First hike underway, I should summit in about 3 hours

I made it to the summit of Guadalupe peak, the ceiling of Texas. I had my first ever encounter with a diamondback rattle snack. It surprised me on the trail about half way up with that signature rattle. I yielded the right of way and thanked him for the kind warning as he passed within 10 ft of me and we both went on our way. FYI this mountain is not for the light of heart.

All packed and ready to go. You may notice these two furry creatures appear in some of my pics. Rest easy, I told my kids since they couldn't travel with me that I would take along something of theirs every step of my journey to be a constant reminder of them.