tribe

Training for a thru-hike…..

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Riding a bike is great cross training for hiking

Well there is more to it than that: Being healthy and fit for a day hike is significantly different than being healthy and fit for a thru hike. Our body and minds need to be ready for the trail. Not to mention the detailed planning that goes into a thru hike adventure which we will discuss in another blog. But the training can start NOW! “The better the train, more the gain on the trail” ……says not just me. The idea of a week-long to a month long thru hike is romantic in my mind given that I will be out in the beautiful-middle-of-no-where-wilderness with all I’II need to survive on my back dependent on only myself-awe!!! That’s pure love. I don’t mean that selfishly I mean it supportively to the idea that self-reliance, self-confidence, basic survival skills and gaining the ambitious belief “I CAN DO IT!” is my means of attack for the encompassing objective in preparing and planning a thru hike. So, with members of my tribe we are working to increase our stamina, endurance, core strength and our confidence to be as successful as possible on our future journey on a section of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) from Yosemite to Tahoe where will make memories that last a life time.

The tribe members joining this journey in July 2018 will be Gwen, myself, Gina, Katie and Brenda. My goal has been to hike the entire length of the Sierra-Nevada’s after completing the JMT (John Muir Trail) with Gwen in 2016. The JMT was Gwen’s pick; this section of the PCT is mine (we take turns picking our adventures). Gina and I hiked Guatemala together summer of 2017 and she fell in love with that part of the trip craving more adventures. Katie wants more time on the trail after her introduction of 2 days on the JMT (read: Gwen’s “Ignorance is bliss” blog). And Brenda is new to hiking and backpacking but very eager with several weekends and overnights under her belt. Gwen, Gina and I will start in Yosemite with Katie and Brenda joining use a week later at Sonora Pass to finish the second half of the 152-mile section ending in Meeks Bay. This is all very exciting to think about but physically challenging to complete.

I have made additional summer commitments beyond the 152-mile hike following the weekend after our completion. They include but aren’t limited to hiking with my son, Cole, from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows including hiking Half Dome, and then the next week we are off to Alaska for salmon fishing and finishing with a half marathon in Anchorage. So, training can’t start soon enough for me. No one needs similar goals to find self-motivation to improve personnel fitness. Where ever you are and whatever your objectives are you can implement a training program to fit your needs or follow the one below. It is a simple comprehensive muscle building, core strengthening, endurance increasing workout plan. Take what you need and go for it!

Note: The section of the PCT we are doing has no elevation gains greater than 4000 feet. There are summits that will be challenging with our back packs weighing between 32-45 pounds.

Remember building all we need within us is a process over time….and we are what we eat. Eating healthy and drinking lots of water is important. Always have fun and respect your limits. Avoid injury by NOT doing too much too fast…. start somewhere but start slow if just beginning to train. A day of rest can do your body and mind wonders. To work out with tribe members is beneficial, motivational and keeps you accountable.

 

Training for a thru hike:

“The difference between a dream and a goal of a thru-hike: An action plan in place to gain momentum for the changes your body will need to achieve your dream while gaining the confidence you need to follow through.”   -BK

HINT: Make a commitment to the days per week for training and stick to it

Cardio and endurance is essential

-hiking steep and difficult trails for a minimum of 2 hours once a week (increase distance and time bi-weekly-gradually)

-challenging quick-paced cardio workout (running, treadmill, biking or stairs) with incline increasing over time for 1 hour a day

-engage in fitness class as an alternative for a shake-up to muscles 1 hour a week (swimming, abs of steel tape, Les Mils at a gym or boxing)

Core strength is imperative

-weight train 3 times weekly for a minimum of ½ and increase weight over time (do 2 to 3 sets of 15 repetitions of each exercise working arms, legs and core)

-yoga, TRK, good old calisthenics or swimming improves core strength (calisthenics: jumping jacks, wall sits, push up, abdominal crunches, chair set-ups, squats, side lunges, squat jacks, high knee shuffle, ski umps, chair tri-cep dips, plank, high knee running in place and mountain climbers to name a few that can be done in circuit form and done twice with 30 second rest between 1 minute of 13 exercises)

