Hiking Mt. Si: A Lesson About Retirement

The first trip we ever planned for ourselves was to Seattle, WA. This took place in the summer of 2013. We had only been dating for two years, and we wanted to get away to celebrate. Dulce and I weren’t big hikers, but we enjoyed the outdoors and knew we wanted to incorporate some physical activity while we were there. After all, a week away from the gym feels like a month!

We were rookies when it came to hiking, but after doing a little bit of research, we picked Mt. Si for our physical activity. The elevation was just over 4,000 feet, and the trail seemed to take the average hiker 2.5 hours up and 2 hours down. I am the kind of hiker that likes to get a good workout, so keeping a nice upbeat pace works for me. Dulce loves to enjoy the hike and take her time. She views hiking as more of a leisure activity than physical exercise. “If I want to break a sweat, I’d rather lift weights or actually run,” she would say. So, we planned it would take about 6 hours. With that in mind, we were to start at 11 am, get back to the car by 5 pm, drive back to our Airbnb, shower, and make it to dinner for a 7 pm reservation. This was a great plan.

I think it will make me smile. “I made it. And this time I have enough,” I’ll tell myself.

The night before our hike, we stopped by a grocery store to buy supplies. While we were not experienced hikers, we had hiked Mission Peak enough times to know we were going to need plenty of water and snacks. To be safe, we bought a 6 pack of water, some fruit, and a box of bars. The next morning, we packed a few of the snacks and most of the water bottles in a backpack and loaded up the car. This was long before we ran the Spartan Beast at Big Bear, so I did not have my handy Salomon shoes that would have been great for hiking. I laced up my old Reebok’s, threw on a light sweater, and we were off!

We arrived at the base of the mountain just before 11 am, so we were making good time. The first hour was no so bad, we had stopped a few times to take pictures and to let bikers and runners pass us by on the shoulder. People were friendly, saying hello as we passed each other by. The trees provided plenty of shade from the sun, so it was good we did not bring thick jackets. You wouldn’t think Seattle to be warm, but it can get in the high 80’s during the summer.

After the first hour, we started to feel the soreness on our legs. We were both still sore from our last workout before we left to Seattle, but it was nothing we hadn’t dealt with before. We pushed on ahead, knowing we were getting very close to the top. If you have ever gone hiking, you know that many mountain trails are usually in a zig-zag formation. Each corner we turn to go up the opposite direction felt like it was going to be the last one before seeing the peak of the mountain. “Here we go, we are almost there, just a few more minutes,” I would say aloud. I think I must have said that 5 times before we actually saw the peak.

Retirement is something we look forward to, and all the work today is just a means to an end.

 The peak was not at all what I expected. Sure, we made it to the top, but not really. The base of the summit had a decent view, but there was a massive slanted sheet of rock in front of you that stretched out from the ground. The actual peak was another 150 ft or so, only that you could not just walk up, you had to climb it. Granted, it was not like climbing a wall. It was quite slanted but steep enough to require you to get down on all fours. We took another swig of water and waited a minute to catch our breath.

In front of us were a few children and an elderly woman. There was no way we were not going to finish it! We searched for a good ledge to prop ourselves up and started the slight climb upward. It was not too bad. As a matter of fact, it was fun. Looking down was a little creepy. You could undoubtedly injure yourself if you lost your footing or fell backward. There were sharp rocks, loose gravel, and not much to grab on to on the way down. We worked as a team to get up there, as one should be safe.

Alas, we made it to the top. Unlike Mission Peak, this peak did not have a crowd waiting at the top. Only a few people go up all the way. Others can stay below and still catch some views, but it is nothing like the peak. We were able to see across an entire wilderness that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Straight across was Mt. Rainier, and you could see it was still capped with a little snow. Of course, we realized later that Rainier was almost 3 times the size of Mt. Si, so it was no wonder we were able to see it from so far away.

We look forward to retirement much in the same way we look forward to climbing to the top of a mountain.

We took our time up there to be one with nature and with each other. After all, it is what we had worked so hard to get to. Dulce was not expecting a workout, but we both got one. And it was worth it. No more climbing up, from here on out it was just downhill - literally. We spent a long period in silence, just soaking in the beauty of the scene in front of us. It was quiet, bright, colorful, and beginning to get a bit chilly. Keeping an eye on the time, we decided to start making our way back down to make it to dinner by seven. “Pass me some water, yeah?” Dulce would ask, holding her hand out while I opened the backpack. “Uh-oh,” I said.

We were so distracted on the way up that we had not realized we had half a water bottle left. “What about the snacks?” She asked. Oh man, I was about to get yelled at. Dulce had asked me to pack all the snacks before we left, and I did. Except I realized I only packed two each, and I could not remember for the life of me why I would do that. She sure let me have it, but it was no use, it was too late. We had half a water bottle left and a banana, and we were famished. This was not good.

