Friday, August 6, 2010
I called Nilesh Shah, an old friend I’d coached in high school who was now a sports med doc working for Summa Health in Hudson. He was still running himself and working with athletes every day. I told him how I was due to head for the Adirondacks in a week…he was used to athletes calling for help a week before they were scheduled to compete and absolutely had to be ready. “Come on in at 3 p.m. and we’ll see what’s up,” he told me.
We went through the 50 questions to try to get a clearer understanding of what had led to my malady and did a physical examination, probing for pain and checking for range of motion and flexibility. Practically nothing with movement caused a response…a good sign he said…likely not a break or stress fracture. “Let’s do an x-ray just to be sure, though,” he concluded.
The x-ray confirmed what he’d suspected. The hip was weak leading to an imbalance in my running and an inflammation of the muscles in the area. He did point out a little arthritis in my low back…maybe the reason I’m laid up once or twice a year with pain, but I forgot to ask him more about it since we dove into the hip work I’d be doing to get it healthy over the next 7 days.
It amounted to Allieve, ice, stretching and some strengthening utilizing a resistance band. I was actually in such pain at the moment, I couldn’t imagine doing anything exercise-related with my hip in the near future. I knew I wouldn’t be running, but the thought of doing nothing was, well, freaking me out.
“Can I ride the bike?”
“Should be fine. This thing is inflamed with weight-bearing exercise, so give it a go,” he responded.
I thanked for helping out on such short notice…it pays once in awhile to have coached such a diverse population. I drove home and decided I’d try cutting the grass to loosen things up…and call that my workout. I needed to do my landscaping job in the morning and needed to know if I’d be able. It actually didn’t feel too horrible, so maybe work and a ride tomorrow would work.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
My first injury...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Okay…it’d been a full week since I’d run the pr on the Clear Creek trail and suffered the hip pain. I’d had some pain early on during the hike in, but absolutely no problem on the trail…even following 14 hours over two days climbing and hiking. In fact, I’d kind of forgotten about it. That changed quickly.
I was about 10 minutes into the run when I noticed the pain. I figured it would go away…I hadn’t run in a week and it should be okay…but I figured wrong. By 20 minutes I was to the point where I was considering stopping and finally did at 24 minutes. I walked for about 5 minutes determined to stretch it out and walk it off and continue the run. I hadn’t stopped a workout in a long time and was hell bent to keep that streak intact. Dumb ass. I started running and went another two minutes with every step sending pain throughout the hip. Finally, I gave it up.
I began this quest almost 6 months ago and during that time I have lost no time to injury…which is really rather unusual for me. As a runner, I was constantly coming up against nagging, overuse problems and the occasional fall/twisted ankle thing. To have gone half a year injury-free was amazing. Yet here it was. I’ve had nagging pain in the left hip and worried that I could be facing arthritis…old runners think that way.
I went home, took some Allieve and packed it in ice, but the pain didn’t abate all night. I knew I was in trouble and would have to break down and visit the doctor’s office the next day if I was to be ready for my trip to the Adirondacks in another week.
Run duration: 25 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 425.
Okay…it’d been a full week since I’d run the pr on the Clear Creek trail and suffered the hip pain. I’d had some pain early on during the hike in, but absolutely no problem on the trail…even following 14 hours over two days climbing and hiking. In fact, I’d kind of forgotten about it. That changed quickly.
I was about 10 minutes into the run when I noticed the pain. I figured it would go away…I hadn’t run in a week and it should be okay…but I figured wrong. By 20 minutes I was to the point where I was considering stopping and finally did at 24 minutes. I walked for about 5 minutes determined to stretch it out and walk it off and continue the run. I hadn’t stopped a workout in a long time and was hell bent to keep that streak intact. Dumb ass. I started running and went another two minutes with every step sending pain throughout the hip. Finally, I gave it up.
I began this quest almost 6 months ago and during that time I have lost no time to injury…which is really rather unusual for me. As a runner, I was constantly coming up against nagging, overuse problems and the occasional fall/twisted ankle thing. To have gone half a year injury-free was amazing. Yet here it was. I’ve had nagging pain in the left hip and worried that I could be facing arthritis…old runners think that way.
I went home, took some Allieve and packed it in ice, but the pain didn’t abate all night. I knew I was in trouble and would have to break down and visit the doctor’s office the next day if I was to be ready for my trip to the Adirondacks in another week.
