Nothing too much new to report except to note that whoever carried the fire hydrant up there must have had some energy left, because now there is a great big ladder towering above the mailbox. This is not a regular ""home depot"" type ladder. It looks like it was stolen off the back of a fire truck - very heavy duty. With how the ladder is positioned, the peak is now 4 feet higher, so if you climbed Mailbox before, it no longer counts. You have to do it again.

No snow on Mailbox. Incredible views. Go hikers go!

It was perfect weather. Good ol' Steve Pool was calling for Rain and winds of 20-30mph, and he was right on the button. Got to the trailhead and started our way up the gated logging road at about 9am, being my first time up this one I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The crest toothbursh is now lashed to a tree right on the trailhead by the way =). Three hundred yards up the trail I was shocked by the cruel reality of this straight shot up the mountain. This is a great trail for conditioning or just staying in shape (I just wouldn't reccomend it in the rain, little slick). There are several smaller trails heading in all sorts of directions as you plod up this trail, but for the most part the main trail is fairly easy to follow. As I arrived at the boulder field the wind had picked up to a steady and sustained 30mph with gusts exceeding 40mph and the percipitation was confused, meandering from rain to snow to sleet and sometimes all three at once. Finally on the summit ridge I found myself the victim of stinging horizontal snow and a slippery trail. As I clumsily signed the summit register and contemplated how in the WORLD someone got a fire hydrant to the top of this insanely steep trail, oh well, must get off the summit ridge!! Slippery desced, otherwise uneventful. Stats: About 7miles roundtrip 4100' elevation gain 1.5 hours up, 1.5hrs down

A report for this peak was submitted earlier this week. I climbed the peak, Pt.4926, by an what I think is an easier approach. Climb Mailbox and then traverse over the final 1/2 mile. Up and down in 4 hours. Mailbox Peak has a new mailbox as well as a more solemn addition of a memorial fire hydrant. It is an authentic red hydrant which must have been helicoptered in as it weighs at least 50 lbs. The names of perhaps two dozen people are welded onto the plug. In addition the rim of the hydrant has the words, ""In memory of those who gave their lives on 9-11-01."" As the peak overlooks the Fire Academy below it is an appropriate venue for the memorial but undertones the whimsy of the experience looking in the mailbox. There are several unopened letters awaiting the lucky people to whom they are addressed. And if you are incredibly down on your luck the Dr. Suess book has a dollar bill in it with two climbers autographed names on the front.