Stebbins Cold Canyon - Hiking

We got up early to be at Stebbins by 7:30am to beat the heat and the crowd. We succeeded at both! We had most of the front side to ourselves, which made climbing the stairs a little easier. Then we encountered a few more people on the backside. The trail is well-marked and very easy to follow. It was also very dry and, as usual, lots of rock hopping. We decreased the amount of time it took us to complete the loop by nearly an hour. Neither of us believed the time on my phone was accurate when we finished. lol

I took my hiking poles and wore my Asolo boots to see if my knees would be in better shape for the descent. Nope! Maybe the boots are too heavy or perhaps it was because I haven't worn them hiking in awhile as I've opted for lighter weight most of the time. The scar I have on my foot was protected by mole skin but I also thinking the more solid boot helped with that. It's all about finding the balance. Speaking of balance, I think yoga has helped me with the rock hopping a lot. But now I need a little more strength to protect my knees.

Here's the route: