City roads transition to a gradual climb up a gravel forest road. Water is frequent, and shade is ample, so the hike quite enjoyable. We cross over the top and part way down the other side until we reach pavement and the trusty RV.
The RV is about seven miles south of Junction City, a tiny hamlet. Since WILDCAT had his heart set on a Margarita, Fran researched and found a Mexican restaurant in Weaverville another ten miles to the east. She drove us over, despite slow road construction. But the Mexican restaurant had a sign on the door saying it was closed because the waitress didn't come to work today! Skunked again! We decided to try the Chinese restaurant instead, but it was inexplicably closed despite the posted hours. We headed to the pizza place and placed our order. Next door was the only bar in town, so we checked in for the elusive Margarita. The owner/bartender promised she could make a great Margarita, though she didn't have a blender. She just shook the Margarita with ice and poured it into a glass to serve. That's not a real frozen Margarita.
Hmm. The Margarita hunt will have to continue.
19 miles to Soldier Creek, to mile 92.
Monday, July 17, 2017
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Hayfork
We leave the RV and hike up a remote forest road, enjoying the leisurely stroll and learning the conifers. Just five miles in, we turn a corner onto a better road and find Fran and the RV again. Instant rest break! Iced Tea! WILDCAT says I'm ruining his reputation with the slack-packing but he seems very enthusiastic. I didn't slack-pack on any of my three Triple Crown hikes. In my mind those National Scenic Trails are different, and for me, it was important to connect all of the footsteps and hike with a full pack. But somehow slack-packing parts of the Bigfoot Trail seems okay.
Heading into Hayfork, we have a choice of a direct walk along Highway 3 into town or a longer remote walk on dirt forest roads. We opt for the latter, both for safety and enjoyment. Part way up a local person stops to query where we are hiking to and insists that we are going the wrong way to reach Hayfork. He is unaware that the dirt roads lead over the hills and drop into the town.
As hikers head into town, the talk invariably moves to food. Knowing there is a Mexican restaurant ahead, WILDCAT is fantasizing about a frozen Margarita. Unfortunately, we soon discover that the Mexican restaurant is closed. No Margarita today!
12 miles to Highway 3, to mile 58.
Heading into Hayfork, we have a choice of a direct walk along Highway 3 into town or a longer remote walk on dirt forest roads. We opt for the latter, both for safety and enjoyment. Part way up a local person stops to query where we are hiking to and insists that we are going the wrong way to reach Hayfork. He is unaware that the dirt roads lead over the hills and drop into the town.
As hikers head into town, the talk invariably moves to food. Knowing there is a Mexican restaurant ahead, WILDCAT is fantasizing about a frozen Margarita. Unfortunately, we soon discover that the Mexican restaurant is closed. No Margarita today!
12 miles to Highway 3, to mile 58.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Section One finally ends
We hike another five miles on the South Fork Trinity NRT, including our first sustained climb of about 2,000 feet. The miles go easily, other than a few steep parts on the climb. When navigation is easy, and the trail is well maintained, it turns out we can actually hike a good pace!
The NRT ends on top of a hill at a gravel forest road. While hot, it slopes downhill to the north, so the hiking is still easy. The last couple of miles is along Highway 36 to the junction with Highway 3 where Fran awaits with the RV parked in the shade.
We reflect on the first section. It was much more challenging than we expected. Despite the cautions that Michael Kauffmann includes in the trail guide and detailed planning that revealed the challenges, it was still more than we expected. Partly, we just need time to get into hiking shape. But mostly the trail itself is going to be slow. We are glad we finished in five days since for a while it looked like it could go on to day six. But time is going to be a concern, and we will have to push harder than we might prefer if we had a few more days to spare.
As part of the plan to ease into hiking, the next few days will take advantage of having Fran for support. We have several days of travel before the next wilderness area, with frequent road crossings. WILDCAT and I will meet Fran each evening, so we can "slack-pack" and just carry little day packs with lunch, water, and a few essentials. That will allow our bodies to rebuild a little after the rather intense past five days.
