North Peak (Training Hike)

This one was pure training, not sightseeing — a direct shot up to North Peak from the Regency Drive side, skipping any detour to Olympia, with a 40-pound pack loaded up to get my legs and shoulders used to real weight before bigger trips later this year. Just 4.9 miles round trip, but with close to 2,800 feet of gain packed into that distance, it's a steep, honest climb even without extra weight, and the pack made sure every switchback earned its keep.

Some lingering snow from the big storm a week earlier was still hanging on in the shadier spots on North Peak's upper slopes, a nice surprise against the more typical late-winter green lower down. Beautiful half-day out, even with a pack digging into my shoulders the whole way up.

The best part of the day had nothing to do with the summit, though. On the way up, I passed a group of hikers heading down and asked them to keep an eye out for a black diamond glove and my Six Moons Designs umbrella, both of which I'd dropped somewhere on the trail without noticing. Sure enough, by the time I made it back down, that same group was waiting right along the trail with both items in hand. Small thing, but it made the whole day better — hikers are awesome, and it's always good to be reminded how often people look out for each other out there.

A solid training day in the books, weighted pack and all, with a little extra proof that this community is one of the best parts of getting out on these trails in the first place.