[pct-l] The Desert

[Melanie Clarke]

Dear PCT,

Every single work of this post is SAGE ADVICE, TAKE IT!!!!!!!  His comments
on "calorie feeds", water consumption, conditioning, etc. is amazing!  I'll
have to review the article of Brenda Baaten.

One good way to condition your feet is to run cross country.  One of my
daughters is a cross country runner (qualified for CA State Championships in
Fresno for 3 years of High School).  Her feet were always purple, blue and
calloused to the maximum; as were all the XC runners.  If you have knee or
other problems that preclude you from running, you will be at a disadvantage
to condition your body for a hike.  You may have to cycle, swim, hike for
long hours with a pack and just expect the rest of the conditioning to
happen on the trail.  Unless someone here has other ideas.

Are you the rattlesnake story teller?  I'll have to go back and check.
Surely you must be a "trail Guru"!!!!

Melanie


On Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 2:06 AM, jason moores <jmmoores at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> When Molasses and I hiked on the PCT together for the first time in '09 we
> encountered many hikers who were having serious issues with the desert. More
> than a few of these hikers were folk who had thousands of miles logged on
> trails in the east. Strong, confident trekkers that knew what it takes to
> succeed on a thru-hike. We encountered two AT hikers that were dangerously
> dehydrated and in serious need of help. One of our friends developed
> blisters on the pads of her feet that became infected with a fungus that
> devoured huge divots in her feet making it look like someone had went at
> them with an ice-cream scoop. Molasses herself suffered miserably due to
> blisters, calorie crashes, tendinitis, crypto and more blisters. Dealing
> with these injuries kept us in town for extended stays, eating up our budget
> and ultimately contributing to our leaving the trail broke after 1,200
> miles.
>
> Like most important lessons in life, I've learned the hard way. I almost
> died of dehydration on one of my first hikes in a side canyon of
> Grand Canyon. Having lived/hiked in the southwest for 10 years I thought
> that I might be able to share some of that experience so that others could
> benefit from my mistakes. Last winter I wrote an article that I hoped would
> help those without desert experience begin thinking of ways to acclimate to
> this new environment. I figured that it couldn't hurt to dust this article
> off, polish it up a bit and send it out to the new class of thru's. It is my
> hope that this will begin a thread that will expand on my thoughts and
> provide broad and realistic points of advise that will benefit all who find
> themselves walkin in the American Southwest for the first time.
>
> To get it goin', here's what I do:
>
> Start early- I'm not a morning person but in
> the desert I try to be hiking by 5:00/5:30. Having 10 miles done before
> the heat of the day sets in leaves the option of "layin' up" in the
> afternoon if the temps exceed 95f. With an early start I won'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, hydrate and eat(or
> take a nap in the shade). Also, early
> morning is the most beautiful time of day in the desert. It makes the
> hot afternoon a bit more tolerable if you go into it in a positive mood.
>  The Mountain Chickadee and Morning Dove are singing, the breeze cool and
> the desert colors at their best.
>
> Water Sources: Most of the water sources on the trail are crisp, clear and
> refreshing springs and creeks that you would never hesitate to drink from.
> Unfortunately, a few of the sources that you encounter in So.Cal. are none
> of those things. Fire tanks, horse tanks and guzzlers are usually
> questionable at best. There are even a few sources with Uranium present in
> very low levels. Guzzlers and tanks often have organic matter decomposing in
> the bottoms of there reservoirs. This can affect the color, smell and taste
> of the water. Sometimes critters are even floating in these sources. Using a
> bandanna as a filter can often remove the worst of the debris and insects
> before they reach your bottle. Often the worst of these sources are also in
> the worst places, meaning that you have little choice but to drink from
> them. I won't debate the use of filters or chemicals or just winging it. In
> my opinion almost all of the sources in the first 750 miles should be
> treated. There are a few p
>  iped springs that I'll drink directly from but I realize that I'm taking
> my chances. Ranching and mining have contaminated many sources and your risk
> of exposure is exponentially higher than in the mountains where frequent
> rain washes these wastes away. You will simply have to get over your
> squeamishness when it comes to these less "pure" sources. As a rule of thumb
> in the desert, when I see insects or tadpoles scootin around in a source I
> smile. If life is flourishing in this water, it's probably safe to drink.
> Its the pools of water with nothing moving in it that worries me.
>
> Water- As a rule of thumb I
>  carry 1 liter per three miles I need to walk to the next source, adjusting
> for time of day and temp. On cooler sections of the trail that ratio is
> often 1 liter per 5 miles. Know your hiking pace-if it's 100f, you may need
> as much as 1 liter per hour if you continue hiking through the heat of the
> day. I plan for
> long breaks at water sources to "camel up" on an extra liter before
> pushing on(one less to carry-and at two pounds-it matters). One electrolyte
> drink a day is usually
> enough to keep me balanced(along with food). emergen-c is a good option to
> replace electrolytes and is tasty when diluted in a liter. 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, as well as a darker color.
> Electrolyte imbalance can be just as debilitating as dehydration, leaving
> you dull minded and lethargic. Usually, a low grade
> headache is the first sign that I need more water,food or e-lytes.
>
> 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 on top of those needed just to hike. Eating frequently reduces my mood
> swings and keeps me from bonking 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. Fat calories are the bodies best source of energy when hiking but
> can be hard to choke down in the heat. I'll tank up while it's
> cooler-morning/evening. Next is complex carbs- both your brain and muscles
> require carbs to function efficiently. Simple carbs are your enemy during
> the day unless balanced with complex. A sugar crash can ruin your day.
> Lastly, protein - many hikers assume that you need to be eating protein like
> crazy because of all of the physical demands of hiking all day. I've found
> this to not be the case. Brenda Baaten's excellent article on trail
> nutrition recommends a low 10-15% of your diet be protein. Keeping your
> calories up will help keep you cool.
>
> 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 in
> '09. 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 your 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 to enjoy the desert -show up ready to hike. The
> most important thing that you can do to get you through those first miles is
> strengthen your feet. Prep those puppies to deal with the strain of hiking
> all day with a pack and in hot sand(It can be 10 degrees hotter at ground
> level than what you feel at say five feet above). The more that you train
> your feet, build calluse and muscle, the less pain and blisters that you
> will deal with at the start of the hike. Work through these pains before you
> reach the border, not after. The only way to do this it put on your pack and
> walk...as much as you can. There is no way to prepare your body to deal with
> the demand of a thru-hike like hiking. The only time that I experience
> blisters is at the beginning of the hiking season when my feet are soft.
> Sure, the right shoes and socks matter. Washing your feet often and changing
> your socks at breaks(drying them on the outside of your pack) is also
> important to prevent bl
>  isters. But, in my experience, if you show up to Campo with "city" feet
> none of these things will prevent you from dealing with foot pain and
> blisters.
>
> Lastly, Cleanliness- Keep it clean. The longer that you go without bathing
> or doing laundry the more uncomfortable that you'll be. Sweat and salts
> build up on your clothes and socks which will inevitably cause chafe and
> other nasty things. Water is often at a premium so when you reach an
> abundant source take the time to clean up. You would be amazed at how great
> it can feel to just put on a clean pear of socks. In the desert it's the
> little things that help you get through the day.
>
> 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.
>
> Jackass
>
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