Hex Mountain — Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019

This hike was amazing but very challenging. The trail head is not accessible with a vehicle due to snow. I’m new to this area, but when I read the trail was 7 miles round trip, though very steep, I convinced my husband to come with me. He does not possess a love of hiking like I do, as I overlook strenuous climbs and grueling miles for my love of being outside not surrounded by the masses.  I love snowshoeing for the same reason. I convinced him to go on the 7 mile premise but adding the additional mileage to get to the trailhead....well he wasn’t happy with me.  The trail has many off shoots, so you need to know where you are going. I used an app to keep us on course. We saw a fair amount of people on the trail, some in boots, some micro spikes but most with snow shoes. The sky was brilliantly clear, with views of the many peaks ahead and Cle Elum Lake below us, almost the entire way. Just when you think it could not get any tougher you hit the last mile, which was a step breath rhythm due to the steepness, I put on my snowshoes just to give me more grip ( I did 95% of the hike using micros). The top is tiny, and was standing room only for awhile. Some people left trash and dog poo. I packed the trash out. There are 360 Degree breathtaking views and we spent an hour admiring and recovering. There is another way down so you don’t have to backtrack the entire way out, but it was not clear to me where it connected and I thought I saw a water cross, so we stayed on the same trail. My App reported my total mileage at just under 12 miles. This trip was phenomenal but my husband was exhausted almost to the point of illness. If you are not in good cardiovascular shape do not attempt this trail. I’ve been hiking 30 years and we completed Mt Townsend in the Olympics with no problem 2 weeks ago. Not kidding, Hex was tough, but so so worth it!