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Take a hike

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:07 am
by GORDON
In Utah, have been at Zion Canyon the last 3 days, leaving today for a park in Arizona.

My last two years of hard work at the gym has paid off.... I am kicking every ass here (in my party). On day 1, had to call 911 for my Dad on the side of a mountain when his electrolytes crashed. On day 2, had to let my wife hold on to my pack and dragged her up a trail. Had to fireman carry my son part way down that same trail, on the way back, after 4 hours, 5 miles, and 800 feet of elevation change (I think, google "Angel's Landing" for the correct numbers).

So yeah, everyone around me decided to get old and I feel pretty damned good. I feel like I'll be properly motivated to get back in the gym, now that I know I am seeing results.

Fuck being out of shape.

Take a hike

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:11 am
by TheCatt
BOOM

Take a hike

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:23 am
by GORDON
Feel bad about my dad, though. He's 64 and he's always been strong, he could hold his own rasslin with me even when i was an active duty Marine. But now he's legit-old, and I can't just assume he can do these desert hikes. Bummer.

Take a hike

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:25 pm
by GORDON
Did some off-the-beaten-track slot canyons, this morning. Pretty neat... 3 feet wide, 50+ feet high on either side, all eroded in strange shapes. Had a navajo guide. Everyone else took the ATV back up the sandy hill, I raced my kid up on foot while even the native americans thought we were crazy. Rekt him again, carried him up the last sandy 50 yards, and was ready to do it again.

And the wife tries saying shit like "We're too old for this." I keep asking who the fuck "we" is supposed to mean, I feel great. But I know she's just trying to put me down to make herself feel better, so I don't bother.

Oh well.

Take a hike

Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:35 pm
by TheCatt
Yeah. My wife and I are going to Peru in two months. Lots of hiking. Doesn't look that bad to me (nothing more than 7 miles or a couple thousand feet of elevation change), my wife wants to know how we'll get in shape in 2 months.

Me: I can already run 5 miles, or bike 3 hours, or walk 10 miles. Assuming I don't get altitude sickness, I'm fine.

Take a hike

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:04 pm
by GORDON
Seriously though.... now that the trip is over, I am surprised I am in as good of condition as I am. 46 years old, nerve damaged legs, and feeling 100% fine after a 6 mile hike with 1400 feet of elevation change. Not even out of breath.

This is called "Walter's Wiggles." It is part of the hike up Angel's Landing, in Zion National Park. 21 switchbacks, very steep, and most peeps need to rest once or twice or 5 times on the way up.
148602533.jpg
Wife bitched the whole way up, and I ended up dragging her as she held onto my pack. So we went up, and chilled at the top for a while and ate some trail mix, and I pointedly stayed well away from the 1000 foot dropoffs 4 feet away from our rest stop. Don't really care for heights.

Then we went back down.

Wife and kid all claim going downhill is easier, but I'm like "whatever." We get to the bottom of the Wiggles... and I ask the kid if he wants to race back up. He's game.

I set the timer to see how long it takes us, I say "Ready.... set...." and I take off, cheating, and say "Go" as I am going by him.

He's faster in the sprint... he got one switchback ahead of me pretty quick, but we're laughing as we go, and people think we're crazy. I have to stop "running" about half way up, and plod on... I was breathing pretty hard. I find the kid laying down at about switchback 15, and he steals my walking stick as I pass him, and takes off for the top. Little fucker.

Anyway, he beats me to the top by a little bit, and I checked the watch, took us 3 minutes. He did say, though, he's never seen me move that fast.

We rest for about a minute catching our breath, then I am feeling 100% recovered. We went back down, passing people we'd passed on the way up, resting at the switchbacks. It was awesome, and we get to brag we did the Wiggles twice on the hike when most people have nightmares about only doing it once. Very fucking awesome, feeling very fucking hardcore.

Then on the way down... the kid is rekt. Claims his legs wont work any more, and I literally put him over my shoulders and fireman carry him for a long bit, peeps all looking at me like I'm crazy.

So yeah, he took me on the sprint, but I was a monster over distance, and I felt like I could have done the entire hike again, at the bottom.

So even *I* am surprised at the level of fitness I hit by working hard for the last 2 years. Motivates me to hit the gym/pool hard again, when school starts.

Also, these $20 hiking shoes from Costco might be the best hiking shoes I've ever had. I had ZERO foot pain in about 25 miles of hiking over a week. Zero. Total comfort.

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:31 pm
by TheCatt
Awesome! How far is that part of the trail? Hard to tell from that picture. Although, looks like people for scale.

Nice work on the run!

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:46 pm
by GORDON
I'm not exactly sure. Here's an overview of the Angel's Landing hike, with more pictures:

https://www.hikespeak.com/trails/angels ... hike-zion/

Someone on this forum says you gain 250 feet at the Wiggles:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g ... _Utah.html

Zion is a great place for hiking, if you haven't been, but be prepared to be the only one in earshot speaking english. Peeps around me was all like "Oh it's so hot" and passing out and requiring rescue and stuff, but I was good in the hood.

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:18 pm
by TheCatt
250' is pretty serious elevation gain.

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:27 pm
by GORDON
And it's after... almost 2 miles (? ish) of hiking at hundreds of feet of elevation before you even get to it.

It's a great hike.

Take a hike

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 6:07 pm
by thibodeaux
http://www.ourparktravels.com/

Did Angel's Landing a couple of years ago. It is pretty strenuous. Mt. Rainer climb was a bit harder.

Take a hike

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:17 pm
by GORDON
Thib comes out of nowhere with a travelogue.

Take a hike

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:42 pm
by thibodeaux
I'm trying to get my mind right.

Take a hike

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:51 pm
by GORDON
I'm seriously considering a 5-day, X-mile hike through Death Valley. I feel the need to push myself.

Take a hike

Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2017 11:44 am
by TheCatt
I did a couple of really good hikes here in Peru

Huayna Picchu at Machu Picchu. It's 1000 feet of elevation gain over about 45 minutes of 'hiking'. Which includes stairs so steep that using your hands on the stairs makes sense.

Then this hike. 8 miles, 2,000+ feet of elevation gain, in the snow and sleet topping out at 14,686 feet
Image

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:37 am
by thibodeaux
Pic is broke

Take a hike

Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:38 am
by thibodeaux
PS: the wife is wondering what your tour guide company is. For future reference...

Take a hike

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:46 am
by TheCatt
Link to picture of me being awesome: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4lWyTux6cp8stWuo1

The guide was Mountain Lodges of Peru: http://www.mountainlodgesofperu.com/

We did the 5 day Lares trek (less hiking). They also offer a 7 day Salkantay trek (hiking every day)

It's basically luxury hiking. You choose each day what you want to do (typically 1 hiking choice, and 1 cultural activity choice). Of the 9 people in our group, only 2 (me and that dude in the picture) chose the longest hike (almost 14,700 feet, through rain, sleet + snow). Everyone else chose the shorter hike, which was still pretty.

The mountains were AMAZING. The service was great. The lodges are fantastic as they are built for about 16 people total occupancy, so there's rarely people outside of your own tour. It was the compromise Christina and I made on adventure vs indulgence. I literally got the best massage I'd ever had.

Take a hike

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:50 am
by GORDON
Was he cute?

Take a hike

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 2:25 pm
by TheCatt
GORDON wrote: Was he cute?
Honestly, I barely saw her...