Run duration: 25 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140
Calories burned during workout: 425.
Two off days? Okay...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
I had the day off since I’d come home early from the Adirondacks. My plan was to do all the blog writing I needed to get done, but that never happened. Instead, I downloaded the pictures I’d taken and created a couple of DVD’s for Jimmy and Reza. I was still fatigued from the climbing and decided that another day off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I was still eating more than usual, regaining the five or so pounds I’d shed on the trip. I was craving fats and sweets and since ice cream with chocolate syrup and peanuts covers both, I ate a large bowl. Tomorrow…back to the routine.
I had the day off since I’d come home early from the Adirondacks. My plan was to do all the blog writing I needed to get done, but that never happened. Instead, I downloaded the pictures I’d taken and created a couple of DVD’s for Jimmy and Reza. I was still fatigued from the climbing and decided that another day off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I was still eating more than usual, regaining the five or so pounds I’d shed on the trip. I was craving fats and sweets and since ice cream with chocolate syrup and peanuts covers both, I ate a large bowl. Tomorrow…back to the routine.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A needed rest...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
It’s my job to make my famous French toast whenever I visit Donnie, but he was sick in bed from the milkshakes and pizza yesterday evening. Lightweight. I made it anyway and ate 6 pieces before packing the car and heading home. I didn’t have much to eat on the way…driving normally makes me very hungry…but I wasn’t willing to stop either. I made good time, arriving home around 3:30 p.m. and after unloading the car, continued my quest to eat everything I touched. I don’t know why I was still so hungry, but I was. I polished off some leftovers I found in the frig then ate a cool whip container full of some kind of casserole the neighbor dropped off for the family…without the help of the family.
It was around 6 p.m. by now and I knew I would not be doing any exercise now. I had planned a short run in the park, but figured I could use a little break. I’d felt fantastic the entire time I’d been camping…always feeling like I could have done more. I’ve never felt that good in the Adirondacks and I’d never done so much on back-to-back days. I normally have a day off between peaks, but I’d done two majors in a day and been ready for more. I can only attribute this to the conditioning I’ve been doing since February and it’s so satisfying to know that it works. The weight and body fat is down and the conditioning levels are higher than they’ve been since my triathloning days in my 30’s. I’m heading back in a couple of weeks with Heidi and Marie and looking forward to the challenge already. John would like to go up in September and if we do, it will be to hit a group of major and difficult peaks…so stay in shape…not that I had any other plans.
It’s my job to make my famous French toast whenever I visit Donnie, but he was sick in bed from the milkshakes and pizza yesterday evening. Lightweight. I made it anyway and ate 6 pieces before packing the car and heading home. I didn’t have much to eat on the way…driving normally makes me very hungry…but I wasn’t willing to stop either. I made good time, arriving home around 3:30 p.m. and after unloading the car, continued my quest to eat everything I touched. I don’t know why I was still so hungry, but I was. I polished off some leftovers I found in the frig then ate a cool whip container full of some kind of casserole the neighbor dropped off for the family…without the help of the family.
It was around 6 p.m. by now and I knew I would not be doing any exercise now. I had planned a short run in the park, but figured I could use a little break. I’d felt fantastic the entire time I’d been camping…always feeling like I could have done more. I’ve never felt that good in the Adirondacks and I’d never done so much on back-to-back days. I normally have a day off between peaks, but I’d done two majors in a day and been ready for more. I can only attribute this to the conditioning I’ve been doing since February and it’s so satisfying to know that it works. The weight and body fat is down and the conditioning levels are higher than they’ve been since my triathloning days in my 30’s. I’m heading back in a couple of weeks with Heidi and Marie and looking forward to the challenge already. John would like to go up in September and if we do, it will be to hit a group of major and difficult peaks…so stay in shape…not that I had any other plans.
Hiking out...
Monday, August 2, 2010
I slept soundly until about 4 a.m. and fitfully after that. I never like breaking camp, but the chow hounds had eaten almost everything we could stuff in two bear canisters – usually enough food for a week. The weather was lousy…overcast and foggy and threatening more rain. Since this eliminated any chance of views…the reason I climb above the tree line…it didn’t make much sense to head up any peaks anyways. Breaking camp is always depressing to me, but that’s what we had to do.
