When I asked George about our hiking destination, he avoided telling me anything more than "Oh, you'll love it!" We drove along the Hood Canal, past Hoodsport, and over to Lake Cushman. He pulled out a couple of maps showing the trail. It showed a short loop at the top of Mt Rose, with an even shorter trail upwards. I thought, with some disappointment, "What a dinky little hike!" Little did I know that we were going straight up, to an elevation of 4,000 feet!
I had hoped for trails like we'd been having in the Capitol Forest, gentle walkabouts, with wetlands, forest, open flat meadows, and an expansive vista. But the Mt Rose hike was all switchbacks, with just so many uphill steps per switchbacks - like they'd calculated just how long it would take before one's legs would give out!
I should have researched this hike online! Other hikers have said: "Good smoker of a hike, especially if you try going fast. It's steep right out of the parking lot and is consistent and relentless the whole way.""I have set out a couple times on this hike and never made it to the top."
"I wasn't prepared for the snow."
"One thing to keep in mind if contemplating this hike is that like Mt. Si there are no views until the top. So if you get going make sure you make it to the top!"
Well, we hit the snow about 4:15, it got really cold.
I'm sure glad I packed layered clothing, a jacket, and a pair of gloves in my backpack.I also benefited from a two-bottle hydration/lunchbox that I got from the Goodwill for $2.99.
I wore it in front, so I could snack while hiking. It fits my coffee thermos and a large bottle of water, and has strong elastic pouches and ties to hold them in place should I bend over. Similar packs at REI cost $34, and, according to online reviews, the ties on those hydration bottles break after only several uses. Other hydration units have squeeze bottles that are too hard to squeeze. I'd be paying for something I wouldn't use.We didn't make it to the top after four hours of climbing. We turned around at the snowline, to make sure we'd make it back to the trailhead before dark - we got there about a half hour before darkness compromised trail conditions.
Coming down was a lot harder than going up. My muscles were like mush from the grueling climb, and my double vision made descent precarious. A few times I had to hold on to the back of George's backpack to feel steady. I picked up a stick along the way, as I usually do, and tottered like a little ole lady. We were sure glad when we reached the trailhead and could finally rest and head for home.
Before we left, I'd made sure we had a good meal ready when we arrived home, a hearty soup and a casserole, but both of us were too tired to eat. We showered and went straight to bed! Today I can barely move. Taraz said, "Get out the protein shakes!"
