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Thread: Hiking

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Hiking

    I strongly believe in making lemonade when I need to do so rather than to collapse on the couch because I can't do the activities I want to do. The knee MIGHT be improving a bit, time will tell. Yesterday I had my longest hike since my injury - made it an entire 2.34 miles - and it felt pretty good outside of a complaining IT band. Part of me is tempted to try it without my knee brace and see what happens. I've a sneaky suspicion the hinge on my brace puts pressure where my IT and quads connect up to the knee - which may be the root of some oddities. Time will tell, I will have my brace with me regardless. The last time I tried hiking without it...let's just say the brace didn't stay in my backpack very long.

    Kettlebells are still working for me Yesterday I was on my hike with walking stick and backpack while munching on an apple. Got some compliments from a few people in my age group who commented on how prepared I was on such a nice afternoon.

    Is anyone else hiking right now? I've looked with some jealousy at the increasing number of cyclists in the lovely weather!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    I try to do a short local hike once a week. I haven't done this in the past 2 weeks, as I have upped my cycling, to get ready for my trip. I love hiking, but I am not ready to seriously cut down on my cycling, in order to do so. Maybe, when I really retire, I'll dedicate more time to hiking?
    I tend to hike when the weather is a bit iffy, or I am really burned out on riding, or when I am on vacation. At one point, we considered doing the AMC Hiking/Backpacking course, but I just couldn't see myself hiking with a heavy pack. So, it's day hikes for now.
    I'm not so good with rocky descents, using a pole helps, but here in the rocky/rooty northeast it's hard to avoid. This was what tripped me up mountain biking, too. I had a totally different experience hiking in Arizona and Colorado, where I was practically running down the descents.
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  3. #3
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    I won't be hiking for a long time, but I got back in the pool and that's been nice.

    Electra Townie 7D

  4. #4
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    Nov 2009
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    I wish I COULD swim Pax, that is one thing I've never learned. It would help if I had the slightest desire to do so...but I get panicky when my face gets near the water. I've decided I wasn't meant to swim

    Crankin - descending is the main reason I've the hiking stick. My knee gives me more trouble when I am going downhill, and if you factor in steps, roots, whatever then I make good use of it. Part of me is wondering if the brace is actually slowing my recovery. It does help with anterior knee pain, but then I seem to have more IT band numbing/pain and medial knee pain when I use it. Ortho and everyone else says it is specifically designed for my patella arthritis but I do wonder - though it would probably be easier if the patella was anywhere near where it is supposed to be. I am going to try it tomorrow without it - thought about doing that tonight but since I did both kettlebells and a nice hike yesterday I decided to wait for tomorrow morning since I've the day off. Frankly I would far rather trail run than hike - but I don't know when/if that will be an option. Certainly not this year. At least I can get outside!

    My backpack doesn't have much in it, my Kindle if I want to stop and read somewhere, my phone, sometimes a snack, and my water bottle. It WOULD be nice to get up to at least a comfortable 6-8 mile hiking distance and do that a couple times a week to go along with my kettlebell training. I am not talking about difficult terrain here - which means my favorite hiking trail in Indiana is ruled out. For now.

  5. #5
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    I think a 6-8 mile hike is quite enough and a good goal to work up to, no matter the terrain. Thinking about going out on my neighborhood trail early tomorrow, definitely taking a day off from riding. No boot camp tomorrow, but I should rest.
    It does sound like that brace is helping one thing, but hurting the other.
    Yeah, when I meant backback, I mean the kind where you are carrying camping gear, etc., for overnights. No way am I doing that. I would like to work up to longer day hikes, though, on more technical terrain.
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  6. #6
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    Wish we were neighbors, Catrin, I taught a lot of Adult TOW (terrified of water) classes when I was still teaching/coaching. Never failed to get everyone in the water and comfortable, some went on to swimming for fitness and even masters competitions.

    Electra Townie 7D

  7. #7
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    Nov 2009
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    Anyone hiking this weekend by any chance? Tomorrow is National Trails Day and I will finally get my new hiking boots dirty. Am considering heading to one of my old favorite mtb trails from when I could still ride but time will tell. I may choose a more gentle trail to break in my boots as I've never had ANY ankle height footwear, let alone real hiking boots. They feel good, but unsure I want to commit to my first rocky trail since my knee injury for my first hike with them.

    Perhaps some here will honor the day with either some trail work or a good mtb or gravel ride?
    Last edited by Catrin; 06-05-2015 at 09:07 AM.

  8. #8
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    Glad you're feeling a bit better, Catrin! Hope those new boots work well, enjoy breaking them in.

