Depending on which trail guide you read (or which set of lies you choose to believe), the trail to the summit of Mt Pilchuck is either 5, 5.4 or as much as 6 miles and (again, depending on the source) the elevation gain can be anywhere from 2300 to 2600 ft. It is classified as either Intermediate or Most Difficult. All that really matters is that you start an upward trek as soon as you leave your car and you don't stop until you've scaled the ladder to the restored fire lookout at the top. To put it in perspective for those of you who aren't avid hikers, for each city block you hike, you go up roughly 900 feet. That's a climb of 9 stories per block. Looking at it that way, it's no wonder my legs are stiff today!
The trail itself is well traveled, so in mostly good condition, although so heavily-travelled in places that it is overly worn and difficult to navigate. In these places, hikers have begun to go around, causing damage. At about the mid-point of the trail the terrain shifts from dirt and rocks to ... well, rocks.
Lots of rocks.
Lots of big rocks.
Hiking over large rocks (aka small boulders) is exactly what we need for our conditioning. Fully 2+ miles of our Mt St Helens journey will be through a boulder field where we will be navigating large boulders. Although much smaller in scale, the rocky terrain of Mt Pilchuck tested every muscle group our legs possess, both on the uphill trek and back down. Holly and I maintained an even pace up the trail, and seemed equally matched in speed and endurance on this one.
We hiked the entire day through very low, misty clouds. The mist gave an ethereal, almost eerie feel to the trail that made it seem otherworldly at times. We heard some pretty songbirds nearer the trailhead, but the higher we journeyed, the quieter it became - the air instead being filled by the sounds of our own breathing and our light-hearted conversation.
To actually reach the summit of Mt Pilchuck, you have to scramble up some large boulders (seen in behind me in the photo below), then climb a ladder the last few yards to the lookout. I had to really take care and take my time due to the fragility of my hands, but knew that this workout, too, was absolutely necessary. I will be taxing my hands a lot on the climb to and from the crater. Learning now how to pull myself up and over the larger boulders on the way up, and support my weight for the traverse down will benefit me greatly in September.
Once at the top, we enjoyed lunch in the shelter of the lookout. From there, on a clear day, you can see forever. Our weather wasn't quite so gracious - we were able to see less than 100 feet. It didn't rain on us, so we were happy. The clouds swirled around us, dancing to music only they could hear. While there we met a couple of young men who were conditioning to climb Mt Baker and Mt Rainier, which made us feel even better about our choice of trail. We compared notes on trails, shared stories and talked about our upcoming climbs - theirs far more difficult and technical than ours.
After we were rested and refueled, we started back down the trail.
Mt Pilchuck was hiked in its entirety without knee supports, and my legs held up surprisingly well. I was pretty stiff and sore by the time we returned to the trailhead, but on a physical whole, I felt extremely well. Our downhill pace closely matched that of our uphill trek, and I could further feel the benefits of my off-trail conditioning. My confidence boosted, I am ready to tackle the next hike. After I can move without creaking. ;)
Distance hiked: 5.6 miles
Elevation gain: 2350 ft
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