VIDEO/PHOTOS: King County rescue crews have seen a recent spike in the number of calls for help to a popular hiking trail near North Bend. In a span of a week, five people needed help while climbing Mailbox Peak. The King County Explorer Search and Rescue team is urging people to take certain precautions before trying strenuous and steep hikes, especially if it’s their first time. Hikers venturing up Mailbox Peak on Wednesday told KOMO News the trek is grueling, but it’s worth it to reach the top. The Washington Trails Association ranks this hike as “hard,” with an elevation gain of 4,000 feet, and it’s approximately 9.4 miles round-trip.
โItโs really challenging, and itโs really pretty at the top,โ Claire Works stated. “Mailbox Peak is a rite of passage for many people here in the area,โ added Natalie Patterson with the King County Explorer Search and Rescue team. โItโs steep, itโs relentless [and] delivers that hard-earned summit feeling.” People have traveled far distances to get to the popular trail, some placing a letter in the mailbox at the top and checking out what other hikers left behind. โI opened it. Thereโs a lot of beer and notes and things and random toys,โ hiker LeeAnn Palo said.
The KCESAR warns the team of volunteers has responded to five calls in one week to help people who could not finish the trek. Spokesperson Natalie Patterson explained those calls are expected this time of year and are generally for dehydration, leg cramps, falls, or people getting lost after dark. The group responds to 120 to 150 search and rescue missions per year at county trails along the I-90 corridor. The KCESARโs biggest callout times are in June, July, and August when more people are outside.
