Stay on Offense Climb Mountains

Attacking Adversity

Go Hiking If You Want To Feel Young Again

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Climbing a mountain every week is certainly not a comfortable way to spend one of your two weekend days. It would be much more comfortable to take in a movie or go to the beach. Mountains are steep. The uneven terrain challenges your muscles.

The Season

My hiking season begins the first of March and ends either at the end of August or September. The reason it might end in August varies. By the end of the summer it has taken its toll on my body. Every weekend no matter the weather or how tired I might be the night before, I head up the trail. It isn’t easy doing it every week.

One Sunday morning I sat in the car listening to the rain pelt the hood and really not wanting to get out of that nice warm space. But then I remind myself of one of the reasons I do it. To feel younger!

Be Bold – Begin It

Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and magic in it.”

Once my feet are on the ground and I am heading up the trail I feel like a twenty year old. Someone said my breathing resembles a stove pipe. Maybe it is because of Asthma I suffered as a child. Every once in a while I will wheeze if I push myself particularly hard, but the noise makes me feel like I am a train chugging along. Maybe it is an old smoke belching train, but still powerful. It might even keep the bugs away.

Of course when the hike is finished I feel that surge of youth again. Like “magic.” I did it one more time. I am still vital and strong. It combats those thoughts that older people have telling them that they should act their age or that they shouldn’t be doing such and such at their age.

Yes, hiking makes me feel younger, but it also keeps me physically younger as well. So all you chronologically “older” people get out in nature while you still can and go hiking!

Go Hiking And Your Legs Might Get Sore

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Soreness is guaranteed if you are my age, but I have heard younger folks complain about sore legs too. Of course we all get sore and for some the soreness will last several days. So what can you do about it besides stoically accept it as part of the territory. After all, some of us search out the “burners” just so our legs will hurt.

Stretch

Well, you don’t have to be so defenseless, go on offense. Do some stretching. I highly recommend the Kelly Starret’s “Couch Stretch.” It opens up the hip flexors and does a nice job on the quads as well.

If you cannot do it correctly use a big Swiss Ball to lean on. This works for me.

Roll

Those foam rollers work. After climbing a mountain and driving back home, when I get out of the car I can barley walk. Foam rolling along with the stretching really helps.

When you use the foam roller, be sure that after you have rolled back and forth, you stop and put pressure on those muscles. Tense them and then release. Put pressure on the areas that hurt, which is usually pretty much everywhere. Once you finish this couch stretch and rolling you will be able to walk again.

Cramps

Sometimes when I hike over six hours I get cramps. If you are older you will most likely have more problems with this than younger people. The is because your are old!

There are many things that help. Putting something bitter in your mouth for example. Salt pills can help a lot, especially those with potassium in them. However, I have found that magnesium malate helps the most. It has eliminated night cramps for me.

Go Hiking And You Might Encounter A Sasquatch

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“Ok, now you are getting stupid,” you say! Well, maybe, but hear me out. This happened about a year ago when I was climbing Mt Dickerman in the North Cascades. Dickerman is a tough hike gaining about 3800 feet in 4.5 miles. It also has some of the best scenery anywhere (See Picture).

This particular hike was no different than others I have taken. I parked my car, put my forest pass in the window, packed my bag, and headed up the trail.

Dark

One think you need to know is that I hike in the dark. I of course use a headlamp. Typically I am in the dark for an hour and a half to two hours before sunrise.

When you are in the dark your hearing improves. At least that is my experience. However, I can still see with the lamp so it is not like I am blind. In any event I do have a tendency to listen more intently.

Typical Sounds In the Forest

Have you heard a pheasant? It is one thing to see one fly out of its hiding place and you shot it for dinner, but have you ever heard the sound it makes. It is very eery. Kind of a moan.

Then there is the chattering Squirrels. They make a lot of noise when they want to. It is all expected in the woods.

The Unexpected

Because I do a lot of hiking I have heard lots of sounds. On this particular morning I heard the most blood curdling scream, but it wasn’t like someone screaming. It was more like a screeching sound combned with a snarl. I stopped when I heard it. Stopped dead in my tracks. I had never heard anything like it. It didn’t do it just once. It made the sound several times before going quiet. So what was it. A Sasquatch? Maybe. Who knows.

The rest of that hike I was on edge. You might just hear something like that yourself someday, but don’t let it stop you. Go hiking!