– stretching after a good hike or work out is the best time to stretch because you are warmed with blood flowing through your muscles. Basic stretching after each workout will decrease soreness and increase your range of motion

– Varying exercises with increase of time, incline, distance and weight improves stamina and overall benefits of training

Our tribe starts TODAY! We are starting with the stairs at McKale Center (@ U of Arizona their basketball stadium). We will run up and then down all of stairs for an hour -around and around we will go. We are trying to exercise be it hiking, walking, running or swimming 5 days a week with a long hike at least once a week. This Sunday we are doing Blackett’s in Sabino Canyon National Park which is a total of 8-miles, but the last leg of it is up 1.7 miles with a 1700-foot elevation gain. Tucson tends to have awesome winter weather making outdoor training easy and a multitude of diverse types of hiking trails to choose from. And the stadium stairs for not-so-good weather days. We will start adding weight to our backpacks and do a few shake-out overnights that will prepare our bodies to carry the weight of our packs on the 14-day journey.

Start today……. stick with it! You will only get better!

-Kat

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Looking in the direction I am headed… believing I CAN DO IT!

Gear you can’t live without…

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Backpacking can be incredibly exciting while seeing untouched outdoor locations. Putting all the gear together can be costly to start. Carrying it all can be heavy but not having it is the difference between loving your experience or never wanting to go again. So, the preparation with through thought and a bit of anticipation that you will eventually need everything for a longer thru-hike is a great starting place. Or you could be like Gwen and I who set our sights on a goal of 200+ miles through the wilderness for our first major thru-hike. I had back packed before the John Muir Trail (JMT) but only for weekend outings that my aged exterior framed backpack that only held weekend supplies would never do for a 20-day hike on the JMT. And it also meant that my day pack for those weekly outings in our local areas wouldn’t do either as it only holds my water supply and snacks for a day hike.

Gwen and I had to gear up for a major thru hike and we were basically starting from scratch. The debate between ultra-light and not so ultra-light is yours to have with yourself. We had our own internal and external arguments about this topic but the 20 days on the trail ended up being the experience we needed to make up our minds. There are great reasons justifying either position. Being somewhere in the middle for weight could be a happy medium. The idea that makes weight a considerably important thought is “grams equal ounces, ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain”. With that in mind I’m sure you’ll come to your own comfort level. And whatever weight you choose remember you will feel it all as you hike the trails your planning on exploring.

Buying your gear is making a financial commitment to your new-found passion. The physical training flowed easier for me after I spent all the money in preparation for our through hike. I also realized once you are all set up and dialed in with your gear it will serve you well if you take care of it. There are big ticket items that you just don’t want to skimp on like your bedding (a bag or quilt), your bed pad you sleep on to insulate from the ground you are laying on and your tent. But most importantly is the back pack you choose to put it all in because everything you need will be on your back. To be accurately fitted for your pack and it being the size you will use now and in the future, is important.

GEAR LIST:

Big ticket items ….

Tent- I chose a 2-man tent because I liked the extra room and didn’t mind the extra weight

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my home away from home

Back pack – get fitted at your outdoor shop

Sleeping bag or quilt -make sure you get one that the temperature will be right for your environment you will be in-sleeping bag liners can add additional warmth

Sleeping pad -the R value is important to your level of warmth at night (the higher the number the greater the warmth) and the thickness of the pad equates to your comfort

Not such big-ticket items ….

Stove -the Jet Boil is super-fast and kinda big compared to the pocket rockets sold on line that easily screw onto the fuel can while taking up little space in pack because they can be stored in a stainless-steel cup that you use for water boiling.

Water filter –Katadyn is super-fast, but bulky compared to the mini sawyer. For a thru hike I recommend the Katadyn and the mini sawyer as a backup water treatment.

Water source containers -these could be bladders or bottles. I prefer the 32 oz. bottles with the adaptor on the top that has a mouth piece and a hose that screws on in place of the cap. There are available on line and they save space in your pack because they can be stored on the outside of it verses the bladder on the inside. Exterior bottles it is easier to monitor your water supply while hiking.

