Hiking

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Originally Posted by Catrin

Incredible location Emily! I am going to...ummmm...borrow a couple of those shots for my devices background. They made me smile and are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

I've a question about these trails - I get that there were steep inclines/declines. That's clear. Were there steep vertical step-downs? My knee can't handle those, and I'm looking for a good road trip destination for next year where I can get a relatively inexpensive hotel room and go for day hikes and drawing. I think the Arches Nation Park might be a good destination - but I can't handle that one particular trail feature. With the right boots, my poles, and patience I think I can handle most "normal" descents.

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Glad you liked the photos, Catrin! I haven't even had a chance to look at the ones my DH took yet. Of course it looks even better in person.

On your question, I am not sure I know what a steep vertical "step down" is as opposed to a steep incline/decline. Could you elaborate? The trail definitely had some steep sections but nothing that tough until the very end. The last 1/4 miles was very steep, with loose rocks and sandy soil. It was not rock scrambling, though, more like a gravel road on steroids. I think my DH got a photo of it, so I will look and post back here if so.

One place you might consider is Bryce Canyon NP. We found the hiking trails there very manageable compared to some of the other places we hiked in the southwest. We also found Arches to be not bad. Canyonlands and Zion were both tougher, and of course the grandaddy of them all, the Grand Canyon -- definitely not for those with knee problems.

Okay, I found the shot he took of the steep section up to the summit. Of course with the way cameras tend to flatten things out, it looks like barely an incline, but trust me, it was seriously steep -- I could never have pedaled up it, fer instance. It was mostly just dirt so slippery. I had to side step it to get down to avoid slipping. I really could have used my poles!

Of course, the trail is lovely even if you skip the last 1/4 mile and don't reach the rocky summit, but that would be disappointing.

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Was lucky enough to complete the trail before the rain started up again. Lots of side stepping here too, but mostly due to the wetness.
Newer rock fall blocking the path that I hadn't seen before. If you look closely in the one white waters shot you can see people across the river in Canada. Need to go more often, felt good.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

Incredible location Emily! I am going to...ummmm...borrow a couple of those shots for my devices background. They made me smile and are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

I've a question about these trails - I get that there were steep inclines/declines. That's clear. Were there steep vertical step-downs? My knee can't handle those, and I'm looking for a good road trip destination for next year where I can get a relatively inexpensive hotel room and go for day hikes and drawing. I think the Arches Nation Park might be a good destination - but I can't handle that one particular trail feature. With the right boots, my poles, and patience I think I can handle most "normal" descents.

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I think I know what you mean by vertical step downs -- where I'm standing on a rock or something and I need to step or jump down 3 feet or so. I can't do those, and I'll admit, I often sit on my butt and then slide down. I see those in non-park areas around Moab (mainly because we're out in BLM land and not following a trail). Arches National Park has some pretty good trails where they've worked around those kind of features.

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Originally Posted by Aromig

I think I know what you mean by vertical step downs -- where I'm standing on a rock or something and I need to step or jump down 3 feet or so.

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Three feet?!? :eek: Don't think I've been on many of those. ;) The trail we hiked today in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, the Green River Trail, rated as moderate, had a lot of stone steps, some of which were a pretty long step down, but nothing crazy like 3'!

Yeah, 3 feet is more like scrambling. These aren't trails. You'll find yourself suddenly on a ledge and you need to get down (which is always better than finding yourself on a ledge too high to get down so you have to backtrack.) The guys with good knees I'm often with jump. I sit down and slide. Yup, pride went a long time ago in favor of my bad knees.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Three feet?!? :eek: Don't think I've been on many of those. ;) The trail we hiked today in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, the Green River Trail, rated as moderate, had a lot of stone steps, some of which were a pretty long step down, but nothing crazy like 3'!

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My sister used to have a house next to Rocky Mountain National Park. I loved to visit. We never did any real hiking, but I liked walking the trails near the visitors centers on the main road. I did notice the thinner air up there -- I would have to go slowly and sometimes stop to rest and catch my breath.

Closer to home, I once tried a scrambling trail at Great Falls Park in Maryland and had to turn back after a while. I just didn't feel confident that I would not hurt myself, even with good knees.

I tried hiking a moderate trail in the Great Smokey National Park with my sister earlier this summer. We only got in about 1/4 mile before we turned around. Going UP wasn't a problem but the nature of the trail told me it would be a problem getting back down. I've not yet figured out if it's the angle of the step-down or the distance. That trail we were on certainly didn't have 3 ft step downs, but they were longer than the average step.