It took us three hours to make it up, we figured we could get down in less time. The way down was more brutal than we had expected. We were already sore from exercising a day prior, and we did not stretch at all before starting the hike. Eventually, my legs began to cramp up due to dehydration, and my stomach was folding into itself in search of an ounce of nutrition. Okay, I am exaggerating a bit - but it was not fun. We were both in sour moods, and all we wanted to do was make it back to the car and go to dinner. We had about forty-five minutes left before we were supposed to be back by the vehicle, and we had not passed by a marker we had spotted on the way up to let us know we were close. Something told me we were further behind. So, we decided to start jogging. The trees did such a good job hiding the sun, so much that it began to look like it was getting dark. Walking was no longer an option.

Eventually, we made it down to the car. It took us about 2.5 hours to make it back down. I had to stop about three times because my leg cramped terrible enough to where it was unbearable for me to keep running on it. Our lips were chapped, we were hungry and moody, and to top it all off – we were going to be late for dinner. Well, we did make it to dinner eventually, but we had to cancel our plans to walk all around Seattle the next day since we could barely climb out of bed. We ended up driving a lot more than we wanted, but believe it or not, we had a great time. Seattle was amazing, and I would do it all over again. Except for this time, pack more supplies.

Okay, so what does Mt. Si have to do with retirement. You probably forgot that there was a lesson in this story, didn’t you?

When we are working every day, we are so caught up in the moment, and dreaming of the end, that we forget the end is not really the end.

 This idea came to me as we were driving back from Mt. Si. I shared it with Dulce, but she didn’t seem to appreciate as much at the time, probably because she was a little tired and hungry.

Most of us work for 20 or 30 years before we finally retire. We say to ourselves, “Boy, I cannot wait until I don’t have to work anymore.” We fantasize about what it would be like to wake up each day without having to clock in somewhere or work to earn money. We could do whatever we pleased, go wherever we wanted for the rest of our lives. Retirement is something we look forward to, and all the work today is just a means to an end.

It is a similar feeling when hiking up a mountain. You don’t say to yourself, “I really hope there is no end to this trail, I want it to just keep going higher and higher.” No! We need that climax. That moment where we can see the very top, and then activate our adrenaline (if necessary) to get to the top. Dopamine levels skyrocket, and you take in that euphoric feeling, sit back and watch the fantastic view in front of you.

We look forward to retirement much in the same way we look forward to climbing to the top of a mountain. In fact, many financial institutions have used this image of someone at the top of a hill to activate thoughts of retirement. 

Much like hiking, you must prepare for retirement. Our biggest mistake was worrying so much about the climb up. We forgot the way back down could take just as long. We would need just as many supplies on the way down as on the way up. When we are working every day, we are so caught up in the moment, and dreaming of the end, that we forget the end is not really the end. We forget that we’ll still be alive for another 20 to 30 years after we retire. Similarly, when you climb to the top of a mountain, that does not mean it is the end. You still have to climb back down!

Once you retire, you can’t go back in time to save more money or try to do things differently. There is no doing it over. What you have is what you get. Whatever you have in your backpack when you get to the top of the mountain is what you’ll use to help you make it back down. Same is true for retirement.

It is no secret that you must save money for retirement, just as it is no secret you should exercise to stay healthy throughout your life. It is hard to imagine what you will need when you are 70 years old, especially when you are 30 or 40 years old today. Today you may need $10,000 a month to live in your world, and when you retire that number could look more like $25,000 per month (because of inflation). More attention to your retirement needs to be given if you are earning a higher income. Maxing out a 401(k) for many is not enough.

In many cases, a 401(k) will only cover 20%-50% of your income during retirement. $19,000 is the maximum contribution for 2019. For a 35-year-old earning $250,000 per year, that is less than 8% savings.

This hike was a lesson for me about retirement. It did not change my savings or retirement plan, but it put it into a new perspective. Before, I was doing it because I knew I had to. Somehow going through this experience made me view retirement from a different perspective. Even though I don’t know what it feels like to make it to retirement, much less make it with less money than I had hoped. I imagine it would feel similar to what it felt to realize we did not have enough food or water to last us the trip down Mt. Si. Since then, every dollar saved is perceived as a payment made to my future self. One day, when I am retired and scrolling through old photos; I will run into this one of me at the top of Mt. Si. I think it will make me smile. “I made it. And this time I have enough,” I’ll tell myself.

Miguel A. Delgado (Click for website) Financial Planner

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Miguel Delgado offers securities and investment advisory services solely through Ameritas Investment Corp. (AIC). Member FINRA/SIPC. AIC is not affiliated with Miguel Delgado, David White & Associates or other entities mentioned in this article. Additional products and services may be available through Miguel Delgado or David White & Associates that are not offered through AIC. Representatives of AIC do not provide tax or legal advice. Consult your own tax advisor or attorney regarding your situation. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of AIC.