We were on the trail and heading for the cars by 8 a.m. It’s about a 6.5 mile hike out, but at least it’s down hill and the packs are a little lighter because we’d eaten all the food. Still, mine was over 50 pounds and a little top heavy, so when I slipped on a wet rock in about the same area as I’d fallen on the way in, I found my face planted on the ground again. It reminded me how quickly a great trip can become a disaster with someone suffering a break or severe sprain. Fortunately, I’d only bruised my ego and I had some blood running down my forehead…which made me look cool.
We made it out in three hours and I plunged into the river near the car to clean up for the drive up north and a visit with relatives. We stopped at a little diner in Long Lake with home cooking and thus began the replenishment of lost calories. I devoured a cheeseburger in three bites and could have easily eaten another two. I made my way north to visit my Uncle and Aunt and to spend the night with my cousin, Donnie. Whenever I go there, I have to make them milkshakes because no one does it better. We had a shaker full of chocolate shakes and I ate about 8 slices of pizza…and was still hungry. Normally, I’d have pitched the tent and slept down by the Grasse River, which Donnie’s property abuts, but it was raining and I opted for a bed. Tomorrow…8 hour drive home.
Hike duration: 3 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90.
Calories burned during workout: 1800.
I slept soundly until about 4 a.m. and fitfully after that. I never like breaking camp, but the chow hounds had eaten almost everything we could stuff in two bear canisters – usually enough food for a week. The weather was lousy…overcast and foggy and threatening more rain. Since this eliminated any chance of views…the reason I climb above the tree line…it didn’t make much sense to head up any peaks anyways. Breaking camp is always depressing to me, but that’s what we had to do.
We were on the trail and heading for the cars by 8 a.m. It’s about a 6.5 mile hike out, but at least it’s down hill and the packs are a little lighter because we’d eaten all the food. Still, mine was over 50 pounds and a little top heavy, so when I slipped on a wet rock in about the same area as I’d fallen on the way in, I found my face planted on the ground again. It reminded me how quickly a great trip can become a disaster with someone suffering a break or severe sprain. Fortunately, I’d only bruised my ego and I had some blood running down my forehead…which made me look cool.
We made it out in three hours and I plunged into the river near the car to clean up for the drive up north and a visit with relatives. We stopped at a little diner in Long Lake with home cooking and thus began the replenishment of lost calories. I devoured a cheeseburger in three bites and could have easily eaten another two. I made my way north to visit my Uncle and Aunt and to spend the night with my cousin, Donnie. Whenever I go there, I have to make them milkshakes because no one does it better. We had a shaker full of chocolate shakes and I ate about 8 slices of pizza…and was still hungry. Normally, I’d have pitched the tent and slept down by the Grasse River, which Donnie’s property abuts, but it was raining and I opted for a bed. Tomorrow…8 hour drive home.
Hike duration: 3 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90.
Calories burned during workout: 1800.
Redfield and Skylight
Sunday, August 1, 2010
I hadn’t slept too well, which I often don’t when backpacking. My back doesn’t seem to like sleeping on the ground, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to enjoy trips to backcountry wilderness settings like this one. I was up again by 6 a.m., but Jimmy didn’t join me until closer to 7 a.m.
“I’m pretty sore. I think I’ll just hang out at the lean-to today,” he said as we watched the mist rising off the water and marsh.
“No way. You can sleep all you want when you get home. Besides, you’d never hear the end of how this old man out-hiked you and walked your lazy butt into the earth.”
He pondered that implication and knew I’d do it. I made breakfast of oatmeal again, but Jimmy had decided he didn’t like oatmeal and was eating our lunch. He’d complained about one of the dinner’s I’d packed, as well.
“I showed you this food Thursday night before packing it into the bear canister. You said you’d eat anything and it was fine,” I’d said the night before. He’d whined about not looking at what I’d shown him…like that was my fault somehow, and wanted me to run to the nearest Giant Eagle to get him something different. I told him he was welcome to go…head south and walk about 50 miles…or eat what I had in the canister. He ate.
We were on the trail by 9:30 a.m. and walking through the wet marsh and grasses with the accompanying sound of whining, little girls. I offered Jimmy the opportunity to take the lead and find his own trail, but he’d rather walk behind me and complain. He’s good at it and wanted to stick with things he does well. We arrived at the trailhead for the Opalescent Trail in about 20 minutes. This trail was longer than yesterday’s and we were only going up about 2 miles and 2,000 feet at which point we would be breaking away and climbing to a ‘trail-less peak’ to Mt. Redfield. Many of the peaks are reached by following ‘herd paths’, trails not maintained by the Park and only identified by the fact that they are reasonably worn by fellow climbers. They can be misleading though, and it pays to have a topographical map and a compass…things I always carry.
