Day One, Six Miles Done

I may be a hiker, but a "morning person" I am not. When my alarm went off at 4:15 a.m. this morning, I was not brimming with excitement. And, as I pulled on my hiking clothes while the sky was still dark, I thought: I have had much better ideas before.

But, it's August 1. It's Hike-a-Thon.

For one short month, every mile that I hike actually helps the trails I love to hike. The more I hike, the more I'll raise. Might as well get started. Right?

Luckily, veteran Hike-a-Thoners Pam Roy and Mickey Weinrich agreed. It would be fun to meet at the High Point Trailhead at 5:30 am on a Monday morning. We'd get some miles under our boots while the rest of the world was just waking up.

After a quick round of photos (look for us, bedhead and all, in the Issaquah Press), we were off. By 7:30 am, we were standing on the summit of Tiger Mountain, with three miles toward our campaigns logged already, and three more to earn while hiking down.

My comforter had looked mighty comfortable for a moment there, but as I drove across I-90 with the pink rays of dawn glinting over the Cascades, and Rainier coming into focus on the horizon, that feeling had largely faded away. When I met Mickey and Pam at the trailhead, my hesitation was all but gone. And as I watched the sun peak through a forest of thin conifers, it vanished completely. Tiger Mountain was a good place to be. Hiking was a good idea...even if it meant waking up a handful of hours earlier than usual.

Sometimes hiking is like that. You have to get your gear together, coordinate schedules, pick a trail, pack food, fuel up. The prep work isn't always super fun, but, hit the trail and the rewards are always ample.

As of today, we have 116 ambitious participants signed up for this year's Hike-a-Thon. It's not too late to sign up. Join this event, and you'll be surprised how motivated you will become to go further, to log more miles. You might even get up really early.

Hike-a-Thon is presented by Mountain Hardwear - Seattle Store