We spent Labor Day weekend up on the north side of the Olympic peninsula. Nathan and I have been hiking there numerous times since we've been married, and we really love it up there. The last time I was up there, the boys abandoned me and the dog so they could go hiking in the dog-free national park. So Max and I asked a park ranger what would be a nice, long, dog-friendly hike to go on. He directed us to Mount Muller, which proceeded to beat my ass. Max and I got some spectacular views, made it back down alive, and experienced shuddering pain that night from over-exertion. The sense of pride I felt after that experience made me want to relive it ever since. So I finally got to do that this weekend. I took Nathan, Max, Flint, and Stephanie with me as well to keep down the loneliness. See Nathan's and Steph's blogs for updates. Flint's is probably forthcoming as well.
I probably should have allowed them to stay behind and go on a nice, leisurely hike instead of the Bataan Death March that I took them on. The lack of water that Nathan and I experienced kind of ruined the views for me, combined with no camera to photograph them with. Steph and Flint were in pain, and Max told me he didn't want to be my dog anymore and that he'd be moving out and finding a new family when we got back. Maybe I hallucinated that last part. Anyway, walking's difficult now, and I don't have any photos to show for it. Flint took some which he promised to post later.
As the website I linked to for Mount Muller shows, this is a 13 mile loop on which the hiker gains 3150 feet in elevation. Nothing to sneeze at. And we made it in seven hours, as opposed to the 8.5 hour estimate the website gave. Call me crazy, but I want to do that hike again. I know that there are other, better hikes out there, but the next time I go, I want it to be spring and I want to have a camera. Oh, and I won't put as heavy of a pack on Max next time, if I put on on him at all. I'll carry our water and spare the puppy. He got a little overexerted. I hesitate to even mention this hike on the internet, because I don't want people finding out about it and ruining it. It's a perfect hike for dog owners, because it's almost totally secluded, and there's no one to care if you leave your dog off-leash the whole time. The only real drawback (besides the level of challenge and the lack of water) is the amount of horse poop. It's a horse friendly trail and the horse people that use it don't put poop-catch bags on their animals. All I have to say about that is that when Max poops in the forest, I either bag it, or bury it. I don't just leave it sitting in the middle of the trail like a savage.
Anyway, Mount Muller is great...don't go there!
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That is exactly what I called it to Flint in the middle of it when y'all were up ahead. Funny. Also when I stopped and would look at the ground it was swirling, i figured it was an acid flash back or my body saying "hey dumb ass what the hell?". We still love you guys but my ass, knees and legs over all are hurting. That and I passed out in the kitchen for no good reason. Next time, break us in slowly. I havent walked 13 miles on more level ground in at least 5 years. I swore that I would be found dead a month later but we made it.
Yeah, I'm sore ALL over. I'm gonna start riding my bike. Nathan says that the four of us need to start preparing for the spring hiking season for a funner, but more challenging hike he's found. This one would be two days of hiking with camping at a nice lake at the end of the first day. We would start at the bottom of my favorite mountain, The Brothers and we would hike to Lake Lena and camp. Then the next day continue on to the peak where it's all snowy and stuff. Sounds like fun to me...but ONLY if our legs are ready for that.
Lets do eeet. That way camping overnight is better than driving for four hours.
Yay!
My fitness plan involves riding my bicycle to work in the meantime. I'm still too sore to start tomorrow...and everyone knows what kind of a sissy I can be in cold, wet weather. So this could possibly last for a very short time period. We'll see.
I take it back. As I am sitting here listening to Slanted and Enchanted I only kinda want to beat him.
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