I hiked Mailbox Peak with my friend Andrew and some of his friends a few weeks ago. I hadn’t been hiking in a long time and was really out of shape. It was three miles long and 3900 feet up to the summit. I was so tired by the time I got to the bottom I was hobbling with the help of my walking stick. The trail didn’t switch back and forth so much as plough straight up the mountainside with few places to rest. The sky was overcast for most of the morning, but burned off later. Sunbeams poked through the clouds and trees near the tree line, making a striking effect. I forgot to bring sunscreen, of course, having not done outdoorsy things in a great while, and got quite a burn on my forearms and neck. My arms just stopped peeling a couple days ago. My legs were sore for days, almost a week. It felt great to get out there and feel my heart thumping in my chest again.