Go Hiking and Climb Kendall Katwalk

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Depending on where you look Kendall Katwalk is between 10 and 12 miles round trip. I believe it is 12. It is an easy hike in terms of the elevation gain of only 2,600 feet, but it is a long hike, especially if you extend it. You can hike as far as you like on the Pacific Crest Trail and it is tempting.

So Easy

The trail begins flat and continues that way for a while. Then there is a gradual increase in gradient, never really getting “steep.” If you go early enough so you are hiking at sunrise you will see light shine off peaks in ways the take your breath away.

It is almost like strolling through a park until you get past the avalanche shoot. Then it gets a little steeper.

Rocks

Yes there are rocks, but not like Mt. Pilchuck. Still you really need some good hiking boots for these things. You will probably hear or see Marmots.

The rocks and the distance do wear on your feet, so even though it is not steep, it is challenging.

From Civilization To Wilderness

For most of the hike you can hear or see the Freeway. There are great views of peaks and even Mount Rainier. You can look down on the Snoqualmie Ski slopes. However, I never really feel like I am in the mountains until I get to Kendal Katwalk. Once you cross over to the other side it is a whole new experience and as I mentioned, you can continue the hike for miles. I have gone as far as Joe Lake, which makes the trip about 20 miles round trip. Extending it just a couple miles will bring you to a couple of beautiful lakes that make it worth it.

Go Hiking and Climb Mt. Pilchuck

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So you say all this hiking is just too much work? Then I tell you that it gets easier as you get into shape. You say you want to go someplace that gives you the most for the least effort. I tell you that I understand and have just the place for you. Mt. Pilchuck!

It is only 2.7 miles to the top. A short hike. Almost as short as Rattlesnake Ridge I say. You tell me that you have climbed Rattlesnake Ridge and did pretty good. Then I tell you that you will be at 5,000 feet when you reach the top with a 360 degree view. So you say, let’s go!

Potholes

One of the most challenging things about Mt. Pilchuck is not the hike itself, but getting to the trailhead. It is an adventure on the road. The national forest service maintains the trail, but the county owns the road. That is the rub. They claim they have no money to fix it. So, the potholes on the road approaching the trail head are epic. You need to be very careful especially in the dark.

You drive back and forth across the road trying to avoid the deepest potholes. If you have a typical car you might bottom out. I have a very small car so there may come a time in the not so distant future when I will not be able to hike Pilchuck. However, coming down after the hike is a little better due to daylight.

Rocks

If there is one thing that distinguishes Mt. Pilchuck from other hikes in terms of difficulty, it is the rocks. They begin after about a half-hour to forty minutes into the hike. In places, they are small and nasty and in other places huge and majestic. There is no trail in the usual sense of the term. No dirt. Just rocks. Large, flat rocks.

The trail is difficult to follow due to the rocks, so the forest service has placed signs everywhere. It is pretty hard to get lost. Just follow the sign with the picture of the water tower and you will be fine.

The Water Tower

You can read all about this building at the top of the mountain by googling Mt. Pilchuck. It doesn’t look like a water tower. Here I just want to point out that people sleep inside it so expect you will have company no matter how early you arrive. I have not woke anyone up yet. Also, there is a little bouldering to do to get to the building. It is worth it for the view.

Go Hiking When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

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In his book, “Everything is F*cked,” Mark Manson argues that there is one thing that is constant in our lives and that is pain. Physical pain, emotional pain, etc. I may cover this separately at some point, but I have not finished the book yet. In any case he is right about that. Pain is a constant. Something is always around the corner.

The Other Shoe Drops

I was reminded of this yesterday when I found out I was getting a pay cut. Yes, I work for a living and write all this for fun. Anyway, I actually used something I learned from Hal Elrod’s book, “Miracle Morning,” and that is I used the five second rule. I got angry and scared for five minutes and then said, “Can’t Change It.” It helped a lot. I don’t know if I will ever get as good at it as Hal, but I am happy to have the tool.

The Hiking Cure

However, it is fantastic to have something to “reset” yourself besides mental gymnastics. For me that is hiking. It takes you away from your every day existence and places you into nature where you can forget your challenges, clear your mind and be reborn.

Then you can see the blessings in any adversity. In my case, I still have a job where others were laid off. It will push me to do a side hustle or two. Before this happened I was just too lazy to work another job or get creative enough to find additional income. As Tony Robbin’s says it is transformed from a “should” to a “must.” When you have a “must” things get done.

When you go hiking you flush these revelations out or you decide to move in a completely different direction. So go hiking when you see that curve ball coming your way.