Route: leaving the car about 6 very slow miles, on lovely smooth but twisting roads, beyond the 9,000ft altitude tiny town of Ward, at the Mitchell Lake carpark ($11 per car to enter the park). Taking the Mt Audubon Trail from the corner of the carpark and following this first along a level path through trees, then gaining altitude in zigzags with the trees thinning and fine views over the valley. Eventuallly climbing onto a higher plateau, passing a fork in the trail and continuing on rougher stony but clear paths across more desolate landscape, gaining further altitude eventually to reach a shoulder about 500m from the summit. Picking a tricky route through boulders (and with a worryingly high heart rate) to the summit to the sound of occasional claps of thunder. After a brief pause, returning the same way with the rain now increasing to full on Cumbrian weather.
Critters: (seen) lots and lots of pikas, one or two marmots and deer on the descent
Pub: the Upslope Brewery at Lee Hill Drive for Upslope, Blood Orange Saison, India Pale Ale and some nachos with a hot green sauce.
