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.

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:

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

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 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.

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.

Planning the Hike

WILDCAT and I are mapping out plans for a September hike. This just might happen!

The Bigfoot Trail is a long distance hiking trail through the Klamath Mountains of northwest California and (briefly) southwest Oregon. The trail begins in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness and ends near the Redwood National Park at the Pacific Ocean in Crescent City, CA.  The major focus of the trail is conifer diversity, passing 32 species along 360 miles, passing through six wilderness areas and one national park.

Of the 360 miles, about 100 miles are along seldom used Forest Service Roads while the remaining segments are mostly unmaintained backcountry trails, other than a brief section that coincides with the Pacific Crest Trail. This trail cannot be hiked quickly; much of the trail has been unmaintained for decades, and expert skills in map and compass are required. This will definitely be a challenge for outdoor skills.

Hiking partners

The Bigfoot Trail is gnawing at me. I feel the tug, but I need a hiking partner for a trail this remote. My other hikes have been alone, but with the assurance that there are other hikers behind me if something happens. Not so on this one. There would be no one coming up behind.

There are two absolutely incredible human beings with the skill that this trail demands. WILDCAT is a Triple Crowner (completing the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail), and Fatty is a younger outdoor Guide and Physical Therapist.  I send them both an email:

I'm thinking about another hike, this time just 360'ish miles. You might recall how beautiful NW California was, with the Marble Mountains, Russian Wilderness, etc. I have wanted to go back there and also wanted to hike from there to the west into the redwoods. Well, now a guy has proposed a new trail that wanders through those areas, emphasizing the botanical diversity on the way. Sounds like a great hike. http://bigfoottrail.org


Unfortunately, neither are available to hike this year. I set my sights on 2016.  The pull of this Trail is strong.

Kickstarter

On my PCT hike in 2004, I fell in love with the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountains, located in the farthest northern stretch of California. Remote, wild, and rugged, the trail has amazing expansive views of jagged granite peaks, as well as beautiful lush forest below treeline.  I vowed I'd get back and hike more in this area, but alas a decade later I I still haven't.

Today, I ran into this random Kickstarter campaign, proposing a new thru hike in this area.
Kickstarter BigFoot Trail

This is very intriguing. I generally hike alone, but this is too new, too remote, too rugged. I'd need a hiking partner. I click on "pledge" and start thinking of who might join me on this hike.

(Click Next to continue reading my daily blogs as I hike along. )

Key West to Halifax - Greatests Moments

We made it! We paddled and hiked for ten months, traversing from Key West Florida to Halifax Nova Scotia.

Read along by clicking on the selections to the right, or scroll on down to read the blog entries from the finish back to the to start.

I'm often asked questions about the trek, and the answers form a nice summary. 

Q. Best Part?

A. Kayaking. We just love the intimacy and physicality of being in nature out on the water.

Q. Scariest moment? 

A. The stormy seas in Sarasota Bay grew beyond the level in which we could do a rescue if we capsized, and worsened while we tried to find a place to bail off of the water. 

Q. Scary animals?

A. We saw alligators, bears and rattlesnakes (and moose, skunks, coyotes and porcupines) but had no serious encounters. The only problems were ticks and mosquitoes. 

Q. Friendly people? 

A. There were lots of friendly people, but Liz Price of the Big Bend paddling trail and the people of Suwannee Florida, Sarasota Florida, St John New Brunswick and Moncton New Brunswick were particularly amazing.

Finish - Sep 29

I haven't seen the Atlantic Ocean since the Florida Keys. Today I see it again. A brilliant blue sky, calm air, and a flat sea. Tranquility. Peace. Calm. 

I stop for a few minutes of quiet solitude. Who can explain the magic serenity that comes from watching the sea? 

Lucy, Craig, and some of their neighbors and co-workers join me for the last couple of miles. It's great to have the company as we chatter about nothing in particular, and walk down the gorgeous coastline.

Your Turn - Sep 28

Tomorrow my trek ends, 286 glorious days paddling and hiking the 4,000 miles from Key West Florida to Halifax Nova Scotia.

Early on we posted our hope that we might inspire you. Too often it seems dreams are deferred to some distant future when it will be easier or more convenient, or one listens too much to those doubting inner voices.

I hoped to show that anything is possible if you commit yourself to your dreams. Maybe yours is to learn the guitar, or design your own house, or grow the perfect rose, or volunteer for a worthy cause. 

You have some little kernel deep in your heart if you listen quietly enough for it to arise. 

Your dream might be both exciting  a bit frightening. "Can I really do that?"

Sunday Finish? - Sep 26

Can I finish on Sunday?  I've been making good time.
Just how many more miles are left? What are the roads like? What will the weather be? 

- Spirit recalculates the miles remaining as of Wednesday night. Just 78. Three twenties and a final eighteen and we're done. 

- Other than a few trail segments the final day, the route is hard pavement. Easy miles, but tough on the feet and legs, which are already sore. I'm going to slow down my pace a bit to reduce stiffness and pain.

Lucky - Sep 25

I'm lucky, like my Dad.

On Monday many miles of the ATV trail consisted of red clay. With rain forecast in the afternoon I could foresee a very slippery trail full of puddles, not to mention sticky, heavy shoes. I pushed hard to beat the rain, and was lucky to reach gravel before it hit.

On Wednesday the forecast was again rain and I pounded hard to beat it.

Which Route? - Sep 23

Very little of the Trans Canada Trail is complete in central Nova Scotia. Other than the Short Line rail to trail, essentially none of the TCT appears to exist yet, except the little stretch near Lucy's house that inspired this trek. 

I'm actually not sure of that. The TCT website may be out of date (it was for New Brunswick) and I haven't had any replies to email to various Nova Scotia organizations (mostly governmental).

And then I'm not sure what I want. When hiking on busy monotonous roads, I decide to switch to wooded ATV trails. Penned in on viewless ATV trails, I look for the openness of roads. Back on the roads my sore feet beg for ATV trails. Stepping through puddles on ATV trails, I long for a well built road.