I started the morning with a 30-minute hike into and around the marsh with Dakota. Our objectives were quite different. She was looking for the perfect stick to chase…I was hoping to spot an eagle or two. Neither of us achieved our objective, but both of us enjoyed the journey.
The thermometer hovered in the low thirties, but it was January and the sun was shining as we crunched our way through open meadows to the marsh. I know it’s still a bit early for antlers to be dropping from the heads of the whitetail bucks, but I was looking down as much as up as I walked. Dakota just runs back and forth, sniffing and listening, bounding and pooping and always wearing a smile. I don’t think a person could be any happier than she is anytime we’re in the park. Anyway, I made my way to the marsh armed with my high-powered binoculars and my camera. I combed the trees on the edge of the marsh for 20 minutes, seeing only a red-tailed hawk for my efforts, but completely enjoying the serenity of the morning on the marsh. It remains partially frozen, but there was no activity of any kind…including an absence of water fowl, which is quite unusual. I managed a couple of nice pictures of Dakota searching for eagles…or beavers…or most likely…sticks…but could only spend a short time since I needed to pick Jack up from his baby sitting job at the church. Though I’d spent less than an hour in the park…as always, it was time well spent.
I returned to the trainer and the summit of Everest. The 71-year old climber from Japan began his final ascent at 1 a.m. in the morning from the final base camp at 26,000 feet. He was monitored closely by a Japanese guide and a Sherpa each step of the way and made it to the top…slowly. After only 30 minutes on the peak, he needed to return to base camp and the essential oxygen bottle refills that waited there. His round trip took over 18 hours of steady hiking…always in his heart rate’s training zone…or, to put it another way…always working extremely hard.
I admire what the people on the expedition teams are achieving…climbing to the highest point on the planet. And yet, they all are more than willing to acknowledge that what they’ve accomplished could not be done without the constant assistance of the Sherpa’s. These incredibly acclimatized men string safety lines over the final six miles of the trail to the summit, install ladders where essential, put up tents at the five camps above the main base camps for overnight acclimatization hikes, lug all the oxygen bottles, food and other supplies, and do the cooking and cleaning. From what the show details, I’d say all the members of the expedition climbing team do is hike…and wipe their own butts. There are other ways to climb Everest…without Sherpa’s…but I don’t know what percentage of the people who summit Everest actually do this. I can assure you from watching this program that the body count…210 dead through 2007…would be much higher without the Sherpa’s. Maybe not…because the people they aid would never get near the summit without them. Anyway…I know it’s not for me. I want to do what I do without assistance …or spending $40-60,000. I’ll stick to the amazing views I can get driving eight hours to the Adirondacks for the price of a tank and a half of gas.
Bike Duration: 90 minutes. Hike duration: 30 minutes.
Trainin Heart Rate: 120 cycling, 80 hiking.Calories burned during workout: 1250 biking, 150 hiking.
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