A Quick Hike Up Mount McKee

I haven’t hiked many summits this year having concentrated on activating parks instead. Today was different, my friend Ralph was not available and I wanted to do a summit. McKee fit the agenda as being more than a simple drive-up but not overly strenuous. Being a lower summit it was worth only a single point in the program but it still offered a chance to get out and exercise in the fresh air.

I checked my navcom and it plotted a route that would take 50 minutes so I left home a bit after 10am and arrived at the spot I was hoping to park at a bit before 11am. There was an ideal opening for my car at the top of the line! Perhaps the closest spot to the trailhead. I donned my hiking boots and backpack and after taking a few photos I set out for the trail. A few meters in I received a phone call from a friend I was try8ing to arrange a coffee with. That took a few minutes to conclude and then I was off on the trail.

I soon came upon a chap walking his dog. He comes there periodically and we struck up a conversation. He said he moved here from Poland years back; he wished me well on my radio adventure. I had the time and wasn’t in a big hurry so I tried a different trail up to the main roadway trail. This one was a bit longer but also less steep. It worked well and soon I was zipping along the main trail to the summit. I was making good time this morning, the cooler air was a big help.

I arrived at a gate that crosses the road which is about half way from where I entered the road trail and where it opens up into a wide field. I stopped there to remove my jacket and get a drink then it was back to the grind. I arrived at the open field in shorter time than I was expecting and soon I was most of the way across the field and next to a solitary tree that marks the end of the steep section. The rest of the walk went quickly as I finished that last bit of trail to the summit. There were a few people on the trails but it was not very busy today. When I arrived at the top, I was alone.

The double bench was still there and in good order and I moved to it and placed my gear on one bench. I then went for a short walk around and took a few more photos. I then started unpacking my gear and I placed my handheld on the bench as I was getting out my main radio. I had turned in onto the frequency and shortly after turning it on I heard a fellow hiker – Gabor over on a summit mid way across Vancouver Island, in behind Nanaimo around 170km distant. I finished setting up my main radio before responding to his hail. He became my first contact for the morning.

Shortly after I finished with Gabor, Ken from my radio club responded to me followed by a regular chaser from Sequim Washington. He was followed by one of my regular chasers and then a difficult to hear mobile station. After one more responder my wife called from home giving me my 8th contact. Meanwhile Gabor was relocating on his summit to get out of the wind and try for a slightly better location. I stopped to eat my lunch and soon I heard fellow club member Jim calling me. We chatted for a few minutes, I was surprised to hear him as he had been up north hunting but had come back early.

Few minutes more and Gabor was back on and was working another chap on a Washington state summit. I was then able to get him in my log as well. We shared one more chaser and then Gabor shutdown. I was also done having made 11 contacts. At this time a pair of mountain bikers came up and took a few minutes to rest. They were both seniors, the one chap is 73! He was doing really well cycling up there. He told me that he had done a lot of the trail building on this summit and a few others in the area. Soon they were rested and off on their down route.

I packed up my gear and set out for the car. I chose a different trail heading down from the summit. It provided a slightly different route. I hoped it would come out across the field area but its exit was very close to the main I one I went up on. The walk down went quickly and soon I was back at the car. I then checked for the closest Starbucks and fortunately it was right next to my route home. After picking up a drink I continued home making good time. It had been a pleasant outing and the fresh air was nice but the photos from there aren’t great and with the fall haze, the views I did have were quite obscured. I guess they just add to the variety of life.