Trekking poles – These are multi-functional for better use of physical energy. They improve your cardio work out and aid in over balance on rough terrain. They also reduce weight on knees 30% and help to slow or reduce fatigue (the power lock poles versus the screw type are better). It is also a suitable place to wrap your duct tape or medical tape supply around so that you will have it for repairs if need. Duct tape and a sharpie are musts for day hikes to thru hikes. Sharpies are great for first aid to mark injury times and monitor swelling.

Of course, you will also need a means of navigation (a map or gps-I used Inreach Garmin with 2-way communication via satellite and down loaded maps-that is a big-ticket item), permits if required and a journal with means to write. Your clothing should be in layers for all different types of weather, wicking and include Merino wool as it doesn’t smell after days of wearing it. I like to hike in running shorts and tank tops which are easy to wear under long pants and additional top layers if needed. I wear one set of clothing and then I can wash out the other, so I always have a clean (relatively) set of clothes. Clothing also consists of sleepwear (merino wool tights, t-shirt and undies-2 pair one to wear and one to wash out), down jacket, rain jacket, beanie, sleep socks (super comfy and they add warmth), hiking socks (again two pair-one to wear and one to wash out) and gloves. I also have one pair of long pants and one long sleeve shirt.

You will need fuel, water proof matches and a lighter. Make sure you have a basic first-aid kit and include lots of Ibuprophen or Tylenol for the aches and pains of thru-hiking. I liked to sleep with ear plugs too. A flashlight and head lamp are also important. There are solar light-weight lanterns out now that are awesome. Extra batteries weigh but you’ll need them unless you have a solar charger (another big-ticket item). A Swiss Army or Leatherman knife with multi-tools is a must and consider its weight. The stuff sacks available make organization of your supplies, clothes and toiletries much easier. Sunscreen, lip balm and dehydrated baby wipes reduce weight and make clean up without water at least feel fresh. And a quick -dry towel and washcloths are a must for bathing with bio degradable soap. I also like a bandana tied on my pack for a sweat rag. A spork to eat with is essential as is a bear canister in bear country or a sack for food to hang in a tree and then you’ll need rope (nylon or light weight at least 50’) which is a must anyways for a clothes line, swift water crossings or other applications.

Your foot wear is extremely important and should be worked out prior to long hike. I preferred light weight trail runners, not boots, but everyone is different. A pair of camp shoes that can double as water shoes is nice to give your feet a break. A poop bag is handy so not to pollute the outdoors. I make mine out of hardy Ziplocs covered in duct tape (so not to see contents) …it really only holds used toilet paper. A wag-bag is a whole different story that those who have done Mt. Whitney are well aware of wag-bags. You will also need a shovel to dig your potty holes. They make very light weight shovels. And extra Ziplocs are useful for your trash. Bear spray (if allowed) is weighty but it works, and insect repellent is also good to have. Pre-spraying Permethrin on all your clothes, sleeping bag, tent and backpack works well for insect repellent.

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Pocket rocket with coffee cups waiting for a fill up

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Re-supply time…it all had to fit in the bear canister

Food:

NOTE: It is important to taste your food before that is all you have to eat in the middle of no-where and you figure out you don’t like it!

For a general rule of thumb your food choices should have at least a 100-calories per ounce of food. Your daily consumption of food on trail will go up with your calorie burn through exercise. I liked to have three meals, two of them hot (breakfast and dinner), and as many as three snacks plus gummies or blocks for the demanding summit climbs.

If carrying a bear canister all your food needs to be re-packed to fit into the canister. Ziploc freezer bags are great for dual purpose of re-packing and then to cook the food in them. The dehydrated food can be re-hydrated in the freezer zip locks by just adding water to it. I love oatmeal so that can easily be my breakfast every morning. You can add nuts and dehydrated fruits as well as protein powder to your oatmeal to make the calories count and the taste better if need be. I also like my tea with sweetener every day and Gwen enjoys a cup of coffee with instant breakfast in too for flavor and additional protein.

