I finally found a way for me to hike faster than Steve - put a 70 lb pack on him and hike Cardiac Hill.

It was 1000 feet elevation gain in one mile and boy, it was a heck of a climb! There was a lot to look at along this part of the trail: nice views, abundant wildflowers, and pikas when we reached the boulder sections, but there were also mosquitoes that would congregate when I stopped, so I kept plodding away.