The trail was much rougher than the marked trail we’d been on the day before and handholds were often necessary to ascend, which we all liked better. We met only one other party as we climbed and they assured us that there was no one on the peak. Though not above the tree line at 4,600 feet, it still offered some phenomenal views. We ate lunch alone on a large bolder overlooking a 1,000 foot drop into a valley below and with a wonderful view of some of the surrounding peaks.
I’d been talking about Skylight Mountain and how it offered what were arguably the best views in the Adirondacks. It was also on the Opalescent Trail, though we’d have to descend Mt. Redfield and then climb another couple of hours to reach its peak. Jimmy thought he’d pass on the chance, but Reza was ready to go. We returned to the Opalescent Trail by 2 p.m. and, like I figured, Jimmy decided to join us. We climbed to Lake Tear of the Clouds – headwater of the Hudson River - at around 4,000 feet and with another 1,000 feet to go. Reza and Jimmy took a break to eat the rest of the food in the pack as I moved slowly ahead to the final half-mile trail to the peak of Skylight. We headed for the peak together and arrived on top around 4:30 p.m. Though Jimmy had been here before, it had been snowing and we hadn’t stayed long. Now though, it was perfect and they were both thrilled with the views and felt the effort was well worth it.
I don’t like hiking in the dark and we had not brought head lamps, so I mustered them to leave at 5:30 p.m. for the two-plus hour descent and then the return hike to our camp. We arrived back around 8 p.m. completely exhausted, dirty, and starving having spent 8 hours hiking and over 10 hours away from camp. I had to jump in the water to clean off…as I did at the end of every day of hiking…clothes on. I cooked a meal of cous cous covered in Navy Bean soup, which was surprisingly good. We finished the gorp for dessert and washed it all down with Iced tea/lemonade and powdered milk. By the time we’d cleaned up dinner and packed the food in the bear canister, it was 10 p.m. and drizzling. I still had to write in my journal, but knew I would have no trouble sleeping.
Hike duration: 8 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120.
Calories burned during workout: Around 5,000.
I hadn’t slept too well, which I often don’t when backpacking. My back doesn’t seem to like sleeping on the ground, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to enjoy trips to backcountry wilderness settings like this one. I was up again by 6 a.m., but Jimmy didn’t join me until closer to 7 a.m.
“I’m pretty sore. I think I’ll just hang out at the lean-to today,” he said as we watched the mist rising off the water and marsh.
“No way. You can sleep all you want when you get home. Besides, you’d never hear the end of how this old man out-hiked you and walked your lazy butt into the earth.”
He pondered that implication and knew I’d do it. I made breakfast of oatmeal again, but Jimmy had decided he didn’t like oatmeal and was eating our lunch. He’d complained about one of the dinner’s I’d packed, as well.
“I showed you this food Thursday night before packing it into the bear canister. You said you’d eat anything and it was fine,” I’d said the night before. He’d whined about not looking at what I’d shown him…like that was my fault somehow, and wanted me to run to the nearest Giant Eagle to get him something different. I told him he was welcome to go…head south and walk about 50 miles…or eat what I had in the canister. He ate.
We were on the trail by 9:30 a.m. and walking through the wet marsh and grasses with the accompanying sound of whining, little girls. I offered Jimmy the opportunity to take the lead and find his own trail, but he’d rather walk behind me and complain. He’s good at it and wanted to stick with things he does well. We arrived at the trailhead for the Opalescent Trail in about 20 minutes. This trail was longer than yesterday’s and we were only going up about 2 miles and 2,000 feet at which point we would be breaking away and climbing to a ‘trail-less peak’ to Mt. Redfield. Many of the peaks are reached by following ‘herd paths’, trails not maintained by the Park and only identified by the fact that they are reasonably worn by fellow climbers. They can be misleading though, and it pays to have a topographical map and a compass…things I always carry.
The trail was much rougher than the marked trail we’d been on the day before and handholds were often necessary to ascend, which we all liked better. We met only one other party as we climbed and they assured us that there was no one on the peak. Though not above the tree line at 4,600 feet, it still offered some phenomenal views. We ate lunch alone on a large bolder overlooking a 1,000 foot drop into a valley below and with a wonderful view of some of the surrounding peaks.
