Griffith Peak via Rainbow - 7/10/12

                     Marble, the dog, joins AtBF on their Super Tuesday Hike.

Mike OC reports in for today's hike with these words, "Six guys and Marble." Marble lives somewhere in the Rainbow area and has joined the club on hikes before as they climbed up through the residential neighborhood.

She was there to greet us as we arrived at the trailhead--Marble Irene Kent, AKA Marble the Wonder Dog.  She stayed with us for the entire five hours.  She scampered up the precipitous Harris Peak Trail, blazed the trail up to Griffith Peak and completed the loop by leading us back down the South Loop Trail to our cars.  We pet her, nourished her and slaked her thirst.  She never whined; she never barked.  Marble literally ran circles around us the entire day.  She chased any creature that moved.  We labored; she frolicked.  We did 10.5 miles; she did 25.  She was our daylong companion.  We were six men and a dog.

This particular hike climbs up through Rainbow to the ridge between Griffith and Harris Peaks. Here, a right turn onto the Harris Springs Trail is taken. The hike proceeds up through the "cliff area" and circles around Griffith Peak with views of Lovell Canyon. After climbing the peak on the regular approach trail, hikers descend using the South Loop Trail and crossing over to Rainbow using the Rainbow Loop Trail. It is a ten mile loop hike with 3500 feet of elevation gain.