[pct-l] The High Desert

[T.Rem]

Hey Jackass!
Thanks, I really appreciate all the useful wisdom you shared in that post.

Todd

On Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 12:08 AM, Jason M. <jmmoores1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> *WARNING:* This is more of an "article" than a post and is long winded.
>
> 3rd Annual Desert Thread
>
>
> *I would like to start with the proposition that it's no more dangerous to
> walk in the high desert than anywhere else, and it shouldn't be feared -
> it's just a bit...different.*
>
> Like most important lessons in life, I've learned most of mine the hard
> way. I came dangerously close to dying of dehydration on my second (ever)
> hike, in a side canyon of the Grand. This sobered me up quickly to the fact
> that I wasn't strollin through the woodlands of the Mid-West. Having
> lived/hiked in the southwest for a spell, I thought that I might be able to
> share some of that experience so that others could benefit from my
> mistakes. Two winters ago 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 topical points of advise that will benefit those who find
> themselves walkin in the American Southwest for the first time.
>
>
> When Molasses and I attempted to thru the PCT for the first time, '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; but who, perhaps...misread the desert. We
> encountered a few hikers that were dangerously dehydrated and in 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 as if 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 (and a
> few of my own) kept us in town for extended stays; eating up our budget and
> ultimately contributing to our leaving the trail, broke after 1,200 miles.
>
> '10 and '11 brought mild and moist spring weather. The usual issues
> associated with desert hiking were very noticeably decreased. Hell, the new
> issue was too much water. This year is shaping up to be dry, dry, dry.
> So...if ya make it through the rest of the article and ya feel that I
> missed something, didn't know something or just plain suck-give a shout.
>
> To get'er 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.
> This leaves the option of "layin' up" in the afternoon if the temps exceed
> 95. With an early start I won't have to push myself through the heat 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 troff  and guzzlers are usually
> questionable sources 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 their reservoirs. This can affect the color,
> smell and taste of the water. Sometimes dead critters are 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. Drink mixes can help with
> the taste. Squinting your eyes...helps. 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. Farming, ranching and mining have contaminated many sources in
> the southwest and your risk of exposure is exponentially higher than in the
> mountains where frequent rain dilutes and washes these wastes away. In my
> opinion almost all of the sources in the first 750 miles should be treated.
> There are a few piped springs that I'll drink directly from but I realize
> that I'm taking my chances. 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
> pool of water- I smile. If life is flourishing, it's probably safe to
> drink. It's the pool of water with nothing moving in it that worries me.
> *consider treating water taken from a cache where the bottles are
> refilled/reused.
>
> 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 longer breaks at water sources to
> "camel up" on an extra liter before pushing on(one less to carry-and at two
> pounds-it matters). Pounding liters of water can throw your electrolyte
> balance way off. The symptoms of this imbalance are often mistaken for
> dehydration which causes the unwitting hiker to consume greater quantities
> of water...worsening the condition. 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...instead of a
> warm fizzy six ounce "shot". 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 few 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. Trying to gag down food is a drag. 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 equilibrium. The
> traditional meal plan can put ya on a roller-coaster of emotion and energy.
> To me, 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 when it's 105f.. 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 for me. 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 gal
> 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 callus 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 other than... 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 blisters. 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 pair of socks. Although I tend to travel
> on the ultralight and am often conscious of the grams I carry, I always
> carry Wet Wipes (2-4 per day). I'll wipe down from head to toe at least
> once a day...and it feels...gooood. You wont stay "clean", but it don't
> mean ya gotta be a slob. 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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