There's a well known saying that says to never hike alone. You should always have a companion and carry a cellphone. It's sensible rule to live by and speaks to personal safety.
But I'm not a rules kind of guy. To me, rules are just guidelines that most are afraid to deviate from. Sometimes circumstances demand change and sometimes shit happens. The combination of the two best describes what this hike was all about.
This past holiday weekend played host to the next party hike. There were a few interesting twists to this one. The planner was one of past hike's converts! Due to scheduling issues the outting was planned for Sunday rather than Saturday. We were also starting a new trail, a loop.
Based on the experience of others and information from various hiking posts we learned the trail was quick and easy. It would be a perfect filler until the next big hike could be setup. Interest was already good with about 6 to 8 people so plans were confirmed and everything was set.
Since the weekend was long and the trail short I decided to squeeze a solo hike in for Saturday. The general consensus was to either take a break from hiking or to save it for Sunday. I would have waited but felt compelled to go. As such I set out to finish off the same long hard trail that was referred to in the Long Run and Heat Is On posts.
They say "three times a charm" so I hoped that didn't also mean "three strikes and you're out". As the weekend approached it seemed I had struck out completely ending up with the flu. My joints ached, my gut wrenched, and my energy drained and waned.
To say the least, the timing was awful. My previous engagements had to be canceled. I could only think of resting and avoiding contact with anyone else. Hopefully, the flu or whatever it was would allow me to enjoy at least one day of the weekend.
Imagine my surprise when I woke early Saturday morning and prepared for a long, hard day of hiking. I felt like shit but was determined to get out and get onto the trail. After some final checks I was on my way to the spot.
I hit the trail earlier than the last two trips. When I got there I actually felt much better almost as if I was cured. No nausea. No stomach aches. Only very minor joint pain but mostly in my bad shoulder.
Within minutes I was already at the lookout. The air was cool and breezy with the sun hidden by clouds. It worked to my advantage initially but the overcast conditions would bite me in the ass as the day progressed.
Sadly, the good times were coming to an abrupt end. In less than 10 minutes I would be plagued by an endless bout of aches, cramps, and exhaustion. A nightmare in the making that would last another 6 hours!!
The way it happened was stupid and my own fault. Had I not been out hiking there'd be no problem but that wasn't the case. I was here and not alone.
Throughout the day there were 6 sets of groups. The first two came up shortly after the lookout. There were two sets of families hiking up ahead of me. I passed a few of their party but came to a crawl at the base of a long snaky hill.
Instead of allowing me to pass in an open area of the trail they stopped at unusually bad spot. It was right below an elevated hill that required a lot of step-ups or climb-ups depending on your momentum. As they closed in behind me I had no choice but to cold run from that position up the hill. By the time I reached the top I was spent.
From that point on, the flu symptoms returned. Breathing got very hard as my heart pounded away. I pushed on to keep ahead of the others if only to keep from a repeat peformance.
The rest of the hike was a death march. Everytime I reached a rest stop I laid out to relieve the cramping. It was a dizzying, nauseating rush. I was mentally ready but physically broke.
After a whole lot of work I finally got to the spot we ended last trip. I could tell there was at least an hour more of solid work ahead. As I closed on the goal I knew it would be a total waste to quit.
Eventually I found my way to the base of the final ridge to the summit. The climb was 150' to 200'. I think it's that cause I was so beat I started to get delirious at that point.
I was reluctant to continue without a long rest but had no choice. The rest areas were long past and the cramps were building to a devastating crescendo. This would be the only chance before I'd have to turn around.
Fortunately, part of another group of hikers had already started their ascent up the ridge. They gave me the motivation I needed. Sucking it up I pressed on and up until reaching the summit.
The view was great and well worth the pain. It was so windy though and I was tiring just standing against the wind. Some quick pix and I was gone.
More pain all the way down. It wasn't all downhill either so it sucked and required resting, stretching, and cussing. Legs felt beyond jelly and the cramps were getting cramps. By the time I got out it was in the early evening and the sun was about an hour from setting.
Obviously I was so phuked up when I got home that I slept through the real hike on Sunday!!!
