Ouch!  McBee Hill

It has been a few days since I hiked the steep trail up the face of McBee Hill outside Benton City and my legs are still aching!

Click here for more info, maps and details on this hike

At the top of McBee Hill, Badger Canyon in the Background

It probably doesn’t help that I went on a bike ride early the next morning before work. I guess I need to put in a little more regular steep hill hiking to get in better shape.
This was the first time I took the steep trail and I was moving at a pretty good clip to try and get up the hill for a good view of the sunrise.

The Sunrise Peeking Over the Horizon

I had the added motivation of another hiker who was ahead of me. I wanted to catch up to him and his dog but I couldn’t quite do it.

Another Hiker and His Dog Heading Back Down the Hill

I got a great view of the pre-sunrise sky to the east. I got to the top in about 25 minutes. This is a very steep climb. I wanted to make a little loop so I went up the straight trail, up the ridge and came down the switchback trail on the face of the hill just to the east.
At the top, I had a nice chat with the guy who was ahead of me. He had his dog along and said he hiked this hill regularly.

Benton City from McBee Hill

This was a great hike and I look forward to more challenges in the future. I’ll probably take some fast hikes up Badger to tune up a little beforehand to try and prevent the soreness.