[pct-l] The Desert

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

There's not much to add. You make excellent points. Especially about  
getting up early to enjoy the coolness and beauty.

I think the only thing I would add is to try to appreciate it. Too  
many people treat Southern California as an obstacle to get past.  
They think the real hike starts after Kennedy Meadows. Appreciate  
that you're not battling mosquitoes, not being rained on, you don't  
have to walk across the desert you see far below you from the lofty  
crest, there's no humidity and this year there will likely be  
abundant wildflowers. Everyone has the fire in their eyes at this  
point. You'll come really close to the Condor Sanctuary just after  
visiting the Andersons. Maybe you'll see one. In many ways, the start  
of the trail is the best time on the trail.

Diane
On Mar 10, 2010, at 8:38 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> The discussions on water and mistakes got me thinking about the  
> number of people who fall off the trail before reaching the Sierra.  
> The first few hundred miles of any long walk can be the most  
> difficult. On the PCT that difficulty is amped by starting in the  
> desert. Last year we hiked with/around several hikers that had trouble
> adjusting to the desert and came upon two different hikers who were
> dangerously sick. Strong hikers with thousands of trail miles  
> crippled by blisters, exhaustion and dehydration.
>
> I've had the pleasure of living in Northern Arizona and Southern  
> Utah and have come to love the desert even more deeply than big  
> mountains. The SoCal desert is too beautiful a place to be  
> miserable in. My hope is to get a discussion going on things we've  
> learned from hiking in the desert. What helped get you through to  
> the Sierra.
>
> To get it goin'-
> Start eartly- I'm not a morning person but in the desert I try to  
> be hiking by 5:00/5:30. With 10 miles done before the heat of the  
> day sets in leaves me the option of "layin' up" in the afternoon if  
> the temps exceed 100. With an early stat I don't have to push  
> myself as hard to make my miles before dark. This gives me time to  
> take longer brakes to wash and air my feet/change socks. Also,  
> early morning is the most beautiful time of day in the desert, it  
> makes the hot afternoon a bit more tolerable.
>
> Water- As a rule of thumb I carry a liter/three miles I need to  
> walk, adjusting as needed. I plan long breaks at water sources to  
> "tank up" on an extra liter before pushing on(one less to carry).  
> One electrolyte drink a day is usually enough to keep me balanced 
> (along with food). One of the most accurate gauges of my hydration  
> is how often I am urinating. If I've drank four liters of water in  
> the past several hours and I don't need to pee, then something is  
> up. Not enough water or my electrolytes are off. Low volume of  
> urine is also an indicator of a problem. Usually, a low grade  
> headache is the first sign that I need more water.
>
> Food-My appetite shrinks in direct proportion to the rising heat of  
> the day. You have to find a few things that you can stomach no  
> matter how hot it is. For me it's mixed nuts. No matter how hot I  
> get I can always choke down a few handfuls. Your body is burning  
> calories like crazy to keep you cool. Eating frequently reduces my  
> mood swings and keeps me from crashing at the end of the day. I  
> can't stress enough how big a difference there is between eating  
> three meals a day or eating every hour. Replacing calories as fast  
> as you burn them maintains your physical and mental strength. This  
> is just as important as staying hydrated.
>
> Training- I don't care what shoes you buy or what new cool gear you  
> are carrying, if you show up to the border out of shape you will  
> suffer for it. I have often read the statements that you can just  
> show up to the border, point your feet north and everything will  
> work out. People do it every year. I would bet that if you asked  
> these same people at the end of it all what they would do  
> differently they'd say, "train".  I know that my fiance learned  
> that lesson the hard way last year. Even if you show up to the  
> border in great shape you can expect to deal with some blisters, be  
> exhausted at the end of the day and suffer the aches and pains of  
> your body adjusting to the long miles/days. It took Molasses 600  
> miles for her body/feet to stop hurting her to the point of misery.  
> All of the pre hike planning is great but strategies wont get you  
> through the first 100 miles healthy. Why spend weeks dealing with  
> pain and discomfort that could be dealt with before the border. If  
> you want t
>  o enjoy the desert show up ready to hike.
>
> O.K., I think you'll agree that I've gone on long enough. Please  
> feel free to add to or detract from anything I've said.
>
> jason