An August Trek in the Rain

Trying to embrace the final days of summer in the Pacific Northwest, my hiking buddy and I headed up to Mt. Pilchuck for our second hike of the season (we're busy girls, hard to get much hiking time into one very short summer season in the PNW). I had plans on Saturday, so we went on Sunday. I loaded my day pack with all the necessary equipment, the all important lunch, Swiss army knife, sun screen, loads of water, and a couple extra layers for warmth in case it got chilly later. I stepped out into the morning sun and caught the bus up to Bothell to meet my friend.

Donning sunglasses and flip flops (hiking boots in the pack), it never occurred to me that the weather would be any different. After all, Saturday was sunny and in the 80's, the perfect August day.

Mt Pilchuck's 2100 foot elevation gain is a much easier hike than Mt Si's 3700 foot elevation gain. The guidebook describes it as a gradual climb, "no more difficult than climbing your stairs at home." Yeah, all 3 miles up. My four story walk up to my apartment barely prepared me for the rock scrambling climb. I wouldn't exactly say it was the 'grandma hike' the guidebook practically described, but I definitely was able to keep up with my friend this time and got a plenty good workout.

The last bit was the toughest. Some descending climber made the comment as he passed by "you're almost there!" Unless that lookout tower is around the very next bend, I don't want to hear the phrase, "you're almost there." Like telling a child in the car that you're almost there, you don't do it until you're pulling into the driveway. The "false summit" is the worst.

By the time we reached the top, scrambling over the boulders, the rain drops began to fall. Rain drops? Are you kidding me? It was totally sunny with stellar views just a few short steps below. The wind suddenly picked up, rain drops became bigger and more dense and I swear I felt snow flakes as we monkeyed our way up the slick, metal ladder to the lookout tower. Apparently, I was clearly the only hiker who failed to check the weather report before setting out for a day hike. I quickly climbed into my layers of long-sleeved warmth, while everyone else slid into their rain gear. Yeah, I had weather amnesia. Two whole days of sunshine and I forgot where I lived. August 24th. Only those of us in Seattle, and maybe Alaska, would think of the possibility of rain-cold rain- on August 24th.

We grazed on our lunches, luckily under the shelter of the lookout tower, took in the foggy socked in views and began our descent down the mountain. Down the mountain is always trickier than up. No one ever admits this. No one ever talks about it. But going down, for me, is actually more difficult. A prior foot injury and knee surgery makes going down more work. At one point I actually had to stop part way, remove my boot, and wait for the pain to subside under the dry protection of a tree branch. I told my partner to go ahead, don't wait, I'll be fine. This is normal for me. She looked at me drenched in her rain slicker. Unsure of what to do. I waved her off. She turned and continued onward. Not two minutes passed when I looked up and saw her coming back toward me trudging through the rain and mud. "I can't just leave you here in the hopes you make it down eventually!" she says. Awww, what a friend. On a trail as populated as that one, I'm sure I would have found some kind soul to assist me if necessary. However, nice to know what a great friend, and hiking buddy, she makes. Note to self: invest in hiking poles.

When choosing the trail for this weekend's hike, she had suggested Mt. Pilchuck or Mailbox Peak. Mailbox Peak? Mailbox Peak is a grind. At 4000 foot elevation gain, I swear it begins straight out of the parking lot. You step out of your car and start UP and it just keeps going, without any views what-so-ever, until you finally reach the top. At such point the views are incredible. I think you can see Kansas or something. I did Mailbox when I was in my hiking (and fitness) prime, twice even. I'm in no way ready for Mailbox today. Maybe with a few more hikes under my belt this year, I'll be ready for Mailbox before winter. We'll see.

As for today, I went to yoga to give my rubbery legs a good stretching and cool down from yesterday's workout. Hurray for yoga.