Fran bought WILDCAT a camp chair to go with the two that we carry in the RV. He's sitting in it, sipping a Guinness beer, dipping chips in guacamole, and looking quite relaxed. Showers with real soap and shampoo follow, enchiladas for dinner, and we feel nearly human!
12 miles to Highway 3, to mile 58.
The NRT ends on top of a hill at a gravel forest road. While hot, it slopes downhill to the north, so the hiking is still easy. The last couple of miles is along Highway 36 to the junction with Highway 3 where Fran awaits with the RV parked in the shade.
We reflect on the first section. It was much more challenging than we expected. Despite the cautions that Michael Kauffmann includes in the trail guide and detailed planning that revealed the challenges, it was still more than we expected. Partly, we just need time to get into hiking shape. But mostly the trail itself is going to be slow. We are glad we finished in five days since for a while it looked like it could go on to day six. But time is going to be a concern, and we will have to push harder than we might prefer if we had a few more days to spare.
As part of the plan to ease into hiking, the next few days will take advantage of having Fran for support. We have several days of travel before the next wilderness area, with frequent road crossings. WILDCAT and I will meet Fran each evening, so we can "slack-pack" and just carry little day packs with lunch, water, and a few essentials. That will allow our bodies to rebuild a little after the rather intense past five days.
Fran bought WILDCAT a camp chair to go with the two that we carry in the RV. He's sitting in it, sipping a Guinness beer, dipping chips in guacamole, and looking quite relaxed. Showers with real soap and shampoo follow, enchiladas for dinner, and we feel nearly human!
12 miles to Highway 3, to mile 58.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Easy miles and a swim!
By the end of the hike last night, my right knee was hurting. Today I pull out my knee brace and pop an ibuprofen. I'm also getting blisters on the top of my left foot just below the big toe. That's weird; I've never seen blisters there before.
The hiking today is easy, half on the shaded forest road and a half on the maintained South Fork Trinity River National Recreation Trail. Water is frequent, so our packs are light. I'm getting my hiking legs, though WILDCAT still slows down on the climbs. Curiously, the South Fork Trinity River Trail stays up above the river. We can see some inviting swimming holes, but they are not accessible due to rocky cliffs or private property. We are stuck on the hot trail looking down.
When Michael Kauffmann created the Bigfoot Trail, he wanted hikers to experience the diversity of conifers along the trail. Over the past few days, I've enjoyed watching for and identifying various trees as the ecozones change. I have copies of Michael's tree identification pages on my phone and a little cheat-sheet in my pocket. I used to know many of these trees (I was a teaching assistant for a field ecology class in college), but my memory is weak. I joke that I like having a bad memory because every time I relearn something, it is fresh and exciting!
We need 28 miles between today and tomorrow, so we hike 15 today. We stop where Smokey Creek flows into the South Fork Trinity River and discover an amazing swimming hole in the creek with water over my head for perhaps fifty feet, so I get to swim a little, though the cold quickly persuades me to hop out. It feels so refreshing to get clean and rinse out my clothes!
15 miles to Smokey Creek, to mile 46.
The hiking today is easy, half on the shaded forest road and a half on the maintained South Fork Trinity River National Recreation Trail. Water is frequent, so our packs are light. I'm getting my hiking legs, though WILDCAT still slows down on the climbs. Curiously, the South Fork Trinity River Trail stays up above the river. We can see some inviting swimming holes, but they are not accessible due to rocky cliffs or private property. We are stuck on the hot trail looking down.
When Michael Kauffmann created the Bigfoot Trail, he wanted hikers to experience the diversity of conifers along the trail. Over the past few days, I've enjoyed watching for and identifying various trees as the ecozones change. I have copies of Michael's tree identification pages on my phone and a little cheat-sheet in my pocket. I used to know many of these trees (I was a teaching assistant for a field ecology class in college), but my memory is weak. I joke that I like having a bad memory because every time I relearn something, it is fresh and exciting!
