My recent adventures on Mt. Wrightson (in SE Arizona) had me wondering how my next hike in the Cascades would go. Last week Ajax and I hiked one of my favorite trails, Mt. Washington. I wanted to apply newly learned lessons in familiar conditions. The mountains were calling and I had to go… But this time, I set intentions that were different from my usual hikes.
Micro Intentions
I can hear you now. You’re probably remembering another post on intentions that I wrote at the start of the year. And you would be correct. That post addressed big-picture intentions (what some call “goals.”) You can use the same principle for small, daily objectives as well.
Often when I hike, I go wherever my mind and body suggest would be the most fun on any given day. Variables to consider might include weather, time, distance, elevation gain, and whether it’s a good place for shade, streams, snow, or solitude. Rattlesnake Ledge tops the list of places to avoid, as there are usually two dogs for every five people, a steady stream like ants on an anthill. Not the solitary wilderness experience we desire.
Sample Intentions
I chose Mt. Washington. But not for reasons you might think. You can set intentions before you leave the house, or you can wait until you pull into the parking lot. An intention is an objective you want to reflect upon or work on as you hike.
Someone who usually races to the top may set an intention to be more mindful of the scenery. A hiker who feels energetic might set an intention to take fewer rest breaks. Another might want to see what happens when they change from eating a sandwich to snacking on trail mix and a protein shake. Someone else might want to try to identify five new flowers or birds. Intentions, like goals, can be anything that matters TO YOU.
My Set Intentions for May 11 Hike
Many of my clients enlist my help as their trainer to develop strength and speed. My intentions for this hike included metrics of a different kind. Based on what I learned on Mt. Wrightson, I set the following intentions:
- Take two short 2-minute mind-body breaks during the first hour to adjust clothing and give Ajax water
- Include a 10-minute snack break at the lake to put on traction for snow conditions if needed
- Pause for 30-60 minutes at the summit to listen for birds, look for jays, take photos, and have a snack
- Use the Merlin Bird ID app to see how many spring warblers and sparrows I could identify
- Build my heat resilience and tolerance (we’ve had some unseasonally warm weather)
- Learn what the current snowpack is like to recommend hikes for local Pacific Northwest clients
The last one was an afterthought. I’d seen WTA (Washington Trails Association) trip reports and knew we’d be on snow, but I wasn’t sure how low it started. I had microspikes, a sit pad, and a pole in case we encountered icy conditions. While I am glad I carried both, in most areas the snow is so soft you can manage without traction. A pole, however, is useful for recovering from postholes or crossing higher-than-usual streams.
Results of Our Experiment
In anticipation of swarms of people taking advantage of the unusually nice, sunny weather, we left the car at 5:30 a.m. We were the first to arrive. Each of our breaks served a specific purpose. We reached the summit with energy to spare and had there not been as much snow, we would have added a detour along the Great Wall on the descent.
We reached snow just beyond the sign that indicates the left-hand turnoff for the Great Wall. Above the river crossing, Ajax punched through in several spots. The trail has way more snow than I have seen at this time in May. With the warm weather, it should melt quickly. Expect snow in places until at least June 21.
Expect post-holing right now. As soon as I noticed Ajax punching through, I started to as well. We avoided tree wells and narrow snow bridges. Wherever we could, we stayed on the dirt trail so we wouldn’t unexpectedly lose our footing. At one point the trail headed straight up a steep snowy slope. Fortunately on the trip down we were able to find and stay on the switchbacks.
Set Intentions: Become Happy Hikers
As for the results of setting intentions, we identified 17 bird species from their songs. We spotted Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, and Glacier Peak under some of the most brilliant blue skies ever. I came home with three times more photos than usual.
We had the mountain entirely to ourselves except for three women starting up as we returned to the car. And now I can steer clients to appropriate hikes because I have first-hand experience of how high the snowpack is. Best of all, despite adding deliberate rest stops, our pace was comparable to other hikes up the mountain. Mission accomplished!
If you have experimented with setting micro-intentions for your hikes, please feel free to share your results in the comments section so we can all pool our knowledge and learn from one another.
A great reminder, as the days turn longer and warmer, to ask a few questions before we lace on our boots, shoulder our pack, and take the first step on a trail of our choosing. As it happens, your post “dropped” as I was on an exploratory journey of my own. Thankfully, without having yet read the account of your Mt Washington hike, I had defined a set of “objectives” that I could rename “intentions”. I had finally snagged a hard-to-get reservation for a remote cabin that had been on my “to love” list for a while. Fremont Point Cabin, as per the Recreation.gov site, is “Poised on the edge of an escarpment at almost 3,000 feet above Summer Lake [.]
