The terrains of Washington state are fascinating. We are surrounded by 5 active volcanoes in the cascade range - Mt. Baker (10, 786 feet), Glacier Peak (10, 541 feet), Mt. Rainier (14,411 feet), Mt. Adams (12,276 feet) and Mt. St Helens (8, 363 feet). Mt. Rainier is the closest proximity to Seattle and also the tallest. Mt. St Helens is probably the easiest of them all when it comes to summiting largely because it’s not a technical hike but a hike that requires endurance. I did my second successful summit to Mt. St. Helens on 29-Jun-23 with the first attempt back in Sep '18. I absolutely love the terrain at Helens. Every time I visit her, the terrain looks different and offers a unique type of challenge to climb. As treacherous as it can be, these terrains are also places where I discover myself and more importantly learn new skills.
Co-incidentally when I was back from this trip, there was a slack post asking for opinions on motivation for hiking. I drew my inspiration to write this post and what I enjoy the most about hiking.
- Activating my zen mode mood - In an urban dictionary the word zen means feeling relaxed and peaceful. When I am in the mountains, I don’t listen to music and generally put my phone away except when I need to take a picture of Mother Nature. And even when I do listen to music, it’s generally a white noise or sounds of nature to abstract me from the sounds I hear from nearby roads or conversations I hear from other fellow hikers.
- Discovering myself - Sometimes I have a hiking partner who can make the conversation interesting with their chit-chat. Even while I am with a partner, I am generally by myself. Because when I am by myself, I discover myself. There are questions I ask my conscience and answers I hear back reinforcing positivity in me.
- Appreciating Mother Nature - Nature has so many sounds to appreciate. On an early morning Hike, I sincerely appreciate the sounds of Mother Nature from the roaring creek, the chirping birds, the gentle breeze that shakes off the morning dew drops from the leaves, the tall trees etc. And the list goes on. Being amidst this ecosystem is a serene feeling.
- Setting goals - Hiking any mountain is a mental game. You conquer one and you want to move on to the next one. Sometimes you want to conquer the same mountain several times just because you are in love with it and set goals to see if you can do better. Setting goals pushes you to become better.
- Being social and kind - When I am by myself, I tend to have social conversation with fellow hikers. While I understand they are strangers, you will be surprised how friendly these fellow hikers generally are. I am an extrovert which means I can easily blend in to conversation and I have become to be more social and kind with new people I meet.
- Undeterred focus, feeling accomplished and motivated - My focus is at all times when I am on the mountains. I am constantly evaluating my path, measuring each step carefully while also simultaneously enjoying what's around me. Better yet, when I am back from my hike I feel accomplished and motivated.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Mother Nature is fascinating. If you are out in her territory, please also act responsibly and leave no trace behind!