We need 28 miles between today and tomorrow, so we hike 15 today. We stop where Smokey Creek flows into the South Fork Trinity River and discover an amazing swimming hole in the creek with water over my head for perhaps fifty feet, so I get to swim a little, though the cold quickly persuades me to hop out. It feels so refreshing to get clean and rinse out my clothes!
15 miles to Smokey Creek, to mile 46.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Yolla Bolly Wilderness
Again we hike in a hot, dusty burned area. My notes from previous hikers blogs say that the first four miles are a rough trail, but then there is good trail after that. We haven't seen good trail since the first mile or two on the first day, so we are looking forward to it.
I've been assiduously taking care of my feet, taking off my shoes at every break and rotating to dry socks. This morning I was less careful and blisters showed up on the pad of the forefoot. My feet blister easily and I haven't had a hike yet without some challenge so this is nothing unusual. I start taping the blisters and resume rotating socks, keeping one pair hanging on the back of my pack to air out and dry.
I have new shoes on this hike, Altras Lone Peak 3.0. I think I am going to really like them. They are lightweight trail runners, and the mesh upper will dry quickly. The unique feature I love is the enormous toe-box. I'm hoping that helps limit the blisters.
After the first four miles, we watch for the trail to improve. Instead, a nasty prickly bush has grown thick in the open burn areas. We spend the 100F afternoon in a burn with exposed southern exposure, pushing through the overgrown brush. At first, it is just annoying but mile after mile takes a toll on our legs as the scratches mount. Eventually, the number of scratches is impossible to count and the skin becomes hypersensitive to even slight pressure.
Neither WILDCAT nor I have personalities that experience many emotional highs or lows. We just accept whatever life tosses our way, so here's the conversation that ensued.
"WILDCAT, I know you don't do grumpy, but if you did this might be a good time for it."
"Yep, I could imagine feeling grumpy here."
We finally pushed through the last prickly bush and exited the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness at the Low Gap trailhead onto a remote Forest Road. The road is a very welcome upgrade from the burned, overgrown wilderness trail. Since this is a wet year and some unreliable creeks have been flowing, we banked on getting water at one of the three streams in the first mile of the road. We were a bit concerned when the first one was dry, but the second was flowing well.
It was now late afternoon, and we have hiked just nine miles. We are getting pretty anxious about the slow pace of the hike and WILDCAT's fixed completion date. We have an itinerary for 24 hiking days with three extra days to insert as needed. We have already burned one of our three extra days and do not want to burn another one so early in the hike. WILDCAT has a good idea. Let's rest in the shade by the creek, cook our dinners now, and then hike on in the cool evening. Water is uncertain from here for the next ten miles, so this lets us avoid lugging enough water to cook tonight.
Rested, fed, and cooled we make quick work of six miles on the forest road. There is no traffic, so the hiking is enjoyable. After a few miles we discovered why there is no traffic - a massive down tree blocks the road. We just toss our sleeping bags on the side of the road and sleep.
14 miles to the creek just beyond Low Gap trailhead, to mile 31.
I've been assiduously taking care of my feet, taking off my shoes at every break and rotating to dry socks. This morning I was less careful and blisters showed up on the pad of the forefoot. My feet blister easily and I haven't had a hike yet without some challenge so this is nothing unusual. I start taping the blisters and resume rotating socks, keeping one pair hanging on the back of my pack to air out and dry.
I have new shoes on this hike, Altras Lone Peak 3.0. I think I am going to really like them. They are lightweight trail runners, and the mesh upper will dry quickly. The unique feature I love is the enormous toe-box. I'm hoping that helps limit the blisters.
After the first four miles, we watch for the trail to improve. Instead, a nasty prickly bush has grown thick in the open burn areas. We spend the 100F afternoon in a burn with exposed southern exposure, pushing through the overgrown brush. At first, it is just annoying but mile after mile takes a toll on our legs as the scratches mount. Eventually, the number of scratches is impossible to count and the skin becomes hypersensitive to even slight pressure.
