The weather was beautiful, the flowers were prolific, and dozens of hikers showed up to summit the 2,152 meter Tod Mountain at the second annual Hike to Tod Peak with Nancy Greene.
Last summer, 12 hikers made the three to four hour trek from the top of the Sunburst Chair to the peak and back. This year, 80 people ranging in age from four to 85 took up the challenge and made it to the summit. In total, 355 people bought tickets to ride the chair and hike the Sun Peaks trails on that day.
“I think it was fantastic,” said Kevin Bendick, director of outside operations for Sun Peaks Resort, of the day. “The weather was the best it ever could have been for the event and I think people really enjoyed it. Highly successful, I think, just in the fact that last year we had 12 people summit versus 80 this year. It was super good.”
“We trekked from the top of the Sunburst Chairlift up through the stunning alpine blossoms on a beautiful day,” reported Nancy Greene. “Comments from the summiteers included: ‘Fantastic’, ‘Absolutely beautiful’, ‘I love the wildflowers’, ‘Words fall short.’”
Volunteer guides photographed the hikers as they made it to the top of Tod Mountain, and summiteers signed a log sheet to commemorate their achievement. Bendick said the log will be put it in a frame and displayed in the resort.
The route took hikers on the new Top of the World trail, across the west ridge trail to Tod Lake, and then on to the summit of Mt. Tod. The flowers are in full force at the top of the Sunburst, but haven’t made it to the top yet, so there are still weeks to go for viewing the alpine blossoms.
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