My lunches are “pro bars” that are packed with calories and small to carry. My snacks are an assortment of protein bars I have come to love. Peanut butter Balance bars are my favorite. And Cliff Bloks were imperative to my ability to make it up and over summits. I love these too – energy jelly beans or PRO BAR gummies. They are all made for “during workouts” with high carbs for quick energy. They work well. And they taste yummy too!

The tuna packages are also great for lunch and tortillas with preservatives last a long time. Peanut butter and jelly in small packages are also yummy on tortillas.

Electrolytes can prevent cramps so supplement your diet with while hiking. I like the water flavor types that come in small squeeze bottles but there are many types to choose from. I recommend you use electrolytes at least one time daily. Again, pre-taste them too.

I bring additional salt packages but that is just me. I did find day in and day out that Top Ramen for dinner is yummy, but the entire season package contains a lot of salt, so I ultimately used only half of that at dinner or I would be thirsty all-night long.

This list is not inclusive of all that you should bring but it a good place to start if you have never gone backpacking before. Experience is the best teacher but being over prepared is better than under prepared when you’re in the back country. Hiking with a buddy can reduce weight you each if you can share. Hopefully this is helpful and useful information.

May all your trails be happy!

-Kat

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Walking through some of the big ones on the JMT

Ignorance is bliss…

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Katie sitting on the top of Half Dome

They say ignorance is bliss, and for our friend Katie, her first backpacking adventure really was a blissfully ignorant experience. But for Kat and I, her “hiking chaperones”, not so much. Last summer Kat and I hiked the John Muir Trail (JMT). For the 2 years building up to our hike, Katie watched us plan and prepare every detail  for  this super intense thru hike and as she took it all in, decided she wanted to have a taste of our adventure. She had never backpacked and wasn’t much of a hiker but what she had was great athletic ability as a swimmer and cyclist and a shared sense of wanting something fun and challenging outdoors; our hiking plans had definitely  piqued her interest. The plan was for Katie to tag along for the ride and join us for our first 2 acclimation nights at Curry Camp in Yosemite where we would officially start our thru hike. We then went one step further and told Katie she should start out with us on our JMT hike and camp with us our first night at Little Yosemite Valley. It was the perfect plan and Katie was stoked and so were we…this was an epic adventure and we were happy to share in the excitement.

Upon arriving at Yosemite, Kat and I watched as the euphoria of being in nature and especially of being in breathtakingly beautiful  Yosemite take  hold of Katie. Before our very eyes, we were watching a hiking newbie as she was  overcome and overwhelmed by something she had never witnessed or experienced…she was seeing things and feeling things that she never knew she was missing but quickly realizing she needed in her life. Her excitement reminded me of a 4-year-old seeing Disneyland for the first time…but even better because there’s not much left that excites a 50 year to this level!