Neither WILDCAT nor I have personalities that experience many emotional highs or lows. We just accept whatever life tosses our way, so here's the conversation that ensued.
"WILDCAT, I know you don't do grumpy, but if you did this might be a good time for it."
"Yep, I could imagine feeling grumpy here."
We finally pushed through the last prickly bush and exited the Yolla Bolly Middle Eel Wilderness at the Low Gap trailhead onto a remote Forest Road. The road is a very welcome upgrade from the burned, overgrown wilderness trail. Since this is a wet year and some unreliable creeks have been flowing, we banked on getting water at one of the three streams in the first mile of the road. We were a bit concerned when the first one was dry, but the second was flowing well.
It was now late afternoon, and we have hiked just nine miles. We are getting pretty anxious about the slow pace of the hike and WILDCAT's fixed completion date. We have an itinerary for 24 hiking days with three extra days to insert as needed. We have already burned one of our three extra days and do not want to burn another one so early in the hike. WILDCAT has a good idea. Let's rest in the shade by the creek, cook our dinners now, and then hike on in the cool evening. Water is uncertain from here for the next ten miles, so this lets us avoid lugging enough water to cook tonight.
Rested, fed, and cooled we make quick work of six miles on the forest road. There is no traffic, so the hiking is enjoyable. After a few miles we discovered why there is no traffic - a massive down tree blocks the road. We just toss our sleeping bags on the side of the road and sleep.
14 miles to the creek just beyond Low Gap trailhead, to mile 31.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Navigational Challenges
Frying Pan is a pretty camp with ample water. We load up with three liters of water each and hike the half mile back up to the Bigfoot Trail.
Once again, the trail is faint and frequently blocked with debris. We navigate to The Knob pretty well, but then the trail just follows along a ridge with few navigational clues to watch for, such as creeks, junctions or turns. The area has been burned, and the trail is mostly obliterated and frequently missing. Again we find ourselves walking on a side slope, testing our ankles. We are fully exposed to the sun and 100F heat, scrambling up and down along the ridge. WILDCAT is frequently stopping to rest.
I like to follow navigational clues and stay found. I'm nervous just hiking blindly. The trail just doesn't seem right, so eventually, I flip on the GPS. Sure enough, we are 2.5 miles off-trail, climbing up Lazyman Butte. We are already tired, drinking up our precious water, and now we need to go back 2.5 miles. The trail is so obscure that even in the areas in which we found it before, we cannot locate it now, and vice-versa. We make it back to The Knob, flip on the GPS and search for our trail. After crashing around in the brush for a while, we find faint signs of the trail.
We have made just one mile of progress with seven hours of strenuous hiking. I'm worried about the implications. First, this section will now be five days long, not the planned four. It might even be six We have sufficient food, but the concern is that Fran will be stuck at a road junction for two days. Even more concerning, WILDCAT has a fixed completion date and airplane to catch. At this pace, we will not finish the trail.
Despite being low on water, we need to keep pushing. The map shows a tarn on the trail that might provide water. In the Sierras, a tarn is small alpine lake nestled in a granite bowl, with incredible cold, clear water, so that's what we both picture. Instead, this tarn is a murky pond ten foot across. Yuk. We take a liter each and treat it. A couple of miles later we reach Robinson Creek with excellent cold water, and with great joy, we dump out the tarn water and restock with ample cold fresh aqua. Neither of us usually treats our water. Instead, we seek out springs and cold clear creeks such as this one with excellent, safe water.
Stripped to our shorts, we rinse off our bodies and our clothes. A bath and laundry! Gorgeous orange lilies line the creek, and we are careful not to trample them.
We hiked ten hard miles to get five. But we are getting better at trail finding. We now categorize trail as "imaginary trail", "possible trail", and "faint trail". The latter is indeed very exciting to find. We haven't found a use for the term "good trail" yet, and sometimes our "possible trails" turn into game trails.
