"I didn't manage to #optoutside on Black Friday this year because I was travelling from TX back to AZ after a very nice holiday with my family; was too tired after the flights to even go stomp out a local peak I've already done. Thankfully (and I am very grateful), my hiking partner was just up the road from me visiting his family for the holiday, and was more than willing to let me grab him for a great, easy, all-trail conditioning hike in Flagstaff. It's about a 2, 2.5 hour drive for me from my home base up to Flagstaff (depending on the area), and I had my eye on Elden Mountain as a good workout hike for a day when I wanted some elevation but not to go stomping around off-trail and bushwhacking. I got on the road from PHX at 5:15 AM, had my hiking partner in the vehicle from his base at 6:15-6:20 AM, and we were at the trailhead a little after 7:30 AM. It was chilly - about 25°F right after sunrise. We were bundled up, but (intelligently) didn't have our down puffy jackets on when we started. The trailhead was deserted; the lot only held one other vehicle when we started. (By the time we got back, it was parked 3 rows full!) We did the traditional Elden Mountain route from the Fa..." — psychikingjes • Nov 27, 2021

"Bag all the peaks! Trying out some inserts in my hiking boots to solve some sore feet problems, also decided to push my speed to see how fast I could make a steep hike like this. My first solo hike in a while." — wazoheat • Oct 14, 2021

"The day before this “summit” <cough>, I hit Elden via the Elden Lookout trail and between the altitude and altitude gain, I was wiped by the time I got back to the KOA. So the next morning I drove up the Elden Lookout road from the east and parked near the intersection of the 557 service road, right in sight of the peak of Mt. Elden, in all its microwave-transmitting glory. I walked the spur forest road, past TV Hill, and down towards the Devils Chair overlook and Devil’s head high point. The walk was a nice one and looking north, I could see the San Francisco peaks towering over the landscape, with Agassiz peak providing the stunning focus of the scene, complete with patches of snow still at the top. At this point it was easy to forget that town and civilization lay a mere mile south of me. I seriously could have sat there in that alpine meadow all day and just soaked it all in. But I had peaks to conquer. Important peaks. So I continued on the road as it descended from TV hill and then up to the top of Devils Hill. I spent a little time looking around and afterwards, I headed back down the road, took a detour out to see the Devils Chair overlook, which was cool, and then..." — lawrencebaker • Jun 18, 2017