We spent 2 days  acclimatizing and mentally preparing for a hike of a lifetime.  They say that the hardest part of the John Muir Trail is the first 4.3 miles hiking out of the Yosemite Valley. It’s an elevation gain of 2100′ feet and its carrying a 35 lb pack on your not yet developed “trail legs” that gets you and I would whole heartedly agree with that assessment. Its straight up steep, climbing overly tall granite steps . Having left at dawn, we arrived at Little Yosemite Valley early, made first nights camp and relaxed for a bit, swimming in the Merced River, kicking back on the banks of the river, especially enjoyable coming from the dry dusty desert. We were feeling proud of our first day on the trail. But  we couldn’t leave well enough alone and decided although we were beat from our hike up, we just needed to get in the presence of  Half Dome, Yosemite’s tallest granite peak. Bravely admitting it just wasn’t in the cards to climb up this scary beast on this trip (for me, I just knew I wouldn’t have the strength to make it up 600′ of straight up chains) but still, we wanted to get close to H.D. and see for ourselves this wondrous peak known both for its beauty and it’s adrenaline  inducing thrill of making it to the top without plummeting to one’s death. It’s intense and you have to be on your game, and I had no game left that first day. We set off from L.Y.V. at 3:00 in the afternoon and made our way up the trail with the general idea of going as far as the sub-dome and then we would turn around. But very soon after we started out, Katie, who hadn’t hiked with a 35lb pack on her back that day got another shot of her new-found euphoric energy at the thought of seeing Half Dome, started hiking faster than us, pulling ahead and as quickly as you can say , “never separate from your hiking group”, she was gone and out of sight from us. Oh-kee-dokie. Kat and I didn’t love that she’d done that, but like I said, Katie is athletic, she’s smart…but…she’s not a hiker…and it was getting a little late to summit Half Dome and the icing on the cake; ominous thunder heads were forming quickly in the not too far off horizon. Sudden and fast moving  storms are the #1 way people die on Half Dome; when lightning strikes on that wide open granite, the valleys biggest and highest lightning rod, people have no place to take shelter.  Kat and I picked up our pace thinking we would catch up to Katie but we didn’t. We continued on and as we were passing people coming down from H.D. we started asking if they had seen a petite blond in a bright blue jacket. They would all pause to think, but ultimately respond with a “no”. We kept hiking up the trail and thats when I started noticing little trails that went off the main trail. I was getting a stomach ache. We kept hiking and asking, always with the same answer, “no, we haven’t seen her.” Luckily dusk was a few hours away since it was summer but the clouds were creeping in closer and closer and we were getting panicky. Which wrong trail did Katie take? Will she know how to find her way back? Is she scared being all alone and lost? Does she have enough water? Will a bear eat her? Will her husband kill us when we have to break the news to him that we lost his wife? By this time I was on the verge of throwing up. My already wobbly legs were getting weaker and weaker as the minutes passed. Kat was handling this much different…she was swearing with clenched fists, ready to take Katie out (if we ever saw her again). We came upon our 10th group of hikers who we  just happened to have hiked with earlier in the day. We stopped and traded a few pleasantries about meeting on the trail again and then quickly changed the  subject and once again asked if they’d seen Katie who they knew from earlier in the day. This time we got a different answer…”yes, we saw her going up as we were coming down.” I’m sure all the other groups had been too deep into their own Half Dome hiking experience to notice Katie but our new trail friends probably stopped to say hello again and thats why they noticed her. At the news that Katie had been spotted, I nearly started crying with joy. Kat now was able to really let loose knowing she wouldn’t regret her words since Katie was actually  still alive.

Hearing that Katie was safe and now headed all the way up Half Dome, Kat and I knew there was nothing we could do, that she’d be a few hours. Knowing we still needed  to filter water, collect our camp water, make dinner and  re-pack our bear canisters and prep for the next full day of hiking, we headed back down to our camp site so that we weren’t doing these tasks in the dark. The clouds were still a worry but I trusted that if the threat grew eminent, a “real” hiker would kindly grab Katie by the hand and yank her down as fast as they could go…she wouldnt be left behind.

Dusk fell and no sign of Katie but very soon after full on nightfall,  2 headlamps walked towards our campsite, one being Katie and the other being her new hiking buddy who just happened to be a world traveling hiker, quite famous on Instagram. She met him on the way up, also picking up another solo hiker on the way. And according to Katie, she spent several hours in the company of two of the most interesting and intellectual people she had ever met.  Part of what made her new friends so interesting was their wanderlust for nature and hiking and their lack of materialism that backpacking reminds us so beautifully of.  It was another piece of the puzzle that Katie didn’t realize she was missing, but was happily discovering thru yet another chance meeting of  enlightened backpackers who were happy to share what those of us who love the backcountry know.

To say that Katie enjoyed her Half Dome climb would truly be the understatement of the century. You couldn’t wipe the grin off her face, her feet were barely touching the ground…the woman was high as a kite!!! I explained as kindly as I could that she literally broke every backpacking/hiking rule in the book while Kat unleashed  on her ( in a scary but  loving momma bear way)…how it effected us as her hiking partners and what she did was the ultimate in selfishness. But it didn’t matter. Katie was too drunk on nature and she could barely concentrate  on what we were saying. She was giddy with the joy that nature always delivers. She interupted our lectures several times to relive her Half Dome assent…she couldn’t believe that this type of experience was out there waiting for the taking! It was infectious and we loved experiencing Katies first taste of nature with her…it had been a long time since our own first step into nature that would forever change us and it was fun to experience it again through someone else’s eyes. Lecture over. It was pointless.