In some perverse way, I'm really enjoying the navigational challenge.
Five miles to Robinson Creek, total 17
Once again, the trail is faint and frequently blocked with debris. We navigate to The Knob pretty well, but then the trail just follows along a ridge with few navigational clues to watch for, such as creeks, junctions or turns. The area has been burned, and the trail is mostly obliterated and frequently missing. Again we find ourselves walking on a side slope, testing our ankles. We are fully exposed to the sun and 100F heat, scrambling up and down along the ridge. WILDCAT is frequently stopping to rest.
I like to follow navigational clues and stay found. I'm nervous just hiking blindly. The trail just doesn't seem right, so eventually, I flip on the GPS. Sure enough, we are 2.5 miles off-trail, climbing up Lazyman Butte. We are already tired, drinking up our precious water, and now we need to go back 2.5 miles. The trail is so obscure that even in the areas in which we found it before, we cannot locate it now, and vice-versa. We make it back to The Knob, flip on the GPS and search for our trail. After crashing around in the brush for a while, we find faint signs of the trail.
We have made just one mile of progress with seven hours of strenuous hiking. I'm worried about the implications. First, this section will now be five days long, not the planned four. It might even be six We have sufficient food, but the concern is that Fran will be stuck at a road junction for two days. Even more concerning, WILDCAT has a fixed completion date and airplane to catch. At this pace, we will not finish the trail.
Despite being low on water, we need to keep pushing. The map shows a tarn on the trail that might provide water. In the Sierras, a tarn is small alpine lake nestled in a granite bowl, with incredible cold, clear water, so that's what we both picture. Instead, this tarn is a murky pond ten foot across. Yuk. We take a liter each and treat it. A couple of miles later we reach Robinson Creek with excellent cold water, and with great joy, we dump out the tarn water and restock with ample cold fresh aqua. Neither of us usually treats our water. Instead, we seek out springs and cold clear creeks such as this one with excellent, safe water.
Stripped to our shorts, we rinse off our bodies and our clothes. A bath and laundry! Gorgeous orange lilies line the creek, and we are careful not to trample them.
We hiked ten hard miles to get five. But we are getting better at trail finding. We now categorize trail as "imaginary trail", "possible trail", and "faint trail". The latter is indeed very exciting to find. We haven't found a use for the term "good trail" yet, and sometimes our "possible trails" turn into game trails.
In some perverse way, I'm really enjoying the navigational challenge.
Five miles to Robinson Creek, total 17
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
The easy start that wasn't easy
Since Fran is justifiably nervous about the road, I drive downhill with her about two miles until we reach acceptable roadbed, and then walk back up to the trailhead where WILDCAT waits with the packs. Starting hikes with walks to the trailhead seem to be a habit of mine: I walked about ten miles to start the Continental Divide Trail and a thousand to the origin of the Appalachian Trail. Two bonus miles is nothing, and Fran is spared driving the dodgy road alone.
We can see just a little snow on South Yolla Bolly Mountain. At 8,000 feet high, it represents the limit of how high we will hike on this trip, so we likely will have little or no snow to deal with. We both brought ice axes and crampons, but it appears we will have no need for them, so we leave them in the RV.
Reviewing the map last night, it looked like today's trail would be gentle with just a few climbs of a few hundred feet. We're two guys in their sixties and both out of shape, so a few days of easy hiking is a welcome plan. Unfortunately, the map study was quite misleading. What we couldn't see was that the trail was constantly going up and down rather than flat.
We take a little detour to Square Lake. Actually, we were trying to figure out which faint trail to follow and arrived at the lake by accident, but it was well worth the extra tenth of a mile. The crystal clear lake is nestled against towering rock walls and softened by a dense forest of Western White Pine and Sugar Pine. One fisherman is on the other side of the lake enjoying the solitude.
