Safari to the Summit

I'm so danged excited I just have to share. Last week, talking to
Pungent Bob, I heard words I thought I would never utter slip from my
mouth, "Do you want to try hiking Mount Defiance North?" Mind you,
when I started letteboxing in 2001 I never, never, never would have
been able to do this trail. For years, I set the hike to Nesmith Point
as a goal, probably the hardest trail I would ever hike (except that
goofy mountain in Borneo I climbed way back when.) I figured Mount
Defiance was out of range. I would be unlikely to ever even try it.

Well, last year I made it up to Nesmith Point after lots of practice.
It was hard but not deadly and I unearthed Ryan's letterbox at the
summit. I managed Ruckel Creek for Double Tree treasures. I've done
Dog Mountain annually ever since I placed the first box up there in
2002. Nowadays there are at least eight letterboxes on that mountain! Then
last year, I took up backpacking and my hiking has really ramped up.

I figured that this was the time to try Defiance if I were ever going
to do it. I'm not gettin' any younger and I'm at the end of a summer
filled with lots of long hikes. Well, luckily for me I've gotten to
know Pungent Bob over the years, another lover of challenging hikes.
He said yes to last week's query and off we went yesterday.

Up, up, up... Dang that thing is steep! And it isn't any less steep
coming down, down, down either. We found the vintage African Safari
letterbox at the top, saw Hood,



















Adams


















and Saint Helens,


















all floating on a sea of clouds.




We walked in the glow of autumn maples and froze at Warren Lake while eating lunch.



















I probably won't be going ballroom dancing tonight but I'm not feeling too much pain. Twelve miles, 4800 feet of elevation gain...SUCCESS!