    Electra Townie 7D

  9. #9
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    Sep 2007
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    Have fun breaking your boots in, Catrin!
    Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler

  10. #10
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    Feb 2005
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    Have fun! Make sure you have the right socks.
    Maybe I'll go for a short hike today...
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  11. #11
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    Had FUN breaking in my new hiking boots Still in a bit of sticker shock - but they weren't any more expensive than my olympic lifting shoes that I use for my competition KB training - the actual competition stuff is on hold but not training in the actual lifts

    Seriously, I am glad that I didn't allow the price to cause me to choose another boot. I didn't feel like they actually needed "breaking in", what had to happen was MY becoming accustomed to hiking in boots. I felt far more stable, especially on gravel, and they felt just awesome climbing steep inclines with roots and rock outcroppings. I really felt the latter made them come into their own. I did need to take a brief break or two to rest my knee, but it was fine and didn't even swell. In the end my route that was SUPPOSED to be 3 miles, actually is just under 4 miles. So my longest hike since the injury and in brand new boots. My cranky foot was much better in the boots, which was the entire point. That route has far more gravel and pavement than I like, and I think the tenderness was from that.

    Here is a shot from my "Boot Break-in Hike". Sorry for the size, no matter how small I resize it the Forum won't allow me to post it, and I can't figure out how to resize it on the Google Photos page. Pretty much a perfect afternoon, though more sun would have been nice! NEXT time, I think it is time to start hitting my old MTB trails that I love to hike. This wasn't a difficult trail as I didn't want to break the boots in on a trail where I couldn't get back to my car relatively quickly if my knee started complaining.

    Last edited by Catrin; 06-06-2015 at 01:07 PM.

  12. #12
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    Looks nice!
    Glad the shoes worked out. It sounds like you will have many happy hikes together.
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  13. #13
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    May 2013
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    california
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    happy early birthday catrin!!!!...i like celebrating the month but a week will do too hoping you can sleep uninterrupted tonight!!!!!
    ‘The negative feelings we all have can be addictive…just as the positive…it’s up to
    us to decide which ones we want to choose and feed”… Pema Chodron

  14. #14
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    Nov 2009
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    Birthday is next weekend, but yesterday was a good way to celebrate my upcoming 57th. Broken "bits" aside, I think I can't complain if I can hike 11 miles So what if I had hours of foot/shin cramps last night - I really need to figure THAT out. Obviously something is lacking. At least I learned I CAN drive when both lower appendages are in agony - I drive a manual. Probably shouldn't have but I saw no other way to get home.

    Onto the pictures:

    I love this upwards shot, the trails were quite empty. We did meet people from time to time but not that many. These trails are quite remote.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    These diamonds were our friends. Maps were horrible. No real internet phone connectivity. Not one trail sign that actually had a trail name or number. AND, drum roll, neither of the two 10 mile loops actually end at the location from which they start. I don't mean they end across the street, but down the street, around the corner, and (literally) through the woods 1/4 mile or so. Did I mention the lack of signage? So regardless of which trail-head one enters the system, you do NOT finish at your car and there is no information to tell you how to get back to it. That's how we hiked 11 miles on a 10-mile trail. No wonder we were sweating daylight THANKFULLY the two 10-mile trails do NOT intersect.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Very calm/peaceful lake that our trail took us around.

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    Overlooking the same lake as we made our way down/through the ridges to the bottom lands.
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    The trails themselves were quite diverse. Lots of up and down - mitigated in the steeper areas by switchbacks. They DID reinforce some of the steep areas to help prevent erosion. Other areas were quite flat and another section appears to have been an access road at one time leading to a long line of telephone poles that cut through the state forest. Much of the trail, thankfully, was quite "mountain-bike-trail-like", which fits my limitations well. Both 10-mile looks in this forest is classified as rugged, probably due to the MANY creek crossings. Most of those were dry, but I can see how it could quickly become impassable after a lot of rain.

    I will return at some point - but not solo. Also with printed or downloaded maps on my phone or other device. And, unless I can figure out this cramping thing, not the full route.
    Last edited by Catrin; 10-16-2016 at 04:04 AM.

  15. #15
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    Glad you figured the way out! This is the part of hiking I don't like at all. I have a good sense of direction, but once I get in the woods, it seems to leave me. Your pictures look awesome.
    We leave for Acadia NP on Friday morning, after I finish my Woman's Group. It just started 2 weeks ago, and I didn't have the heart to cancel on them. DH is going to drop me at work, go sit in a café, and then come back to get me and we will be off. It's a 4.5-5 hour drive, and we want to be there for dinner with the group. I am still quite nervous about descending rocky trails, but it looks like we won't have rain, so that is good.
    I think I'd like to not announce I am an AMC leader, but unfortunately, my fleece vest prominently displays the AMC logo with the words "Boston Chapter Leader." Guess I'll just laugh and emphasize the fact that I am a cyclist, trying to be a hiker.
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