We made plodding progress, partially due to being out of shape, but even more so because of the condition of the trail. Since the trail has little use, it is not maintained. Years of windfalls have blocked the trail with debris. The tread is faint, disappearing under the forest floor of pine needles and cones. We typically follow the trail just 20-50 feet before we lose it under a brush pile. By lunch time we have made just four miles, a fraction of our usual pace. The maps show trail junctions at mile 4.6 and 6.9. We see neither one, which is concerning because there is no reliable water on the trail for fourteen miles. We need to find the faint side trail to Frying Pan creek for water and camp.
By afternoon our trail finding skills are improving, and we are spending a little less time hunting for the trail. The trail generally follows the ridgeline, just off to one side or the other, so when it disappears walking on the side slope is rough on our ankles. Sometimes we just walk on the ridge until we spot the trail again.
Today's plan was for 12 miles, to camp at Frying Pan. That seemed like a short day when we reviewed it, but the trail condition conspired to make it quite challenging. Given the water situation we really had to make it to Frying Pan, so we hiked eleven hours and are quite tired. So much for the easy start!
12 miles to Frying Pan Creek
We can see just a little snow on South Yolla Bolly Mountain. At 8,000 feet high, it represents the limit of how high we will hike on this trip, so we likely will have little or no snow to deal with. We both brought ice axes and crampons, but it appears we will have no need for them, so we leave them in the RV.
Reviewing the map last night, it looked like today's trail would be gentle with just a few climbs of a few hundred feet. We're two guys in their sixties and both out of shape, so a few days of easy hiking is a welcome plan. Unfortunately, the map study was quite misleading. What we couldn't see was that the trail was constantly going up and down rather than flat.
We take a little detour to Square Lake. Actually, we were trying to figure out which faint trail to follow and arrived at the lake by accident, but it was well worth the extra tenth of a mile. The crystal clear lake is nestled against towering rock walls and softened by a dense forest of Western White Pine and Sugar Pine. One fisherman is on the other side of the lake enjoying the solitude.
By afternoon our trail finding skills are improving, and we are spending a little less time hunting for the trail. The trail generally follows the ridgeline, just off to one side or the other, so when it disappears walking on the side slope is rough on our ankles. Sometimes we just walk on the ridge until we spot the trail again.
Today's plan was for 12 miles, to camp at Frying Pan. That seemed like a short day when we reviewed it, but the trail condition conspired to make it quite challenging. Given the water situation we really had to make it to Frying Pan, so we hiked eleven hours and are quite tired. So much for the easy start!
12 miles to Frying Pan Creek
Monday, July 10, 2017
Trailhead
We buy supplies for 30 days in Sacramento and then drive to the trailhead. The highway becomes just a simple road, then a gravel road, then a very heavily rutted and steep forest road. Fran is very nervous about the last couple of miles on the road since she will be driving out alone tomorrow morning. We stop short of the backpacker's trailhead and pull off at a horse trailhead instead.
We lay our sleeping bags out under the trees, breathe in the fresh air, and drift off to a pleasant sleep.
We are the beginning of the Bigfoot Trail. After three years of dreaming and two years of planning, this is really going to happen.
We lay our sleeping bags out under the trees, breathe in the fresh air, and drift off to a pleasant sleep.
We are the beginning of the Bigfoot Trail. After three years of dreaming and two years of planning, this is really going to happen.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Sacramento
We picked up WILDCAT at the Amtrak train station in Sacramento and holed up in an RV park.
We rarely stay in RV parks, much preferring the wilderness. In towns, we often prefer a simple Costco or Walmart parking lot to an RV park. We have no need for RV hookups, with our self-contained tanks and ample solar electricity. But sometimes we are forced into the cramped, paved places called RV campgrounds, especially in cities where overnight parking is not allowed at Walmart.
We pick up WILDCAT at midnight and need to buy some supplies in the morning for the hike. Parking at Costco and Walmart is not allowed. So here we are at an RV park in Sacramento. So be it. It will get us through the night just fine.
Tomorrow we will buy supplies in Sacramento and get to the trail head. I can handle one day in town. Tomorrow we will be in the wilderness.