Glad to hear that the Arches may not be a bad choice for me - if I can keep my knees, feet, and shoulders in one piece!

Spent part of today hiking on Mt. Baldy, in eastern LA county. My son lives about 15 minutes and 3 climate zones from the entrance to where we started and also not far from the ski area. I laughed when I saw large highway signs telling people "Do not throw snowballs at other vehicles or you will be fined." I guess a lot of people who have never seen snow come up here. Anyway, we did 4 miles out and back and this was fun. Varied terrain, dirt, rocks, a teeny bit of mud, and a few steps. All carved out well and just when I would get sick of the rocks, they stopped. We started at 5k feet and probably got up to 6,500 or 7. I am struggling with a viral thing, but I tried to put it out of my mind. I could feel the altitude in my legs, more than anything; a heaviness I have experienced before. We went slowly, it wasn't super steep, and DH complemented me on the speed of my descent.
We will probably go back. Had a nice lunch at a lodge on the mountain road before coming back. Pictures will follow when I get home.

Sounds lovely Crankin, looking forward to the pictures!

This weekend I did a 4.25 mile mountain bike trail. I had been afraid it would be too muddy, but that trail drains well and outside of a couple sloppy places it was fine. It was also the first time I tried my new orthotics in my hiking boots and the jury is still out on that as had more problem with my feet than I normally do with those boots. It was a beautiful hike though.

I went on my first ever backpacking trip last weekend! OK, it was only 1 night, and we only hiked 2 miles each day, but for me it was a great adventure. Our 2 (young adult) kids have been trying to persuade us to try this for a while now, and as promised, organized everything and carried the heavy backpacks. Quite a role reversal! I really did enjoy it, other than not really being able to sleep well. We camped at about 10,840 feet, and the trailhead was probably just under 10,000 feet (we live at 4,700 feet), so I was gasping for air and had to take it really slow. I was very glad I had borrowed a trekking pole - keeping my balance on the rocks was a bit tricky. But the views were so worth it! I kept saying wow after just about every turn! The only sad part was seeing how decimated the evergreens looked - some kind of bark beetle infestation.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8137/2...8f294a78_z.jpg
2016.09.18-262-P1040779-UintahsBackpacking by DutchRosie, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8413/2...9769607c_z.jpg
2016.09.18-262-P1040786-UintahsBackpacking by DutchRosie, on Flickr

That looks wonderful. Viewing the photos kind of puts things in perspective of how small we really are. Great shots.

Thanks, wnyrider, I was hoping that would come across in the photos!

thanks for sharing two great viewpoints!!!!

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Originally Posted by BikeDutchess

the trailhead was probably just under 10,000 feet (we live at 4,700 feet), so I was gasping for air and had to take it really slow.

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deeper breathing/more forceful exhales and slowing the pace to slow the breathing rate to a level that will allow continuing with consistency works in bicycle climbing at altitude too :)

and yeah....we have some beetle infestations in the Sierra Nevada’s here too….thankfully not much in the coastal ranges yet. Adding the effects of climate change to this cycle of infestation really lessens a tree's ability to fight back against it. Unfortunately more damage to beautiful forests and views to come. The work in landscape genomics could give a possible better management solution and regrowth cycle though.

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Originally Posted by rebeccaC

deeper breathing/more forceful exhales and slowing the pace

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yep! I find I have to catch myself sometimes and make a conscious decision to change my breathing pattern.

Lovely photos, BikeDutchess. Where did you do the trip? We also saw so much beetle devastation in Rocky Mtn Natl Park this past week; it was so sad to see. We stayed on the west side of the park, near Grand Lake.

We did a 15.4 mile hike while in RMNP -- it was killer (to me). We did the Green Mountain Trail to Granite Falls, if anyone has done it; lots of climbing. To get to the trailhead, we hiked the River Trail along the Colorado River; that one was much easier, and the trailhead was just outside our RV Park (Winding River), but it was just too long a hike, and we both suffered during and after. This was several days ago now, and my calves and shins are just now getting back to normal. I found the climbing tough from the altitude, but it was indeed a gorgeous hike!

15.4 miles, and at that altitude, wow! I am impressed!

We were in the high Uintas, off the beautiful Mirror Lake Highway.