I’d been talking about Skylight Mountain and how it offered what were arguably the best views in the Adirondacks. It was also on the Opalescent Trail, though we’d have to descend Mt. Redfield and then climb another couple of hours to reach its peak. Jimmy thought he’d pass on the chance, but Reza was ready to go. We returned to the Opalescent Trail by 2 p.m. and, like I figured, Jimmy decided to join us. We climbed to Lake Tear of the Clouds – headwater of the Hudson River - at around 4,000 feet and with another 1,000 feet to go. Reza and Jimmy took a break to eat the rest of the food in the pack as I moved slowly ahead to the final half-mile trail to the peak of Skylight. We headed for the peak together and arrived on top around 4:30 p.m. Though Jimmy had been here before, it had been snowing and we hadn’t stayed long. Now though, it was perfect and they were both thrilled with the views and felt the effort was well worth it.
I don’t like hiking in the dark and we had not brought head lamps, so I mustered them to leave at 5:30 p.m. for the two-plus hour descent and then the return hike to our camp. We arrived back around 8 p.m. completely exhausted, dirty, and starving having spent 8 hours hiking and over 10 hours away from camp. I had to jump in the water to clean off…as I did at the end of every day of hiking…clothes on. I cooked a meal of cous cous covered in Navy Bean soup, which was surprisingly good. We finished the gorp for dessert and washed it all down with Iced tea/lemonade and powdered milk. By the time we’d cleaned up dinner and packed the food in the bear canister, it was 10 p.m. and drizzling. I still had to write in my journal, but knew I would have no trouble sleeping.
Hike duration: 8 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120.
Calories burned during workout: Around 5,000.
Algonquin and Iroquois
Saturday, July 31, 2010
I was up at 6 a.m., having slept pretty well. Jimmy was up, too which shocked me. He tells me he typically needs around 16 hours of sleep a day to revitalize his massive brain, though I’m not sure why since he uses it so sparingly. I wanted to be on the trail by 9 a.m., so we had plenty of time to eat our breakfast of peaches and cream oatmeal, pack lunch, raingear and other vitals we’d need in one daypack, and get some water.
We hiked north over the marshy, sponge-like terrain that spread out across the open valley that was once under water from the dam to the south. Our shoes were immediately filling with water, which became worse when we entered the tall grasses I call ‘the bear maze’. These were soaked in dew and traversed only by the ranger checking on the area and the bears that visited every evening to see if some dopey camper had left their food in something other than a bear canister for their consumption. We didn’t. The grasses scratched and soaked my companions, which had them whining…something which bothered me not at all. Little girls.
We met the ranger stationed permanently in the area and living in a cabin. He told us a couple of stories about the knuckleheads he’s had to deal with here and mentioned that there had been a bear in the area last night, which campers had deterred with loud noise.
A short distance from the ranger’s cabin was the trailhead to Algonquin Mountain, the second tallest peak in New York and, with a 3,000 foot gain in elevation over the 2-mile trail we would be climbing, was the continually most steep in the Adirondacks. I’ve taken this trail many times and enjoy it for the views it offers as you ascend and the availability of water. In this modern day of backpacking, no water is considered completely safe from the parasite known as giardia lamblia found in the feces of mammals and often referred to as beaver fever (beavers poop in the water). I purify any water that has the potential for mammal presence, but once I begin to climb an know that the water is coming straight out of the side of the mountain, I simply dip my water bottle and drink. I’ve been doing this for 12 years and have yet to have a problem. It’s also a fantastic workout.
Though steep, the ascent is not technical in that no equipment is necessary to climb…only decent conditioning. We arrived at the tree line in a little less than 90 minutes and I was drenched with sweat. The last half mile up is done on mostly bare rock with what vegetation there is noted as ‘artic’, appearing only on these northern peaks and above the artic circle. It is extremely fragile and every effort should be made to avoid stepping on it.
It was some kind of Canadian holiday and the peak was crowded. Most people had come from another, longer trail, which was not nearly as steep and easier to access. We ate lunch on the peak, but decided to head for another peak by descending into a col and following a trail for about a mile through all kinds of slop and mud before ascending to the peak of Iroquois Mountain where there were only a few other climbers. The views were spectacular on this clear, cool day with the outlines of the Green Mountains of Vermont visible on the horizon to the east.
