Redemption

Last Friday I attempted to hike to the top of Mt. Si, and was only able to make it 2 1/4 miles up before turning back. It took me roughly an hour and 15 minutes to reach that point. Today I decided that I would take another crack at it. I was getting to the top no matter how long it took me, but my goal was to reach the top in under 2 1/2 hours.  This time I opted to take the climb alone. I felt like I needed to prove to myself that I was capable of the climb, and I wanted to set my own pace the whole way. I brought my iPod and attempted to get myself into a zone. I was timing myself, but left the watch in my backpack so I wouldn't be obsessed with the clock, and allow it to change my pace. At 2 miles I stopped for a quick break and checked my time. 45 minutes! At the 2 1/2 mile marker things got a little tougher. The trail was covered in snow and ice. It was not a good day to forget my Yak tracks. I pushed on and continued to find a good pace. As I climbed up the last steep embankment, I could see the top and quickly made a dash to the summit. I couldn't help but let out a "Hell Yeah!" to myself. Now was the moment of truth. I looked at my watch and saw that I finished in 2 HOURS!!! I think if I didn't have to contend with the snow I could have knocked another 10 minutes off. Sitting down on a rock never felt so good. Fifteen minutes of sharing trail mix with the birds and chipmunks, and it was back down to the bottom. I have to say that I am proud of what I accomplished after my failure last week. Here are a couple of shots from the hike.