Lessons from PG’s Hardest Tradition: The Hike to Camp Muir

“I’ll try to make sure you don’t break both of your arms again.”

This is a good reassurance for a guy who once fell down the stairs and broke both his arms. This was part of Bobby’s May invite for the hike in August. Every year, our founder and CEO, Bobby Herrera, takes a group of Climbers (aka PG Employees) on a hike in Mt. Rainier National Park from Paradise up to Camp Muir. For the numbers folks, it’s a hike from 5,400 ft above sea level to 10,188ft above sea level. Quite the challenge for a Michigan flat-lander like me and the other climbers from the Midwest that would be joining us.

So, I got to work getting ready. I added endurance work to my regular workouts and carried a weighted backpack on the stair master. The only thing I couldn’t prepare myself for was the altitude. I didn’t know how the thin air would affect me. I’d heard some stories from Climbers before me that altitude sickness can strike even the most prepared. Finally, after all the preparation, the week was here and the climbing team arrived in Seattle for the hike. The group was 6 Climbers and Bobby as a guide.

Our group earned the award for being most prepared with the things we brought. We were all prepped with snacks, electrolytes, water, bandages, hand wipes, and anything else you could find at a local pharmacy. This earned us the nickname Team Walgreens. We also earned the award for “most time spent on the mountain.” We weren’t as proud of that one, but for a bucket-list hike, we didn’t mind too much. All that said, here are a few things I learned on the mountain:

1. Your pack gets lighter. 

I trained with a backpack filled with rocks. At the end of my training, it weighed fifteen pounds. But the difference between carrying rocks on a stair master and a water bladder on the stair master is that you can’t drink rocks. As you go on your journey you get accustomed to the weight. But as you consume the water and food in your pack, it gets lighter along the way.

In life and work, things can start heavy. You might start a new job or need to learn a new skillset. At first, it’s going to seem hard to carry; however, as you learn more and move farther into your journey, you will realize that the pack and the weight aren’t as much as it was in the beginning.

2. Where you step has an impact. 

The last line of this trail sign stuck with me. The mountain is already a hard place for plants and vegetation to grow. Why make it harder for them by stomping on them?

Climbing over something else to get you farther on the trail is only beneficial to you. Don’t be a meadow stomper. Every footfall matters, not just to preserve the path for future hikers but to ensure the survival of the habitat itself.

3. If you need a better view, change your elevation. 

More lightning round lessons:

• Prepare, Prepare, Prepare – The hike is hard. Prepare your body physically and mentally. Also, prepare your pack with nutrition, hydration, and anything else you might need once you’re far away from the parking lot. #TeamWalgreens
• Gravity is Hard to Fight – Going against gravity is hard, but the way down can be a lot of fun. Glissading is just a fancy word for sledding on a glacier.
• Eat the Chicken – Bobby brings KFC for the climbers to eat at Basecamp. Some people shy away because it’s not the freshest. But how often do you get to eat KFC at Rainier Basecamp? Eat the chicken.

I am grateful to have been invited on this extremely difficult tradition with PG and would honestly do it again. The views were incredible, the team was great, and the lessons will stick with me for a long time. Go Team Walgreens!

Also, check out our most recent LinkedIn post for more photos from our Mt. Rainier trip!