Fremont Point Cabin offers a breathtaking view of the valley below. Due to the remoteness of this site, visitors can enjoy the opportunity for personal reflection while watching a variety of weather patterns across Summer Lake.” The cabin itself sits at 7116′. My first intention was to indulge in the personal reflections mentioned above, very far from any “distractions”. I wanted to mindfully breathe the profound silence and solitude of this spot. I wanted to wake up in the middle of the night, step outside at the very edge of the 3000′ escarpment, lay down on the wooden deck and immerse myself in the vastness of the stary universe above. I wanted to cook my minimalist dinner and enjoy it as the sun set behind the cabin. I wanted to be back on the deck before sunrise and, with an unbeatable front-row seat, let the sun perform its daily return show in what would feel like a private viewing. More than anything else, I wanted to MAKE IT to the cabin.
I was lucky enough to transform all these intentions in delightful lived experiences… but the last one would be the hardest one to realize. I knew the above average snowpack this year meant possibly impassable roads, but I had to take the chance; I was prepared to leave my truck behind and walk “some distance” to the cabin. I had brought snowshoes and micro spikes along; I had arranged for two options to get there: reach the cabin by truck and enjoy “full amenities”… or pack the essentials in my backpack and bring them to the cabin after leaving my truck behind. The latter would turn out to be the “winner” but not without some challenges to overcome first. About ten miles from cabin, and already 30 miles or so on remote forest roads, my heart skipped a beat when a very large fallen tree lay down straight across the road. Ten miles was a bit too far to make one or two trips with my backpack to the cabin. I had to “build a short detour” around the shorter end of the fallen tree: removing branches and rocks, filling holes and shaving bumps with a steel shovel.
About 30 minutes later, with my truck in 4×4 mode, I slowly crawled my way around the tree and back on the dirt road. Elated, I drove closer and closer to the cabin… until a sizeable lenticular snowfield stopped my progress. I wondered if I could “push my way” through. After about 3 attempts, all I managed was to completely mire my vehicle in the snow, all wheels spinning freely in the air 😊. The next 1.5 hours were spent shoveling first around the truck and then all the way UNDER… until the truck finally dropped down and the wheels hit the ground. I was NOT going to get closer to the cabin on wheels. I was only 2 miles from heaven and decided to park my truck a bit on the shoulder in case a snowplow might get finally through this way. Good idea and poor execution: the “shoulder” turned out to be a marsh in disguise. Now my left rear wheel is suck into the much up to above the axle and the other three wheels barely have purchase on the edge of the road; another 45 minutes of digging and placing traction plates under the distressed tire and I am back on the road.
DONE! I just left the truck in the middle of the dirt road, in front of the snowfield, and shouldered my backpack for two long trips to the cabin, navigating more snowfields, skirting the biggest ones finding dry routes through the surrounding marshes (snowmelt everywhere). How marvelous it was to put down my last load and start to make a home in this unique place. I was glad to have set out in the morning with the clear intention to do my very best to try and reach the cabin (while being prepared to sleep in the truck if I truly couldn’t). My success with going after my first intention made all the other ones a reality! PS: only one lie in this account: I also intended to go for a hike on the trail that follows the top of the escarpment; my mutliple trips moving items to the cabin and then (the next morning) back to the truck replaced my planned leisurely hike along the rim’s edge.
OMG Gerard I’m right there with you on this one! I am so glad you’re okay and that you were able to reach “heaven” while managing sizeable but not completely insurmountable detours. I hope you have some wonderful photos of the event and if you care to do another guest blog post I am certain others would love to read more about your adventure!
Thanks for sharing. Now go get some rest!!
I love this post. I am going to a longer solo hike this weekend so I will set intentions. It is an excellent idea…I will report back.😎
Excellent! I look forward to hearing a) what your intentions were and b) how it enhanced your hike. Happy trails!
I had a number of anonymous personal comments on this post and one person agreed I could share anonymously: “I finally had time this evening to watch the video of Pam’s video of your birding hike and liked it a lot. The scenery is beautiful, and the hike looked challenging and fun. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the heat. I’m impressed with your birding knowledge.” Many thanks to all those sending love, support, and private comments!
Your post is a great reminder to be intentional about how we hike. It’s hard to imagine but being intentional provides even more value to the time we spend in the mountains.
Thanks for the comment, Debra! Yes, if we can bring mindfulness and intentionality to MOST things, we can get more from it. Since many of my clients are interested in hiking, it’s a great place to start building that muscle and creating a habit that can carry over into other areas of our life. Keep reading and commenting!