Day 4 on the W Trail: Conquered the Tough Part: Grey Lake Lookout and Paine Grande Peaks in the Distance.
I conquered the toughest part of the hike! From here on out, the trails are a bit smoother. There are still ups and downs, but I don't have to be a mountain goat anymore. I'm 200 feet (60 meters) above sea level (at the edge of Grey Lake) and 1 hour and 17 minutes from the Grey Refuge and its wonderful pisco sours, hot shower, dinner, and a bed. I hiked 10.4 miles (16.77 km) today in total. I can see the Grey Lake Lookout 820 feet (250 meters) up that hill, where I was two hours ago, and just beyond that, the peaks of Paine Grande (10,007 feet or 3,050 meters). The descent was challenging and slow since the trail is along a stream, the rocks are slippery and wet, and I'm carrying my 50-liter (13.20-gallon) backpack.