Today we drove up past where we hiked on Wednesday. However, we couldn't find the trail my son described, so we headed back to a nicer elevation and did a very interesting 5 mile hike in the foothills, that was actually in the Claremont city limits. It was called Potato Mountain and is actually a fire road that goes up to a water storage thing. So not technical, but at least one mile of the 2.6 up was 20-30% grade. Geez... The scenery was awesome, surrounded by small mountains, desert plants, and a view that was amazing. The last part up was tough. And going down, well, we will see how my legs feel tomorrow!
Yesterday we walked about 3-4 miles around Claremont and also on the campus of my son's school.
My granddaughter had her first visit to a brew pub last night, too.

Beautiful pictures! Also glad to read the different hiking stories.

A couple of us are going hiking in the morning - assuming my knee feels better than tonight. Sometimes it just gets cranky and I hope it's better in the morning. With everyone's schedules this fall it may be the last group hike. The state park we're going to has several lovely falls and is in a beautiful part of the state. I love karst topography and southern Indiana has a lot of it.

Had a nice little hike today - just over 4 miles but my hiking partner had a schedule to keep. It was a fun hike that featured a steep descent over large rocks and roots, as well as several beautiful overlooks. I've two great shots, but right now the forum isn't liking the file extension - I suspect I need to clean space from my account before I can post more shots.

Let's try this again!

This first picture shows one of the scenic overlooks from the trail. It's a nice view of McCormack's Creek - which became the name of the park.

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THIS was an interesting descent. I had meant us to take the trail the proper direction to go up rather than down - but it went better than expected. Of course it helped knowing I had already come down this hill once before with no knee instability.

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Last week I used my new orthotics in my hiking boots with less than optimal consequences. THIS time I didn't, and my feet were quite happy. So, for whatever reason, my orthotics work quite well with me light hikers and other shoes but most assuredly NOT with my full hiking boots. I love these boots and they are finally broken in. It's interesting that they are even more expensive now than they were a year ago when I bought mine - so glad I pulled the trigger then!

Nice pictures, Catrin. Funny how different shoes work differently. My Lowas are pretty well broken in, after a year and a half. My bunion is the only thing that bothers me, but it's much better than with my old shoes. I've had my Merrill light hikers for about 15 years; they are fine, but I really need ankle support of full hikers for anything more than flat trail walking. My new trail runners, on the other hand are just not working out. They are kind of tight.
No hiking today. My day consisted of going out to breakfast, playing with my granddaughter, and going out for ice cream. Surprisingly, after some initial stiffness, my legs are fine today. I think tomorrow we will get up early and do another in town hike. It's going to be 102 degrees here, so we need to be done by 9 or 10 am.

102?!? We can't complain with our 90ish...they say that things will cool down next week.

It really surprised me to find my orthotics just don't work in my full hikers but they do in all of my other shoes that aren't totally broken down. I have to wonder if the more rigid backpacking shoes just change the dynamics of how the custom inserts interact with my feet. Well, the Salomans feel fantastic as long as I don't wear them on pavement and I can use the orthotics in all my other shoes - outside of my winter UGGS.

The custom inserts have been quite the surprise. I was rather surprised to find that they are NOT expensive arch supports - indeed they aren't arch supports at all but somehow work by adjusting how my hind foot hits the ground. However they work, the cranky foot with the bone spurs in my metatarsal joint is calming down nicely and my OTHER foot is feeling better as well. My podiatrist supplies 2 orthotics- which to me makes far more sense than just providing one insert. To my mind having two different inserts creates another kind of imbalance & he doesn't charge any more than those who just get one.

I did enjoy the hike today, though I must admit it was a little disconcerting to see a family walk down that lengthy descent like it was nothing - and it took me some time to negotiate it with my trekking poles. No matter, I got down it, that's all that counts. AND neither knee was snarky about it.

Everyone descends faster than I do, which is not much different than riding...
So, we never thought that the red flag warnings for fire danger/heat/dust storms would close the Claremont Loop Trail. We got there at 6:35, the sun was not quite up, when we saw signs and gates in the road. DH and I parked, walked to the entrance, which was also shut. So, luckily there was a bike trail/path that started near the parking, so we did an out and back of about 4.5 miles on that. Thankfully, I had opted to wear my regular running shoes and running gear, because my full hikers would have been torture on pavement. So, we were disappointed, but we had mountains on one side of the trail and lovely homes and parks on the other. It was really busy with walkers and runners, only saw 3-4 cyclists.
We got back to my son's house, ate, and then headed down to Seal Beach for fish tacos and a walk on the beach. Now to relax.