We rarely stay in RV parks, much preferring the wilderness. In towns, we often prefer a simple Costco or Walmart parking lot to an RV park. We have no need for RV hookups, with our self-contained tanks and ample solar electricity. But sometimes we are forced into the cramped, paved places called RV campgrounds, especially in cities where overnight parking is not allowed at Walmart.
We pick up WILDCAT at midnight and need to buy some supplies in the morning for the hike. Parking at Costco and Walmart is not allowed. So here we are at an RV park in Sacramento. So be it. It will get us through the night just fine.
Tomorrow we will buy supplies in Sacramento and get to the trail head. I can handle one day in town. Tomorrow we will be in the wilderness.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Ignore the damn knee
We've gotta make this happen.
The knee is becoming an issue again. The hyaluronic acid injections I had last about six months and are starting to wear off. I try to get a new series of injections while we are traveling in Portland, but I cannot do that away from my primary care orthopedic surgeon and without a lengthy insurance company approval process. I'm determined to make it work whatever way is possible. I take chondroitin pills, I wear a knee brace, I take ibuprofen, I do physical therapy, I try to keep the knee in shape. I find a Portland orthopedic surgeon who agrees to give me a Cortisone shot which should get me through the hike. I need to make this work. I'm not ready to say thru hiking is behind me and advance quietly into the golden years in a rocking chair. Not yet. I saw hikers in their fifties complete the PCT, but hikers in their 60's drop out. Have I crossed over the line? Am I on the decline? Some hikers keep going into their seventies. Where is my cutoff?
Snow is an issue this early. But I really need to make the knee a non-issue. It killed last year's hike. Time is not on my side. I need to hike this year. Cortisone might mask the problems, or maybe it will give a temporary reprieve. Either way, it is a window. I will hike.
The knee is becoming an issue again. The hyaluronic acid injections I had last about six months and are starting to wear off. I try to get a new series of injections while we are traveling in Portland, but I cannot do that away from my primary care orthopedic surgeon and without a lengthy insurance company approval process. I'm determined to make it work whatever way is possible. I take chondroitin pills, I wear a knee brace, I take ibuprofen, I do physical therapy, I try to keep the knee in shape. I find a Portland orthopedic surgeon who agrees to give me a Cortisone shot which should get me through the hike. I need to make this work. I'm not ready to say thru hiking is behind me and advance quietly into the golden years in a rocking chair. Not yet. I saw hikers in their fifties complete the PCT, but hikers in their 60's drop out. Have I crossed over the line? Am I on the decline? Some hikers keep going into their seventies. Where is my cutoff?
Snow is an issue this early. But I really need to make the knee a non-issue. It killed last year's hike. Time is not on my side. I need to hike this year. Cortisone might mask the problems, or maybe it will give a temporary reprieve. Either way, it is a window. I will hike.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Spring Snow levels
The California Drought is over. Instead, we have a deep snowpack. That is wonderful for the parched mountains, but not necessarily ideal for an early thru hike. I am watching the snow melt. Currently, it is completely impassable, at least for a backpacker as opposed to a mountaineer.
Here's the email I sent to WILDCAT:
Here's the email I sent to WILDCAT:
Basically, we are now just sitting around waiting for the snow to melt in the High Sierras! We plan to start on about July 9th and finish no later than August 6th.
- We may encounter five areas of snow, totaling about 40 miles, of which two stretches totaling 17 miles are quite likely
- High temps will be 80’s-90’s for the first few weeks, dropping to 60’s near the coast
- Low temps will be from freezing to upper 50’s
- Water sources should be good
- Roads will be clear for Fran to meet us
- Bugs may be horrible!
Snow estimates
- 1st week – no snow
- 2nd week (last week of July)
- Eight miles near Caribou Mountain, from mile 129 to 136 (currently 99-197 inches)
- Nine miles near Deadman Peak, from 145 to 153 (currently 99-197 inches)
- Four miles, near South Russian River, from 161 to 164 (currently 59-98 inches)
- 3rd week (first week of August)
- 31 miles, from 255 to 286 may have many patches and traverses
- Likely snow traverses
- nine miles near Grizzly Peak Oregon, from 265 to 273 (currently 10-98 inches)
- eleven miles near Porter’s Camp, from 276 to 286 (currently 10-98 inches), though a lower alternate route will be clear
- 4th week – no snow
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Is this the year?
