Mt. Neva Loop Via 4th of July Trail

I finally got out for a nice hike the other day. Mt. Neva Loop via 4th of July Trail.

It had been over a year, probably since Switzerland in September 2023, since I’d really hiked. Last winter I skied, and this summer all I did was trail run. We moved into our house June 1, and with so much work to do, I didn’t feel like I had the time to spend out on long hikes. Trail running by contrast was a way to get outdoors and get a workout.

But last week my girlfriend gave me the all clear that it’s time to get out and explore.

Saturday she spent the night camped out in her truck at a dirk bike park 90 minutes from our house. She was volunteering to help man a checkpoint for a race on Sunday, and all 40+ volunteers got together the night before, to get to know each other over a pasta dinner and a fire. She left work early Saturday and spent all day Sunday working at the park. Seeing her do that was the sign I needed to make some time for myself in the mountains.

This trail was recommended to me by my physical therapist. He used this trail to get to Lake Caribou, where he spent a couple of nights camped out with friends.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to camp, or even make it up to Mt. Neva and finish the loop. By the time I got to the scramble to Mt. Neva, the weather had taken a turn. Huge gusts of wind and sleet started falling, so I made the decision to turn back. I didn’t have the gear or food to take a chance on a route I was unfamiliar with. And I was worried that if I got lost (like I already had 2x before that day), I’d run out of daylight. So, I did the smart thing and turned back.

I told my girlfriend I stopped and asked myself, “did I get what I needed out this hike?” The answer was yes, and so I turned around to head home.

But I enjoyed every minute of the 4+ hours I spent out here. Everywhere I turned were beautiful views. Mountains, forests, valleys, and peaks were all around. And the leaves had already started to turn. On the way back I ran into a group of four moose. It was raining heavy by this point and we stood and stared at each other for a while. The trail felt magical, and I can’t wait to be out there again.

Here are some pictures (in chronological order) so you can see what to expect.