Michelle, her dog Brutus 
and I decided to trek up Mailbox Peak today. It’s been a while since I went hiking, so this was a welcome retreat. It was raining a little bit, but mostly it was typical February weather. I had very limited gear as I’ve climbed this peak many times in the past. With Michelle’s previous training as an endurance runner and adventure racer, she’s always trying to ween me off of the American fetish — climbing with the kitchen sink on your back. To that end, she encouraged me to leave my crampons in the car and I concurred. Brutus led the pack up the mountain 
while we slogged up this very steep mountain. 
I forgot how out of shape I was. Whew…
After a slow slog up the mountain, we finally hit the snow ridge.
I discovered quickly that I shouldn’t have left the crampons in the car. Holy crap was it icy. 
I could barely take a step without falling. I know the ledges above can be tricky, so after seeing more of this 
I decided to pack it in and head back down. Michelle had Yak-Trax with her, so she was still able to summit. Next time, I’ll follow my instincts and take my gear with me.
I genuinely enjoyed being outside today. It was good to work off the alcohol and food consumed at Heden and 2621 from the night before.
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