Happy 2014! Today we climbed a mountain. Saddle Mountain, to be specific. It was the perfect temperature, no rain. So beautiful!
Saddle Mountain is the tallest mountain in Clatsop Co., Oregon. The tallest summit reaches 3,288 feet in elevation. The trail is 6 miles, round trip, with an elevation gain of 1,603 feet.
The views are spectacular, but the trail can be very dangerous. Many hikers who have left the trail for that perfect photo have fallen to their death. It was a bit terrifying at certain points, and the kids were brought to the limits of their hiking abilities. We took lots of pit stops and kept hydrated.
Avalon was such a trooper, but needed a lot of breaks. Hard to believe that just a year ago, small walks were physically difficult for her. She has come such a long way!
The scariest part was the "saddle" of the mountain which is the dip between the two peaks. The mountain is made of basalt, and the trail was reinforced with cyclone-fencing type material to prevent erosion and to help hikers maintain their footing. I kept a death grip on Avalon and Josh herded/held on to Poppy and Flynn. Some very tense moments as we climbed the summit.
We persevered, and were treated to a stunning view. From the peak, we could see the entire coastline, all the way to Washington and down toward Cannon Beach. We could see Hood, Adams, Rainier and Helens. Very glad that we made the ascent on a relatively clear, cool day. Many hikers who passed us on the way up, passed us again just as we reached the top. It was so cool to see the look of surprise on their faces as they saw that my little ones had made it.
Once again, Hildebrandt kids kicked ass and took names! I am so proud of how hard they worked to reach the top of the mountain, and I now know that they are capable of longer, harder hikes. I also have ammunition the next time one of them starts complaining of tired legs when we walk to the post office ("Seriously? You climbed a mountain, kid. Suck it up buttercup.") What a gorgeous day we had.