Day 2 we woke up, had coffee and breakfast, packed up and walked Katie to the fork in the trail. Kat and I would turn right and continue another 207 miles to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 and Katie would turn left, taking the 4.3 mile trail back to Yosemite Valley. The three  of us hugged and said our farewells, turned in opposite directions and set off…2 of us about to embarked on the most epic 211 mile of our life, one just completing the most epic hike of her life thus far, crushing Half Dome. And discovering her new found love of nature.

~Gwen

Who you meet on the trail…..

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The full moon was on the 4th of November 2017 and three of us set out for an overnight at Hutches Pools. We rode the tram (kinda cheating) up to the top from the parking area of Sabino Canyon. Off the tram we were with backpacks strapped on and then hiked in the rest of way. Gwen and I had first gone to Hutches Pools two years ago as our “shake-out trip” for the John Muir Trail. We had purchased all our gear for our 210-mile thru-hike, but we had yet to use it so Mother’s Day we hiked in as a gift to ourselves and spent the night. We were familiar with Sabino Canyon. Our favorite tough hike is Blackett’s which is 1.7 miles long situated off Phoneline Trail. In its short 1.7 miles to the end of Blackett’s the elevation gain is 1700’. That trail offers the most bang for the buck of a workout. Phoneline is just a nice, long trail with splendid views of the canyon where you can see folks walking the road, the tram traveling up and down it and the creek flowing in the monsoon season and after rainfall or snow-melt. Sabino Canyon’s most popular water hole trail is Seven Falls that meanders across the creek 7 times before climbing a few switch backs to get to the mid-section of the canyon wall and continue to hike up the canyon to the end where water run-off is spectacular if you time it right and it’s refreshing if nothing else. Until my first trip to Hutches Pools I thought Seven Falls was the greatest in the canyon, but you can’t camp there, and you can at Hutches. So off we went to seek a quiet bright night lit by the full moon.

The some of the trail to Hutches Pool is part of the Arizona Trail that leads north from the Mexican border reaching all the way to the Utah state line. The first time Gwen and I hiked it we ran into an ultra-light hiker who was standing near a ‘y’ in the trail. We asked him where he was going as we were passing by and he replied “Utah”. Wow! We thought he’d say Hutches Pools or back to Sabino Canyon, but nope…. he was in route to Utah. That was cool. I think that might have been our first experience with a thru-hiker on a trail. We were going to be thru-hikers come that July, but we needed to do an overnight first to test our gear so up the trail we continued. Hutches Pools offers a tranquil beauty of a fresh deep pool surrounded by rocks and the opening has a small sandy beach. For our first experience overnight in our new tents, quilts and backpacks at Hutches was perfect so revisiting it was a welcomed reprieve from the city as it is so close and yet so remote. The three of us were excited to spend a Saturday hanging in our hammocks prior to the full moon. A few other friends wanted a day hike, so they hiked in with us, ate their snacks with us and then headed back as we found comfort in our hammocks.

We rested a while and then decided to set up our tents. With fall in full swing dark comes early, around 630. That meant ‘back-packers midnight’. So, all three of same brand orange back packer’s tents were set up in camp that was a bit off the trail and a walk to the actual pools. Gwen and I had found a spot we liked and returned to the same one because we had a huge boulder as wind protection, it sat near a stream (not flowing in November) and we sat back off the trail so if there were to be other hikers at Hutches Pools they wouldn’t be coming through our camp. We had eaten our snacks and our lunch, walked up to the pools and took pictures, set our camp and as the sun was starting to set we made our diners. The feeling of being out in the middle of no-where with everything you need carried in our backs and no noise pollution of civilization set the mood for relaxation and enjoyment. Luckily, our group was the only pool visitors that day, other than the two distance runners who quickly ran to the pool, rested, and returned to the trail to run back to Sabino Canyon. The little paradise was all ours to enjoy.

