chugach ress: Bagging Bold

     So a friend had the Serenity Falls hut rented for the evening of the 5th and I decided it would be a good opportunity to attempt Bold peak. The plan was to bike in after work in the evening since daylight would allow, sleep at the hut then climb and possibly bike out the next day or camp out if we were too tired/lazy. Fl-ahoney, the new downstairs tenant, was itching to see the backcountry so he came with.
     We biked in under a raindrop here and there, but overall dry. The cabin host must have bailed because no one was there, maybe because of the rain on the 4th. I was tired from work and went to bed. We got up the next morning, ate some breakfast and biked to the trailhead, stashed the bikes and started hiking. We ditched our non-essentials at the base of the creek leading up. Mosquitos were thick. The trail was easily traced up to Stiver's Gully and so the talus/scree ascent began.
     The ascent was alright: lots of scree and talus littered with uniquely colored rocks and dispersed wildflowers (a good variety), evidence of a sheep carcass but no skull for a prize. The creek near the top was a nice water break. We ran into a group who had camped up higher the night before, they said it had snowed at the top. Snow in July, I love it. The hand-rope section was thrilling but would be more so on the way down(my fear of heights). There was a super-serene oasis of plant life and wildflowers above the gully where I could have just sat and been content looking at something other than rock, but we came for the summit.
     Did I mention there is a lot of rock? We continued up the described route in the 50 hikes book without issue, just starting to feel the vertical in our legs. Once on the summit ridge it was no problem. I appreciated the broad peak, it allowed for some rest without perching. Clouds were high enough to allow for good views. It was considerably cooler than down below and there was a steady wind. Low clouds came and went. Sheep were visible down below. Views of the big Chugach peaks were humbling, as well as glaciers, rivers and dramatic relief in general.
     The descent was quick and easy, skiing down on scree, glacading? on some long snow patches considering it's July. We decided it would be nice to make it back that night so we biked back to the car with a tailwind and clearing skies. A great conclusion after a successful hike.