5/15/2011 Posting

Hopefully you were able to enjoy the spectacular weather we had on Saturday to do something you enjoy!

While Saturday was certainly the better day to go hiking this weekend, I led my CHS1 hike today. It was somewhat soggy today, to say the least. Nevertheless, me and nine other hikers decided to brave the less-than-ideal weather and do our planned ten-mile hike. While it rained off and on throughout the day, we really didn’t get any significant rain until our last mile or so. We also had a bit of adventure when our trail was diverted by a recent clear cut. A new trail had been hastily built, but it was pretty soggy and mostly went straight up hill. I was pretty sure we were on the right trail, but since I’d never been on it before, it made me a little nervous to encounter this secondary trail. Well everything turned out okay, and we made it back to where we were supposed to be. I was very impressed with all of the folks I went hiking with today. They had very positive attitudes throughout the whole trip and took good care of themselves in poor weather. Fellow navigation buffs helped me with map reading and using nifty technology to determine we were where we thought we were on the trail. My favorite saying from today was “I have sunshine in my heart.”

So this week’s topic of discussion is knowing “when to say when” on a hike. If the hike is not necessarily dangerous, but you’re not having a good time, at one point do you decide that the fun factor has hit the ground and starting digging? I usually find that if I look at the reasons why I hike—good company, nice destinations, enjoyable walking, and so on—and if the hike is giving me none of the pleasure of these factors, then I turn around and go home. If at least one of them is present—for example, my companions and I are in good spirits and having a good conversation despite conditions—then I continue on even if the weather is foul and there are no views. But if we’re all getting grumpy, or cold, and we’re not seeing anything farther away than our hands in front of our eyes due to bad weather, or the trail has become perplexing, then a warm place with some nice food and a hot drink starts looking really appealing. Don’t feel like you have to complete every hike you start. Sometimes it’s better to bag the hike and come back another day when conditions are better. The only trip you have to complete is the one back to your car.

Have a great week and I hope to hike with you soon!

5/08/11 Posting

Happy Mother's Day! I spent this weekend in Central Oregon with my folks, enjoying Mother’s Day with my Mom. Didn’t really get out hiking, but did enjoy some nice scenery, especially around the Smith Rocks State Park area.

Last Friday night I went to hike leader’s pizza party at the Mountaineer’s Program Center. I had a nice evening catching up with some folks I hadn’t seen for awhile. The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Gary Paull, Wilderness and Trail Coordinator for Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Gary talked about the current snow conditions in the mountains as well as summer road closures in his area. In my blog this week, I want to review some of his comments.

According to SNOTEL measurements taken at Lyman Lake in Chelan County, this is one the deepest snowpacks we've had in the last 11-12 years. As of May 7th, there is still 178 inches of snow up at the Lake, which is at almost 6000 feet. To put that in perspective, at the same time last year there was 141 inches. And 2010 was considered a good snowpack year! Needless to say, we’re going to be experiencing later trail melt out this year—even later than last year—when I was bemoaning the lack of great trails to hike on in June because they were all still snow-covered. Oh well!

Gary also talked about work being done on trails and access roads in his district. Whether you agree with the federal stimulus package or not, lots of that money is being used to work on trails and access roads this year. For more detailed information on projects in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, click on this link. Many prime spots, especially in the Glacier Peak Wilderness area will be tough to impossible to get to this summer, but—Lord willing and the creek don’t rise—will be available to hike next summer.

Have a great week I hope to hike with you soon.

5/1/2011 Posting

Happy May Day! What a lovely weekend we had! I hope you got to spend some of it doing wonderful things—such as hiking! I spent a really lovely Sunday with 9 other CHS folks hiking up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie trail to a bridge over the river. We got to laze around in the sun on our lunch break, soaking our feet in the water and enjoying the lovely sound of the rushing river. It was pure heaven after all of the rain that we’ve had lately.

In this week’s email, I’d like to talk about being prepared for dealing with injured folks on a hike. One of our hikers twisted an ankle and we had to check it out. Fortunately it was not at all serious, and the hiker was back on the trail quickly. If it had been more serious, we might have had to make alternate plans. If an injury happens to you or a co-hiker on either a club or private hike, you need to be prepared to spend a longer time out in the woods than you had originally anticipated.

This means that you bring the Ten Essentials, as well as insulating clothes (fleece, down, wool) and your rain gear. Then if you have to stop, you can pull out this clothing to keep you warm while you deal with the issue at hand. If the injury is very severe and you have to spend the night out in the wilderness, you’ll be happy for every piece of clothing you have, your ability to make a fire if needed, your extra food, and to be able to roll up in your space blanket, or whatever you have brought for as the shelter portion of the Ten Essential.

Even if no one is injured, you still need to bring these items. A hiker once related to me the story of going on a hike where they made it to destination and had lovely views to look at during lunch. It was bit chilly and windy out so he put on his extra clothing and sat down to eat. But some of the other members of the hike had not brought extra clothing to put on to keep warm while they were having lunch and they were cold. So the hike leader had no choice but to shorten lunch and leave so that the unprepared hikers wouldn’t get too cold. Please don’t be this unprepared hiker—either on CHS hikes or your own private hikes. At best, unpreparedness is annoying to co-hikers and cheats you out of spending time at a destination you worked so hard to get to; at worst, it could result in severe hypothermia or death.

