Over the past two weeks, I’ve hiked three trails on Tiger Mountain and Squak’s East Side trail. What sent me to the mountains four times in two weeks? Nature is a soothing balm. I wanted to take action and experience as much of the recent late-winter snowfall as possible. One trip was with a friend, two were hikes I led for the Mountaineers, and one was a work party with the Washington Trails Association. It’s impossible to feel down while experiencing the beauty and solace of the wilderness. No matter how often I visit the Issaquah Alps, I always learn something new. These four trips were no exception.
Take Action: Shifting from Solace to It’s Okay
On February 11, a friend and I did a loop from High Point Trailhead on Tiger Mountain. We crossed Murat’s Bridge and wound upward toward the summit of West Tiger 2. Our turn-around time meant looping down to the cars via Ruth’s Cove. The weather was perfect, the snow beautiful, and we chatted the whole time.
At one point, the little girl inside me started to get scared. Why? My friend shared multiple ideas for how I might increase visibility and clientele. I realized that I used to separate mountains from work—the wilderness was a sacred, no-business space, my solace. She mentioned how everyone was shifting to Blue Sky or Instagram, at which point my inner critic called me a “dinosaur.”
But the moment I realized that both the little girl and inner critic were getting scared, I patted myself on the shoulder with the silent reminder: “You’re okay. We’re in this together. No bears are chasing us today.” Maybe, just maybe, it was okay to talk shop in the mountains. Not all the time, but once in a while.
TAKEAWAY: Growth happens when we realize we aren’t running from something (no bears this time of year!), and sometimes, our lifeblood and work can coexist. I have thought about this profound shift several times during the past two weeks.
Patience and Leadership on Dwight’s Way
On the second hike on February 15, I led two new Mountaineers members and one experienced hiker up Dwight’s Way to West Tiger 1. My responsibility was to ensure everyone had the necessary gear to get up and back safely. One participant showed up in a heavy winter coat and t-shirt, with brand-new too-big traction devices that kept sliding off.
As a group, we worked with the novice hiker by adjusting our expectations, slowing down, and even retracing our steps at one point to find the missing microspikes. My role was to provide options, encourage, and support each participant, rather than push. At the summit when the novice’s friend asked whether the view was worth the effort, the response was a head shake. I felt crushed. My goals of vetting participants early and helping everyone have a safe and fun trip had been dashed. But not for long.
Second Wind
On the way down, we took half the time as going up. All four of us seemed in high spirits when we reached the cars. Our trip was a success. I cannot guarantee everyone’s conditioning level is appropriate for my outings, but I can adjust the outing to fit whoever shows up. Mission accomplished.
TAKEAWAY: Leadership (formal or informal) means being patient and meeting people wherever they are. This trip taught me to take the extra step in advance to ensure participants are ready for the adventure and to adjust the group’s expectations whenever they are not. Adults can learn and grow without feeling shamed or discouraged when I establish a supportive, non-judgmental, and nurturing environment.
Tiger 3 Peak Loop: The Power of Small Changes
The third Tiger Mountain adventure was on February 18, a week after my friend and I completed our High Point Loop. Four days earlier, four men in traction footwear helped push my car out of the icy parking lot. But this morning, the parking lot was bone dry. We didn’t need microspikes until 300 feet below the summit. Four days had transformed the mountain completely.
A co-leader joined me to manage our group of ten. I knew several participants from previous hikes and made some new friends. The sun cooperated long enough so we could enjoy an early lunch at the summit of West Tiger 1. Not only did the mountain look different from the previous two trips, but the team dynamic was perhaps the best yet. At the parking lot, I thanked everyone for a great time as we laughed about the mismatched Gaia and AllTrails data. I then assured everyone I’d hike with them anytime, anywhere.
TAKEAWAY: Exploring the mountains reminds me that change is inevitable. It can be obvious at times, and incremental and invisible at others. Being present, flexible, and open to change helps create rich experiences. It attracts the best energy from others. I learn more about what I like, need, and prefer by engaging openly with different people.
Take Action: Awe and Strength on My Fifth Work Party
Finally, on Friday 2/21 I participated in a WTA work party on Squak Mountain’s East Side Trail. This trail was hard hit by November windstorms and had to close for several months.
We hiked 35 minutes to the work site around 1050 feet elevation where our crew of 19 worked for several hours to remove 5 enormous root balls from the trail.
Trip Highlights
Highlights from this trip included:
- My new green helmet — earned for participating in my fifth work party
- 16 bird species including spring migrants, several species of woodpeckers, brown creepers, and bald eagles. Spring is here!
- New skills: axe work and use of two different kinds of saws, not to mention cranking on a winch
- Awe at my teammates’ knowledge about how to move such huge root balls without any chainsaws
- My first-ever Instagram reel, something I have never learned how to do, even though I have had an account since 2021.
Being open to change meant my friend’s business suggestions from our February 11 hike resulted in material for social media not two weeks later.
Take Action: Embrace Change
All four outings reminded me that the only constant in life is change. We can ignore it or we can embrace it. Growth comes when we challenge our old narratives. I see now that I can blend work and pleasure without causing my inner child to bury her head in the sand or my inner critic to slap me across the face.
Leadership requires patience and adaptability, a valuable skill not only for hikes but also in life. Nature is a mirror for personal change, and our experience depends on who we choose to share it with. Whether I hike alone, with my dog, with strangers, or with a close group of friends, every outing brings possibilities for learning and growth.
Reframing Fear as an Opportunity
No matter how powerful Mother Nature is, we have an infinite capacity for adaptability, healing, and change. This is no Pollyanna approach. No matter what obstacles you’re currently facing, you will get past them. It will require time, but we can take action to move toward new solutions. Within one week, I saw firsthand how the landscape naturally changes this time of year. If nineteen volunteers take action to transform a trail, one work party at a time, we each can regain personal power by taking action.
As I complete this blog post, I think about my recent journey as a hike leader. In 2 short months, I’ve grown from timid and nervous to excited and eager. The butterflies I used to identify as nerves and anxiety are now signs of anticipation. I am reframing Fear as an Opportunity. We all have within us the incredible capacity for growth and change. What’s required is the courage to take action, one day at a time.
TAKEAWAY: Have you ever done the same hike multiple times and learned something new? What has nature taught you about change? How might you reframe your Fear as an Opportunity for something new? How might you take action? Has this article inspired you to do something differently? If so, please share in the comments. I love to hear from readers.