Mt. Si
Date: June 14, 2013
Difficulty: 6 out of 10
Distance: 8 Miles / 13 Kilometers Roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,400 Feet / 1,036 Meters
Time: 3 to 4 hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: Discovery Pass
Trail Conditions: Dry all the way to the top
Hiking with: with my wonder dog Macho

I needed to get my wonder dog Macho out for a little exercise so I chose Mt. Si to accomplish this task. There were only a few cars in the parking lot, normal for a Friday morning. I decided to relax and just take my time ascending…keeping the heart rate around 140. When I reached the 2 mile marker I noticed an individual creeping up on me at a nice pace. I am not one who appreciates getting passed on the trail and I wasn’t about to let it happen today.

So I picked up my pace and soon enough my heart rate was up in the 160’s. After a quarter of a mile I noticed the individual was actually gaining on me….from here it was game on baby! I put my legs into overdrive and shoved my heart rate into the high 180’s. By the time we reached the top he was only 50 yards behind me. I was totally exhausted and was pleased with the win. I reached a personal best for my heart rate at 189.

I spoke with my so called competition on top after I caught my breath. He too saw me in my bright red shirt at the two mile mark and he thought he would catch me like he usually does with most hikers. For my winning prize, I stopped at the North Bend Bar & Grill for a cold beer and a cup of jambalaya soup.

My Highest Heart Rate Ever!