So follow the Boy Scout’s motto and “be prepared.”

4/24/11 Posting

Today, Matt and I enjoyed a day hiking with several CHS2 hikers on Michale Kelly’s hike to Little Si/Boulder Garden. It wasn’t as sunny as Saturday—in fact, we got rained on for some of the hike—but we had a great time anyway. Some of the issues that came up on the trail and at Twede’s in North Bend afterward for the post-hike meal, reminded me about the need to review trail etiquette. Since some of you may be new to the Mountaineers, and to hiking in groups, I think it’s a good idea to talk about some the rules that exist to help ease the way for larger groups on the trail.

First of all, be sure that when the trail is only narrow enough for one person, that you yield the right of way to the uphill hiker. Hiking uphill comfortably requires that the hiker be able to set a comfortable pace. When you have to stop in order to accommodate a downhill hiker, it can be a struggle to pick up the pace again right away. Whereas the downhill hiker doesn’t have pacing issues to worry about. So we let the uphill hiker have the trail when we are going downhill—and please don’t wait until the last minute to do get out of the way. If someone hiking uphill yields to you coming downhill, then thank them graciously and scoot by them as quickly as possible.

Secondly, it is permissible to pass other hikers if they are hiking more slowly than you are—even if they are part of the CHS group you are in. Unless the hiking leader has specifically said that they want to lead for awhile, you can pass them and any other hikers if you prefer to hike at a faster pace. However, if the hike leader has not mentioned a specific stop time/place, be sure to the check with them on when/where they would like you to stop and wait for the rest of the group. Then please abide by that request. Also, please be aware of your distance from the hiker in front of you. No one likes to have another person right on their heels, so if you find yourself doing this, just ask the hiker in front if you can “please pass.” We also like to try and avoid the “conga line” of 12 hikers all in a row marching up (or down) a trail. Spread out a little bit so as to enjoy the scenery in front of you.

Finally, Mountaineer hikes are not forced marches. If you need to stop and adjust your clothing or gear, drink some water, or eat some food, or heed the call of nature, then feel free to stop and take care of yourself—even it it’s not an established rest stop. Be sure that you’ve stopped at a place on the trail wide enough so that others can safely go around you on the trail.

If you need to take a party separation (Mountaineer’s term for potty break) then leave your pack on the trail and if there are other hikers around you when you stop, let them know what you are doing. Terms like party separation, potty break, and so on, all convey the meaning adequately—no need to go into great detail about what you’re doing. Please do not leave toilet paper in the wilderness. Either forgo toilet paper and use a bandana instead, or pack out your toilet paper in a ziplock baggy.

Have a great week and I look forward to hiking with each of you soon. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Kelly Cleman

4/17/11 Posting

On Friday evening, Matt and I attended the Foothills’ branch Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Film Night at the Seattle Program Center. The purpose of the evening was to raise money for the PCT Association and to promote the branch’s PCT Hiking Series. The evening included a panel of both thru- (hike the whole trail in one trip) and section hikers (hike a section of the trail at a time) discussing tips and what it’s like to hike on the famous trail. We also saw two films covering several individuals’ experiences as they attempted the immense challenge of covering the 2650-mile-long trail over several months. As an avid backpacker, I must admit to feeling the allure of attempting such a goal and I get to musing about the experience.

I wondered what would it be like for me to start at the US/Mexican border and get up day after day and walk 20+ miles in all weather to end up at the US/Canadian border some 4-5 months later. What would I think about as I walked? Would I enjoy my food each day? Would I be able to overcome fatigue and pain from my exertions? Would I feel mostly positive as I walked, or would I occasionally succumb to feelings of melancholy? If I had a hiking partner, how well would we get along?

I have often said that one of the keys to success in long-distance day hiking is enjoying the process. This is the ability to find joy and meaning in something as simple as walking and being in nature. The goal of reaching the destination becomes secondary to enjoying the trip and each moment you spend doing it. I often compare it to working on a puzzle. People such as myself who work puzzles of many thousands of pieces don’t do it just see what the picture looks like when it’s done—we can look at the box to see that. We do it because we enjoy the process of examining each piece of the puzzle to see where it might fit in the whole. We like to experience the work in progress as we build slowly to the completed image.

I think the same experiential desire works for long-distance hiking whether it is for twenty or for several thousand miles.

If you are unable to cultivate an enjoyment of the hiking process, and instead focus mainly on reaching your destination, you may find longer hikes frustrating and boring. If the weather is less than stellar, if thunderclouds threaten, or if one of your companions develops a serious injury—turning the entire group around before reaching the destination—you may become angry or feel cheated from reaching your goal.

But if you enjoy the process, you will enjoy the beauty of the trail and scenery, the conversation of hiking partners, the taste of your food and cold water, and even the feeling of your body as you move on the trail. Reaching the destination will be an added pleasure—not the only one.

