You remember me saying I was going on a hike with my folks and uncle? Well, this hike was no ordinary hike... As we hiked down the mountain, uncle told us that Mailbox Peak, the trail we hiked, is one of the hardest hikes in Washington State.
4,000+ elevation.
Here's what happened:
HELLACIOUS HIKE
At first, I was excited. My uncle had never hiked Mailbox Peak before as well as me and the folks. We thought it would be the best challenge yet! 4,000 elevation!!! My uncle told the parents and I how people said Mailbox Peak was a killer. I thought he was exaggerating! Every time my uncle says a hike will be tough, it isn't.
My uncle wasn't exaggerating about this hike... He was under-exaggerating...
Prior to heading onto the trail, we came across a sign. My uncle read that the paramedics are frequently called to Mailbox Peak from people struggling. I thought to myself, "Ah, those people weren't in great shape like us!"
I would be proven wrong. Even the strong struggled.
My mom isn't in the best of shape. However, she isn't obese. She's been losing weight since she started up running. I'm very proud of her for her accomplishments, but when it came to Mailbox Peak, she had a hard time... I had a hard time, too. I don't run or exercise very much, yet I am in shape. But this trail made me its BITCH... I felt like an 80 year old with Arthritis.
The trail was almost vertical. Once you began to head upwards, it didn't give you a break. It was a knees-to-chest hike. You had to pull yourself up using trees, roots and twigs. For balance, you either had to sit down or hug a tree.
My dad and uncle went ahead of me and mom. Mom and I were too slow for them. We rested often, trying to catch our breaths, and drank some liquids. Before Mailbox Peak, I rarely took breaks on our hikes. I'd zoom up the mountain and back down. Piece of cake!!
Mailbox Peak changed that routine...
The flies bit, the mosquitoes swarmed and the elevation climbed.
It took mom and I to reach dad and uncle two hours. They were sitting on top of a rock mound. We joined them and surveyed what surrounded us. It was unbelievably gorgeous. I snapped pictures, ate my lunch, and then we all headed down the face.
I presumed going down would be easier. We could practically roll down it, it was that diagonal. Yet that didn't happen. Day gradually became night. Light gradually became dark. A limbo of turn-to-turn motion would drive the sane bonkers. My knees tightened, my legs shook, and I finally popped. I cried the entire way. The pitch blackness terrified me, the constant zig-zag pulled my strings, and the agonizing pain my body suffered put me 17 years back. I was a child again; wailing for the aches to stop and wanting to be home.
The feeling of not being able to give up is excruciating. I have never felt like that before. I wasn't able to click my heels three times and suddenly zap into my house - I had to keep moving.
The whole hike took us 5-6 hours to complete.
When we managed to make it to the bottom, I almost collapsed. It was a Godsend. During the decent, I believed we were dead. I thought we were in Hell... I figured that's what Hell is - relentless pain and flawless anguish. You pray for an ending, but there isn't one.
We rushed to the car. Our energy was rejuvenated! We were free!!!! When we put away our backpacks and accessories, we hopped into the car and drove home. We were mountain men and women. We were dirty, sweaty and terribly tired.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it to the top of the mountain. We had 15 more minutes to go, but time was inevitable. Next time, we'll plan to hike Mailbox Peak in the morning. Next time, we'll conquer it.
After we unpacked everything from the car to the house, the folks and I showered our stiff bodies and fell right to sleep. I was too drained to put on clothes. I slept butt-naked and I didn't care who noticed.
What an unforgettable journey Mailbox Peak was. I don't know if I can claim it a fun hike YET. I'll just say it was memorable.
Before I share pictures, I want to sing a little song for y'all. It's a song I made up to the tune of "Comin' Around The Mountain." I sang this song in my head as I ascended the brutal beast. It went something like this:
"Oh, she's comin' around the mountain, here she comes! Oh, she's comin' around the mountain here she comes!! Man, this trail is uh-bitchin' but I know I won't be hitchin'. Oh, she's comin' around the mountain, here she comes!"
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