I started treating the right knee with hyaluronic acid injections in January. The injections don't cure the problem, but they do mimic the lubricant in the cartilage. Some orthopedic surgeons believe in the injections, some do not. They work for most people, but not all, and the relief is temporary.
The injections seem to work very well for me. The knee pain subsides after a few weeks and is nearly gone now. I can hit the trail!
I start discussions with WILDCAT again. Will we hike this year?
WILDCAT cannot hike this September, so we aim to hike in July and August. This will be much earlier than the time frame for last year. And what a difference a year makes. 2016 was a drought year, but the winter of 2016-17 was finally a wet one. Creeks and springs are flowing, but the snow is deep. In places, the trail is still covered with nine to eighteen feet of snow. We may have the odd combination of dangerous snow and hundred degree hiking days. That happens to also be prime time for the mosquito hatch.
But we will be hiking. I have felt this tug for three years now. I'm not going to be particular about the month. I just want this trek to happen.
The injections seem to work very well for me. The knee pain subsides after a few weeks and is nearly gone now. I can hit the trail!
I start discussions with WILDCAT again. Will we hike this year?
WILDCAT cannot hike this September, so we aim to hike in July and August. This will be much earlier than the time frame for last year. And what a difference a year makes. 2016 was a drought year, but the winter of 2016-17 was finally a wet one. Creeks and springs are flowing, but the snow is deep. In places, the trail is still covered with nine to eighteen feet of snow. We may have the odd combination of dangerous snow and hundred degree hiking days. That happens to also be prime time for the mosquito hatch.
But we will be hiking. I have felt this tug for three years now. I'm not going to be particular about the month. I just want this trek to happen.
Sunday, September 4, 2016
The knee says no
Damn. I cannot walk more than a mile on flat land without a pack until the right knee flares up. I have been in denial, but have to face the reality that there is no way I am going to be able to hike this demanding, rigorous trail.
WILDCAT calls and we discuss options, but there really aren't any. The hike is over before it even began, but it is still tough to accept.
WILDCAT calls and we discuss options, but there really aren't any. The hike is over before it even began, but it is still tough to accept.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Knees
There is a problem. WILDCAT and I are set to hike the trail in mid-September. I want to hike.
But my right knee is now hurting. As I take training hikes, the pain increases. The longer I hike, the worse it gets. I have just four weeks to get in shape, but my training walks are getting shorter and shorter due to knee pain. My initial strolls of a few miles are now just a mile long. This is not good.
I recognize the pain since it led to surgery in the other knee last year. My left meniscus (cartilage) is deteriorated, so the surgeon did a temporary microfracture surgery to replicate some temporary cartilage. Now my right knee hurts.
I try to deny the reality I face, though I fear down deep that this hike is not going to occur. I desperately want this hike to happen. Am I really too old? Are my hiking days behind me already?
I let WILDCAT know that I am having knee problems, but I refuse to call off the hike, at least not yet. WILDCAT just bought his non-refundable tickets. This hike has to happen.
But my right knee is now hurting. As I take training hikes, the pain increases. The longer I hike, the worse it gets. I have just four weeks to get in shape, but my training walks are getting shorter and shorter due to knee pain. My initial strolls of a few miles are now just a mile long. This is not good.
I recognize the pain since it led to surgery in the other knee last year. My left meniscus (cartilage) is deteriorated, so the surgeon did a temporary microfracture surgery to replicate some temporary cartilage. Now my right knee hurts.
I let WILDCAT know that I am having knee problems, but I refuse to call off the hike, at least not yet. WILDCAT just bought his non-refundable tickets. This hike has to happen.
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