Jimmy took a nap on the peak while Reza enjoyed the serenity. My running shorts had fallen from the daypack on the ascent and so I left early to search for them with a planned meeting place about half way down. I found them a short distance from the peak and continued down. We rendezvoused and continued the descent together. Descending can be very taxing on the muscles of the lower body so unused to this stress and we were all quite tired when we reached the bottom and started the two-mile hike back to camp, arriving there around 5:30 p.m. – over 8 hours after we’d left that morning.
Normally, everything tastes good when backpacking, but I was struggling with Reza’s request…macaroni and cheese. We ate that and then wolfed down a second dinner of chicken and rice and followed that with vanilla pudding I made using powdered milk…which was excellent. I had burned a ton of calories hiking that day and don’t think the extra food would have any negative impact on the weight loss. Tomorrow…two more peaks.
Hike duration: 6 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120.
Calories burned during workout: Around 4,000.
I was up at 6 a.m., having slept pretty well. Jimmy was up, too which shocked me. He tells me he typically needs around 16 hours of sleep a day to revitalize his massive brain, though I’m not sure why since he uses it so sparingly. I wanted to be on the trail by 9 a.m., so we had plenty of time to eat our breakfast of peaches and cream oatmeal, pack lunch, raingear and other vitals we’d need in one daypack, and get some water.
We hiked north over the marshy, sponge-like terrain that spread out across the open valley that was once under water from the dam to the south. Our shoes were immediately filling with water, which became worse when we entered the tall grasses I call ‘the bear maze’. These were soaked in dew and traversed only by the ranger checking on the area and the bears that visited every evening to see if some dopey camper had left their food in something other than a bear canister for their consumption. We didn’t. The grasses scratched and soaked my companions, which had them whining…something which bothered me not at all. Little girls.
We met the ranger stationed permanently in the area and living in a cabin. He told us a couple of stories about the knuckleheads he’s had to deal with here and mentioned that there had been a bear in the area last night, which campers had deterred with loud noise.
A short distance from the ranger’s cabin was the trailhead to Algonquin Mountain, the second tallest peak in New York and, with a 3,000 foot gain in elevation over the 2-mile trail we would be climbing, was the continually most steep in the Adirondacks. I’ve taken this trail many times and enjoy it for the views it offers as you ascend and the availability of water. In this modern day of backpacking, no water is considered completely safe from the parasite known as giardia lamblia found in the feces of mammals and often referred to as beaver fever (beavers poop in the water). I purify any water that has the potential for mammal presence, but once I begin to climb an know that the water is coming straight out of the side of the mountain, I simply dip my water bottle and drink. I’ve been doing this for 12 years and have yet to have a problem. It’s also a fantastic workout.
Though steep, the ascent is not technical in that no equipment is necessary to climb…only decent conditioning. We arrived at the tree line in a little less than 90 minutes and I was drenched with sweat. The last half mile up is done on mostly bare rock with what vegetation there is noted as ‘artic’, appearing only on these northern peaks and above the artic circle. It is extremely fragile and every effort should be made to avoid stepping on it.
It was some kind of Canadian holiday and the peak was crowded. Most people had come from another, longer trail, which was not nearly as steep and easier to access. We ate lunch on the peak, but decided to head for another peak by descending into a col and following a trail for about a mile through all kinds of slop and mud before ascending to the peak of Iroquois Mountain where there were only a few other climbers. The views were spectacular on this clear, cool day with the outlines of the Green Mountains of Vermont visible on the horizon to the east.
Jimmy took a nap on the peak while Reza enjoyed the serenity. My running shorts had fallen from the daypack on the ascent and so I left early to search for them with a planned meeting place about half way down. I found them a short distance from the peak and continued down. We rendezvoused and continued the descent together. Descending can be very taxing on the muscles of the lower body so unused to this stress and we were all quite tired when we reached the bottom and started the two-mile hike back to camp, arriving there around 5:30 p.m. – over 8 hours after we’d left that morning.
Normally, everything tastes good when backpacking, but I was struggling with Reza’s request…macaroni and cheese. We ate that and then wolfed down a second dinner of chicken and rice and followed that with vanilla pudding I made using powdered milk…which was excellent. I had burned a ton of calories hiking that day and don’t think the extra food would have any negative impact on the weight loss. Tomorrow…two more peaks.
Hike duration: 6 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 90-120.
Calories burned during workout: Around 4,000.
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