4/10/11 Posting

I spent this weekend down in Portland at a family event, so I was not able to get out hiking like I usually do on most weekends. This wouldn’t have been so bad, except I also didn’t get out to do my somewhat regular Wednesday slog up West Tiger with a 35 lb pack because of poor weather. So the week’s exercise plan has been kind of a bust for me.

Because of the cumulative nature of the hikes offered in CHS for both groups, it’s very important that all participants (and hike leaders), regardless of initial conditioning, find activities during the week and on the off-hiking weekends to build and/or keep their fitness level up. Although some naturally hardy folks can keep up with these hikes without doing any outside conditioning, I’m not one of those, and most other hikers are probably not either. Most people who do long-distance day hikes find that they must additionally condition themselves during their non-hiking periods in order to keep up their hiking stamina. What’s a hiker to do to keep in shape?

Of course the best exercise for hiking is… hiking. So even on weekends when you’re not hiking with your CHS comrades, you should try to get out with friends and family and put a few miles behind you. If hiking is not possible, then you need to find other ways to keep up cardiovascular endurance and strength. Many hikers—including me—enjoy doing pack walks on local streets and trails. This involves stuffing a bunch of weight into your pack (usually in the form of water bottles or sand bags) and walking several miles wearing this weight. You can start out with about 15 pounds and work your way up from there. I walk at a sustainable pace for most of the time, but I will also speed up the pace a bit every now and then to simulate an exercise interval—moving my activity from aerobic to anaerobic to build strength and cardiovascular endurance.

Another good cardio activity that works well for building hiking strength is climbing stairs. You can do this with or without weight. The key is to perform the activity for a period of time (anywhere from 15-30 minutes) without stopping to rest. In order to do this, you must maintain a sustainable pace as you climb. It’s also a good way to practice the rest step (click here to view an article on setting a pace and using the rest step as a way to maintain movement while resting leg muscles).

You can also do other types of exercises and weight training to build your endurance and muscle strength, but these are the two most-hiking specific activities I can recommend when you can’t get out to do an actual hike. Cross-training (doing other activities that use muscle groups different from those involved in hiking) is always a good idea and can lessen muscle strain and injury caused by repetitive activity. Swimming, bicycling, running, and other types of activities you may enjoy.

If you want to view an expert’s advice on conditioning for hiking including information on interval and cross training, take a look at local trainer and Mountaineers member, Courtenay Schurman’s web site (http://www.bodyresults.com/hiking-training.asp). She provides detailed information and links to articles, exercises, and sample programs that might help you out. She also provides more hands-on assistance if you feel that would be beneficial to you. I used her advice earlier in my hiking career to increase my hiking pace and stamina and highly recommend her.

So work on keeping up your fitness and you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more on the trail. Physical fitness is a key to feeling better before, during, and after your hiking trips and to avoid muscle injury.

I hope to see you all on the trail soon!

4/3/2011 Posting

On Saturday, myself, co-leader Kim Westerhof, and ten intrepid hikers set out under soggy skies in search of Kamakazie Falls. The trail, which was snow-free during my scout hike last weekend, quickly proved to be covered with new-fallen snow and more was falling as we headed up the trail! The creek below the falls was thundering with extra water fallen in the area as rain earlier this week and the falls themselves were amazing—more water than I’d ever seen here before was cascading down in a huge noisy sheet—spraying mist onto us even though we were more than 50 feet away. It was so loud, we had to shout at each other to be heard.

Suffice to say, it was very hard to stay dry on this hike. One thing I urged the hikers to think about as we headed back down from the falls and the snowy slopes above and back down to the seriously muddy trail below, was what they could have brought with them or done prior to the hike to make themselves more comfortable during the hike. Here are some of my ideas from our soggy Saturday:

• Snow traction devices (such as Yaktraks) to make walking on snow a little easier. They’re so light that it’s not a hassle to bring them along on every hike.
• Hiking poles to steady yourself on uneven and snowy trail.
• Gaiters to wear over your boots and pants.
• Umbrella to keep the rain off of you, so you don’t have to wear your rain gear while you’re hiking up hill. Most people sweat more with rain gear on; drenching themselves in their own sweat.
• Dry shirt to change in to at the turn around point, so you’re warmer heading down hill.
• Thermos with hot soup or beverage to sip while taking a break—warming your insides.
• Hand warmers (I use the “Little Hotties” brand) to slip in to your gloves to keep your hands toasty and dry.
• Dry socks, shoes, and clothes to change into back at the trailhead.
• Plastic bag to put your muddy boots into so as to not muck up the inside of your or your carpool partner’s car.
• Waterproof boots to keep your feet nice and dry. My own feet were very soggy after this hike and I realized that my boots were long overdue for a waterproofing.

These are just some of the ideas I had. Remember, you are responsible for your own well being on a hike. You need to bring the Ten Essentials (yes, all ten on every hike) and other gear that will keep you comfortable, warm, and happy. Your hike leader or other hiking partners are not responsible for reminding you of every little thing that you might want to bring. Unexpected events (such as unpredicted snow at low levels), can surprise even the most prepared hiker.

So take a look through your pack and think of what extra items you might want to bring to make your next trip—regardless of weather—safe and happy.