We all made our dinner and ate with our sporks. We were chatting and listening with gaps of quietness in our conversation. Dinner was cleaned up quick and the sun had fully set. The moon had yet to completely rise so a cast of darkness was coming through the canyon. We settled back in our hammocks to await the moon rise but as time passed and the moon had yet to rise above the canyon walls we all decided we were too tired to wait and we should go to bed. As we were getting ready to bed down we brushed our teeth and situated our belongings I looked up and saw a headlamp come through the trees not where usual traffic would be off the trail. I was startled and realized my bear spray laid in my tent which was now between me and the person in the dark walking straight into our camp. My best response was to say “hello?” only to be answered by a tired and anxious males voice also saying “hello?”.

He stumbled into our camp with what appeared to be exhaustion and asked if he was at Hutches Pools. We said “yes”. I asked, “where did you hike in from?”

He responded, “from the top of the Catalinas up by Summerhaven ski resort.”

“What time did you start?”

He replied with a sigh of relief “8 a.m. this morning. Is there a spot for me to camp around here?”

We all answered at once “Yes”. And then decided it would be best to guide him to the pools in the dark with our headlamps and solar lanterns to make is easier to see and show him a spot near the water a distance from our camp. He was thankful for our attention and we all said good night as we left him taking his back pack off in the dark by himself.

The three of us chatted about him. Brenda was worried about him as he looked like an older gentleman all by himself, but Gwen and I both agreed he had probably been hiking and backpacking since he was a youth.

It was now back-packer’s midnight and we each crawled into our tents into our bedrolls that sat on top of our sleeping pads and we waited for sleep.

Of course, we all were fast asleep before the moon rose but as usual I had to get up to pee in the middle of the night, or I thought it was still night. When I rolled out of my tent and stood up I was amazed as to how bright the dark had become with the moon hanging high in the sky. It looked as bright as day. Wow. That was beautiful. I did my normal squat and crawled back into bed. I had to put my quilt over my eyes to make it dark enough to fall back asleep with the glow of the moon illuminating my tent.

Morning came, and we were breaking camp after our breakfast. The night hiker wondered back into our camp to say thank you for last night’s hospitality showing him a camp site. He was a soft-spoken man with an English accent. We started a conversation with him asking him details of his hike, his hiking history and eventually bid him farewell. As he walked farther from us and out of our sight we continued to discuss him and his story.

“David” had started on the Arizona Trail 5 weeks earlier at the Utah Stateline and needed to finish at the Mexican border within 10 days to catch his flight back home to Canada. He had in fact been hiking and back packing his whole life. He had started when he was about 10 in England, but he had lived in Canada for over 50 years. He was a young 70-year-old who last year had completed the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 6 months. He had also trekked the Appalachian Trail. He said he preferred long thru hikes and wasn’t aware of which hike would be his next one. He had been outfitted in an old exterior framed canvas backpack which seemed perfectly sufficient for him. Yikes…. I don’t think they even sell that equipment type anymore. I inquired about what his family thought about his thru hike and time away from home and he said he had no family.  He explained that he found a lot of the thru hikers he had come to meet through his travels also were solo which seemed to allow for their choices of how they spend their time…. on the trails…in the middle of nowhere often alone perfectly ok. We found it all very interesting.

What struck me about meeting him out there was that he was as much of interest as the beauty or the diversity of the landscape we had hiked through. The depth of character and wealth of information he offered I found intriguing. I’m often motivated by ‘wonder’ and I feel at peace in Mother Nature looking at all she offers me to ‘wonder’ about. Yet after speaking to David I reflected on the ‘wonder’ of the souls we meet while out on the trails……and what makes ‘those’ people be the ones you cross paths with? I don’t know … but what I do know is that there seems to be a ‘liked mind-ness’ out on the trails and to be able to share ‘that’ with strangers seems like an additional benefit to hiking.

Looking forward to meeting more hikers on the trails….

