, 16 miles, 5,300’ gain, 6:01hrs. 3:27hrs up, :17 min on the summit, down in 2:17hr. TC➡️NLT➡️Devils Thumb➡️Old SLT➡️Hwy. I had the pleasure of showing @maiabirdygoat Devils Thumb. I took her on my own variation of the route I call “climb through the tree tunnel”....She invited me for a Mtn workout this morning. I was beat up from Whitney but that’s irrelevant. (Peer pressure is a good thing when you love mountains.) I threw myself into a hot bath, rolled out my legs with my bakery rolling pin and went to meet her. I was super tired from Yesterday’s Mt Whitney Summit, so I let her go after we did the Summit so I could do the “tired legs scamper”...and she could run. Thank you Maia! I adore you. Congrats on your 1st DT ascent. It was masterful. " — paula.raimondi • Aug 31, 2019

"We went out intending two things: grab Armagosa Overlook, Peak 10010, and Divide Peak, and get a good hike at elevation to keep us in shape for our Mt. Elbert hike this time next week. We definitely accomplished the second goal, and as Meatloaf would say, "two out of three ain't bad" for getting our peaks. First problem was Ken and I hadn't discussed which order we were doing the peaks in: I thought one way, he thought the other way. Oops. ^^; Second problem: I didn't realize there was a use-trail that branched off from Upper Bristlecone trail that would have taken us up the backside into the correct wash, so instead we climbed up and over. Ooops. ^^; After that, though, it wasn't bad: there was a pretty decent use-trail up Peak 10010 (which is apparently 10018' above sea level?) that continued all along the ridge line to Armagosa Overlook. Apparently we didn't find the overlook per se, but we walked past it all along the highest curve of the topo and ridge line, so... I think that counts. We went higher than it. Grr. The path definitely went all the way to the end where we sat and ate lunch and enjoyed a nice view of Pahrump, along with Clinton, Regan, and Charleston peaks. Crazy..." — psychikingjes • Aug 24, 2019