cheriej2042 Member

Nice sunny day here in Southern California hiking Laguna Wilderness Park with views from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean/Catalina Island

I thought arcteryx was guaranteed for life? I would ask REI if it’s near you or contact the company. That zipper should not have come off and for what they charge for their jackets ( I own 3 of them) it’s worth asking. Also using outside repair could void any warranty on waterproof etc so ask the company first. FWIW I do…

Oh I love the color on the trees! Kind of surprised you don’t have more snow! We got dumped on here in SoCal - no way for me to hike any of mountain peaks without crampons, ice axe, helmet and even then can be dangerous. I’m headed to the desert this week. Glad to see your pictures again too.

The trip was over 21 days with the actual 80 mile trek over 14 days (one rest day). Because we were at 12000 to 16000 ft and just going up ( not doing the usual hike up then sleep lower and repeat) they tended to break the day down into 8-13 mile chunks but trying to hike across the glacier through the rocks over huge…

...so...climbing K2 is a big fat, "No," then? :lol: Haha! I at least know I’m just a hiker/trekker NOT a wanna be climber. Most don’t know K2 has a fatality rate of 25% if you attempt to climb it. And those are professional climbers. Many well known experienced climbers have died attempting to climb it. It’s a mountain…

Would go back to hike Hunza Valley to Snow Lake but would not repeat this trip. Going up that Baltoro Glacier was just so physically demanding. Yes the scenery did make it worthwhile. I was actually awestruck being surrounded by all those peaks. It’s definitely more interesting and less crowded than Nepal but this trip is…

It’s K2 (second highest mountain in world) not Everest. The hike to Everest Base Camp is a cakewalk compared to K2! K2 is infinitely more difficult. I’ve never gotten sick on a trip as I’m so careful about what I eat. But I ate a Mayo based coleslaw and that did it. I had no choice but to power through it - there is no way…

You can do it! I hiked Mt Olympus. I did not get to Crete but as you said drinking lots of water is key - it’s really hot there. Key is to take breaks, go slower, bring lots of water. You don’t need to carry all your water the whole way - leave on trail on the way up then you can get on the way down.

I’ve had this happen and I have never figured out what triggered it other than I worked out over a long period of time and it was hot temp outside. No matter what I do my body won’t cool down until the next morning. I do think it has to do with something being released in my system that just takes time, another thing I get…

It sounds to me like you have a good balanced fitness schedule already. I think doing these activities with your backpack on is important since that can throw off your balance and stamina if you don't practice with it. I've seen people here in California that don't have a lot of time take their fully loaded backpack and…

Wow those photos leave me speechless! You live in such a beautiful place - a hikers paradise. Do you see many people out there? What kind of wildlife is there?

This is just my personal opinion. I also hike at a sustained pace and I have found that doing long hikes that have elevation gain are the best preparation for what you are going to do. That doesn't mean you can't supplement with some stair or hill repeats on what I would call "recovery days" so you keep your hiking legs…

There are no ski lifts there but hikers I know snow shoe there and said that area always gets snow in winter. Hey where are your pics of your hike??? Please post!

Rock scramble means climbing up over boulders using your hands/feet . In this case it was a steep scramble through a cascade of boulders to get to the summit.

I just use an arctryx featherweight jacket as my wind shell. I’m not sure I would like a shirt but I like to use the zip on my jacket to vent since I get hot easily. Well if it’s in the color/size you like might as well try it. And it doesn’t weigh anything.

That Mt St Helens hike sounds awesome! Please post pictures of it! I remember when it erupted that was quite the explosion and my sister lived in Seattle at the time. I think all the people in Pacific NW have the most scenic hikes I’ve ever seen.

Haha! NOPE! :D

Exactly! One of the reasons I even considered meetup for this was I don’t like snakes and I didn’t see any but others did. In thinking about it more I should have retraced my steps. Instead I could see the trail below and thought I could just keep going forward (since I was only 10 minutes to where the trail met the fire…

Omg ! I had to laugh when you said I have been doing a lot of badass stuff. I’m so used to doing high altitude (16,000 ft +) that for years I never hiked much locally. But with the pandemic and all my trips cancelling last year I needed to do something to lose my covid pounds and hopefully get ready for my K 2 Base CAmp…

1. I never use the calories from the mfp app. I use a fitness watch that has a hiking option that tracks my altitude as well as a number of other items. I program in my current weight, age, etc. I found my real calories burned are sometimes 1/3 of what the app says. 2. I do reformer pilates 2-3x per week and spin 2x/week…

Breathtakingly beautiful! What a wonderful day!

I do reformer classes too! I was doing 2x/week but just added a third class. I think it helps with strength and balance. I also used to go to Orangetheory but the studio near me was all about the treadmill and running as fast as you can which injured me so I quit.

That Pacific Crest Trail post is about 3 1/2-4 ft . When I crossed over onto the PCT I saw a post with no snow. But you can see further up the snow got a lot higher. We are supposed to have a really warm week this week 75 and sunny so I think the snow will start decreasing so I will try again after March 14 which is when…

Bring an electrolyte drink with you! Humidity will make you sweat and you can end up with a big problem due to salt depletion etc. this is in addition to sufficient water and only you can tell how much that would be. I will sometimes bring a change of socks so I can take my feet out of my boots and let them breathe a…

On your boots, if you plan to hike a lot it could take a while to find the right boot/shoe. Also certain shoe brands are cut for specific fit it seems (for example Montrail seems to be for more narrow feet). Do some online research first. Also you need to size 1/2 larger than your foot so if you wear a size 7.5 you will…

You need new shoes. The repetitive friction on your foot from the shoe (most likely it’s where the seam of the insert is located) is causing the blister. Also you need good socks with cushion. I finally went to a podiatrist to find the right shoe for me. You can put compeed or second skin over the blisters but until you…

Wow! I just read about Nancy Wake! She sounds like a female James Bond character surprised there isn’t a movie on her life (maybe there is but they should do a current version). Might be tough to travel in May that’s my opinion. I canceled my Eastern European trip (22 days Via Dinarica) last year and rebooked for 2022. I…

Good luck! I decided to challenge myself to hiking 18 different peaks this year. Just in case all my travel gets cancelled I should be able to achieve this locally. To me that seems more like an adventure than counting steps but that’s just me.