Today we did our second training hike up Mt. Defiance. This time it was Matt, Keevn, Aimee, her dag Kala and me. We figured out that our last hike was actually up Starvation Ridge (No. 414 via 414b) instead of Mt. Defiance (No. 413) The beginning was much easier this time when we went up the correct trail.
I used my new trekking poles and they made a world of difference. We left Portland at 4 am so we'd be back in time for the Superbowl. We topped out at 10 am after 4 1/2 hours, 2 of which were in snow. It was a perfect weather day, light wind, sunny and not too cold.