-Kat

Holidays hips and giggles

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Cranberry-pistachio biscotti dipped in white chocolate

The holidays seem to be in full throttle after Halloween which makes for an exciting time of the year as it quickly buzzes by to start a new one. I love the holidays. I love everything about the holidays. Especially my holiday baking which starts in October and goes through November. I enjoy making cookies, biscotti and candy for Holiday gifts for friends and family. I’m nearly finished with 9 different cookies, two different biscotti’s and four different chocolates from caramel covered in it to seafoam both dark and milk. Something happens to me during this time of year and my clothes revolt in tightness. 2017 was an interesting year for me weight wise anyways.  I had a fungus that spread like wild fire on my face that was eventually treated with prednisone for 6 weeks prior to and while I was in the jungles of Guatemala eating the native food available which consisted of corn with more corn and the occasional boiled squash or blackberry leaves. It all seemed like a recipe for twenty pounds to find their way into my life and stick to my mid-section. It could cast a dark shadow on the holiday feasts or I can be realistic about it and approach it with wisdom (and caution). But wisdom sounds smarter and a bit more positive.

Since I am not the only one in my tribe with extra pounds showing up on the scale I have support in my efforts and attack plan. We have made a pact to go easy between now and the New Year as our goal is to stay in good condition until then. In January we will start fresh with a new exercise routine. One member of our tribe has already hit her goals of trimming not just weight but inches from her body. She looks and feels fantastic (Congrats Laura). She made a goal and stuck to it prior to the rush of the holidays. Her plan was working out an hour a day, six days a week, doing a different fitness class everyday stirring her body up enough to drop the extra insulation. She is an inspiration. Having workout buddies sure makes the journey to fitness and health a lot more enjoyable plus it helps for accountability. Between now and the New Year my time is going to be split between the mountains (where my boyfriend lives) and Tucson where all my friends live. Being in two places while splitting my time makes a routine difficult to follow but I am not making excuses.

My plan is Laura’s work out plan with two other tribe members who also have crazy travel and work schedules between now and the New Year. We have all agreed to exercise at least five times a week and attempt a calorie deficiency daily to try to get ahead of the game or at least not get behind with more weight gain through New Year’s. Even though I am not in the same town all the time a motivating text between us with words of encouragement can keep me and them on task. My text sent today stated how I missed our workouts together but that I have been trying to hike everyday while in the mountains. The fall weather is far from cold. And I feel like when I’m hiking I’m weight lifting to cus I’m carrying an extra 20 pounds around with me on my belly. I also said I’m looking forward to our January plans. And I received a text reminding me of our 2018 hiking plans. We have booked a 2-night stay at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in February. That’s a great goal to firm up for because hiking in is easy but the hike out can be daunting if your carrying a lot more than your needed gear. We also have plans to hike in March north of the Grand Canyon in southern Utah at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Keeping ourselves on track and making goals seems to be what maintains motivation among us.

I know that the older we get the easier and faster the weight piles on and then the task of getting it off seems to take almost twice as long. Given that I am going to be “double-nickels” next April; 50 and I have had a few years getting acquainted. I’m understanding the process of aging better and really hope that 2018 and I have a more mutually beneficial relationship when it come to the weight yo-yo. I’m making 55 my year to “get it” and hopefully it sticks. (I also know I will not be taking prednisone anytime soon as that seems to be the ingredient to pack on the extra pounds, but my face rash is resolved-that’s good news)

Maybe this time of year with the holidays hard to ignore and the year ending soon I reflect on what I want to change in the coming year more often. I feel at my age what seems to be of the greatest importance is my overall health and humor. So, I will embrace 2018 with a new exercise routine to shed the extra poundage. And until then I will exercise as consistently as possible given my schedule, reduce my portions and prime myself with my workout buddies for the coming year. Of course, doing all the above laughing all the way. Laughter is life and light to the soul. I just wish sometimes that laughing so hard could count as exercise and I’d lose weight. It’s gotta be good for the ab’s. Without ever taking myself too seriously I look forward to an agreed upon plan for the coming year! I am excited for the hiking trips planned and look forward to even more happening in July for a long through hike in Northern California. All I can think is let’s just do it!

Whose with me?

Kat