Mailbox Peak - Old Trail — Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021

My friends and I did the Old Mailbox Trail for the first time today. We arrived at the upper lot at a little after 8am and there were about 5 slots open by the time we arrived. The lower lot also had about 7 slots open.

For a 4000ft elevation gain, the trail is steep, but it also has some flat parts which are a nice relief for your feet and legs. The weather was misty and hazy when we went. The hardest part was definitely the last leg of the trip as you have to climb over large rocks to get to the top. It seemed like the climb took forever; hikers coming down the trail told us “you’re close-ish” even as we made significant progress.

The top was pleasant and the mailbox has lots of decorations and treasures inside of it. I would highly recommend wearing not just hiking boots for this trip, but also packing a warm coat for the top because it is very chilly! A hiker I talked to on the way down said she regretted not bringing an extra coat with her.

My hiking group took the new trail on the way down to avoid having to deal with the steepness of the Old Trail and to give our feet a pleasant break.

The best part of this trip, besides enjoying a nice sandwich at the top, is that there were no bugs and so we didn’t have to wear bug repellent.