Sounds like a lovely walk Crankin - and good to hear you had something other than your full hikers with you. Your beach walk sounds fun as well.

We were 87 on Sunday, but will be in the high 60s until next Sunday - a bit cool for this time of the year. I'm not complaining. As I'm taking off work on Friday I'm hoping there isn't much rain so I can do some solo hiking.

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Pictures from hikes at Mt. Baldy and Claremont. First 2 are Claremont; I tried to show the steepness of this fire road. Pics 3 and 4 are from the Ice House trail at Mt. Baldy.

Looks lovely Crankin! Beautiful and you get some cardiovascular benefits as well :cool:

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Ordered new hiking poles, got some better quality, lighter ones, with angled grips. Really looking forward to giving them a go... and my wife will try my old ones and see if she likes trekking with them, can't wait to get out there again.

Catrin, if you're mobile next summer, maybe we'll come over so I can hobble some of your trails... wanna play trial guide??

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Originally Posted by Pax

Ordered new hiking poles, got some better quality, lighter ones, with angled grips. Really looking forward to giving them a go... and my wife will try my old ones and see if she likes trekking with them, can't wait to get out there again.

Catrin, if you're mobile next summer, maybe we'll come over so I can hobble some of your trails... wanna play trial guide??

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I would love to do that, let's plan on it!

Deal!

Today was a bit of a post-knee-surgery milestone. Back in the spring I chose a hiking goal of 150 miles for the year. I just pulled it out of the air and hoped it wasn't too much as my knee was still recovering from the surgery. Initially I wasn't going to count pavement walking as that isn't 'hiking' to me but it's been so wet all summer that there were a couple of times that I had as much as a 4-week break between trail hikes as things were just too wet. So, as of today, I've actually hiked/trekked/walked 183 miles and the year isn't over yet!

It's been quite the journey. The knee is as good as it is going to be and I will take that. That knee is still shot, but I'm a long way off from being a replacement candidate and as long as I have my boots, sticks, and avoid most technical trails I can go all-day long. I don't do too badly for a broken down old woman :-)

Now I just need to work out how to continue hiking in winter - assuming it's a relatively dry one. Thankfully I still have my PI Amfib tights and can work the rest out. Hiking in cold temps is much easier for me than riding in 28 degrees...

That is awesome, Catrin, congrats on meeting -- and exceeding -- your goal! And I am totally with you on cold-weather hiking vs. cycling. Just be very careful if there's ice, of course.

Way to go Catrin!! I'm big time impressed.

Very impressive, Catrin.

We went to the nearby park today so I could try my new poles, it was awesome!! I felt so mobile, I walked up a little hill, down the other side, walked on uneven surfaces, through some branches and leaves... I did good!!

Got my new low hikers today, can't wait to try them outside! Even the little walk I did off pavement yesterday showed me I need more support than tennis shoes, so I'm trying to pay attention to my body and wear more supportive footwear.

I've worn Keens forever but the recent reviews on them (mostly from long term wearers) were abysmal. So I'm trying Merrell Moabs.

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Originally Posted by Pax

Got my new low hikers today, can't wait to try them outside! ...So I'm trying Merrell Moabs.

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Another coincidence... do your Moabs look like the ones I just got this week-end?! They are very comfy : )

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Originally Posted by wnyrider

Another coincidence... do your Moabs look like the ones I just got this week-end?! They are very comfy : )

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That's them, mine are a dark gray. Good to hear they're comfy!

Pax!!! Congratulations on having fun with the new poles! It is SUCH a good feeling to get off pavement, isn't it?

I'm also glad to read the Merrills worked for you. They just aren't for me, thankfully my two pair of Keene Voyageurs are great. I have also read reviews, it seems like there has been some quality control problems this year but thankfully my two pair fit great. Figured I better get 2 pair before they change them. Of course I can't wear light hikers for actual trail hiking, not with MY feet, but they are great for pavement and flat trails with no personality. My Solamons come out for everything else :cool:

It does feel great, Catrin!!

I wore (and still own) Keen Targhee boots, I guess the new ones leak (they're supposed to be goretex). Not a problem with those breathable Voyagers though. Hoping the Moabs work well for me, now I just need to get to a real trail and get some dirt on them!!