Tryon Peak - a little less than what I had planned

I had planned to do a hike & bike combination from Ebbetts Pass to Tryon -, Highland - and Silver Peak, then drop down to Noble Canyon and State Route 4 and ride my bike (which I left there before the hike) back up to Ebbetts Pass. Quite a program for the little time I had today. Well, due to a combination of lack of fitness and underestimating the distance and elevation gain for this outing, I ran out of time and had to turn around before Highland Peak. Instead of also bagging Highland - and Silver Peak, I returned to Ebbetts Pass from Noble Lake via the PCT. Nevertheless a nice round trip, even though not quite as I planned it.

I start my hike at the turnout on top of Ebbetts Pass shortly after 8:15 AM. My plan is to walk up to Tryon Peak directly from the pass along the the extended northwest ridge. Judging from the map I thought it is a little more than 2.5 miles and an elevation gain of approximately 1150 ft. I think that I should manage to be on top of Tryon Peak in a little more than an hour. However, since this ridge has actually quite some ups and downs (the actual elevation gain is probably about 1600 ft) and my fitness still not the very best, it takes me almost two hours to get there. At this point I'm not too concerned that I wouldn't make it back to the car by 4PM and take a short break before I continue.

In order to not lose too much elevation, I decide not to hike down to Noble Lake, but try to follow the connecting ridge between Tryon and Highland Peak, bypassing P. 10082 in the relatively flat part of it's northwest flank at around 9400 ft to the saddle south of P. 9741 and then continue along the ridge there. However, the relatively flat part mentioned, has some tedious talus and scree, so annoying that I decide to do the extra elevation loss and gain anyway. I walk down to the PCT follow it for a short while and then take the Bull Canyon trail which takes me to the saddle south of P. 9471. I walk up to that point along its south ridge and follow the crest to its northern end.

At this point I'm almost 2 hours behind my schedule. Looking at the program ahead of me makes me think. Will I be able to do this in the remaining less than 4 hours? I'm only about half way, still a lot of elevation gain to go and almost all of it above 10'000 feet, and, at the end of the hike ride my bike for more than 5 miles about 2000 ft up to the pass? The realistic answer is no. Therefore, I take a rather lengthy break instead and enjoy the nice view from the crest of P. 9471 and then decide to walk back to Ebbetts Pass. In order to do that I hike back to the saddle south of P 9471, take the Bull Canyon trail to the PCT, walk to Noble Lake and along the PCT back to Ebbetts Pass.