An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
User avatar
sekihiker
Founding Member
Posts: 957
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:47 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by sekihiker »

oldhikerQ wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 6:33 am Sekihiker-
Thanks for the inspirational posting. I'm 9 years younger, and have been contemplating hanging up my backpack within the next couple years. Your post made me realize that i may have more than a couple of years left to wander through the high sierra. Thank you for the motivation.
Cheers
The passion for going out can come and go, at least it has for me. I drag my feet before each of my first hikes of the year and my wife reminds every time this happens that it is nothing new. Turns out, it has always been worthwhile and the memories keep us going.
Thanks for your comments.
User avatar
sekihiker
Founding Member
Posts: 957
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:47 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by sekihiker »

Wandering Daisy wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 8:14 am Nice to hear that your recovery is going well. I too have been reading your trip reports for quite some time. With age I have converted from mountaineering and rock climbing into off-trail backpacking- next step perhaps more miles on trails. Occasionally I put in a ridiculous high-mileage day, usually regretting it as it does not get me much farther in the long run; I end up compensating with a low-mile day the next! I find that with age, it gets harder to put in 2-3 ridiculously high mile days in a row. I think each of us older backpackers have our own methods of keeping at it, be it lightening the load, shortening daily miles, more mellow terrain, new hobbies to fill those hours we no longer hike, or overall shorter trips. And do not under-rate the mental aspects. I now have to fight that fearfulness to get going on a trip. Perhaps it is just wisdom- we were too stupid when young to understand the consequences of getting hurt and felt invincible; now we are quite aware of our human vulnerabilities !

The up-side is unlimited time! No job to have to get back to Monday morning. I really relish being able to spend my last night close to the trailhead and do the long drive home the next morning and the less crowded, easier to get permit mid-week trips.
As usual, you've added a lot of insight in your response. I always look forward to reading them and your trip reports. I suspect some of us give up long before we need to. Being a part of this forum and reading comments like yours keeps me going. Thanks.
User avatar
oldranger
Topix Addict
Posts: 2861
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bend, Oregon

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by oldranger »

Nice to keep on truckin! I'm dealing with damaged lower lumbar/upper sacral vertebrae that is now sharply impacting my coordination. Just today finished having steroid injections down there. If that doesn't work I may be facing surgery if I want to continue being mobile. I did manage some off trail rambling this summer (TRs upcoming) but pretty much avoided talus as my ability to commit weight transfer from one leg to another where balance is required is pretty much gone. I remember my off trail days in the 80s where I negotiated really difficult terrain without poles or other assistance and without thinking much about it. Over the past few years reading TRs from people like Daisy and Rogue covering the same terrain and I have come to understand that indeed what I used to do was pretty tough given their experience(I didn't realize these routes were particularly difficultn until I read these TRs). It is discouraging to being confronted with obvious limitations in my ability to negotiate difficult terrain. Not looking forward to a possible surgery but also not looking forward to losing my ability to even walk. We shall see.
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
User avatar
sekihiker
Founding Member
Posts: 957
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:47 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by sekihiker »

oldranger wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:44 am Nice to keep on truckin! I'm dealing with damaged lower lumbar/upper sacral vertebrae that is now sharply impacting my coordination. Just today finished having steroid injections down there. If that doesn't work I may be facing surgery if I want to continue being mobile. I did manage some off trail rambling this summer (TRs upcoming) but pretty much avoided talus as my ability to commit weight transfer from one leg to another where balance is required is pretty much gone. I remember my off trail days in the 80s where I negotiated really difficult terrain without poles or other assistance and without thinking much about it. Over the past few years reading TRs from people like Daisy and Rogue covering the same terrain and I have come to understand that indeed what I used to do was pretty tough given their experience(I didn't realize these routes were particularly difficultn until I read these TRs). It is discouraging to being confronted with obvious limitations in my ability to negotiate difficult terrain. Not looking forward to a possible surgery but also not looking forward to losing my ability to even walk. We shall see.
Wow, Mike. Sounds serious. I never used to think much about talus, either, other than getting over it safely and as quickly as I could. Balance becomes an issue with age but a damaged back really throws a monkey wrench into the works. I hope surgery isn't necessary and that somehow physical therapy or some other treatment gets you through this. Thanks for your response.
User avatar
oldhikerQ
Topix Regular
Posts: 263
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:50 am
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: South OC, CA

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by oldhikerQ »

oldranger wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:44 am Nice to keep on truckin! I'm dealing with damaged lower lumbar/upper sacral vertebrae that is now sharply impacting my coordination. Just today finished having steroid injections down there. If that doesn't work I may be facing surgery if I want to continue being mobile. I did manage some off trail rambling this summer (TRs upcoming) but pretty much avoided talus as my ability to commit weight transfer from one leg to another where balance is required is pretty much gone. I remember my off trail days in the 80s where I negotiated really difficult terrain without poles or other assistance and without thinking much about it. Over the past few years reading TRs from people like Daisy and Rogue covering the same terrain and I have come to understand that indeed what I used to do was pretty tough given their experience(I didn't realize these routes were particularly difficultn until I read these TRs). It is discouraging to being confronted with obvious limitations in my ability to negotiate difficult terrain. Not looking forward to a possible surgery but also not looking forward to losing my ability to even walk. We shall see.
Old Ranger
Hope that they find a way forward for you that doesn't require surgery. i too have noticed a disconcerting decrease in my balance, especially over the last few years. Best of luck.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
User avatar
oldhikerQ
Topix Regular
Posts: 263
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:50 am
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: South OC, CA

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by oldhikerQ »

i'm jealous of the people here who are retired and have more personal time. As for me, i've got 44 months to go since i married a younger woman and health care is obscenely expensive here. As soon as my beloved is eligible for medicare, i'm stepping off of the corporate merry-go-round.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
User avatar
rightstar76
Topix Expert
Posts: 776
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:22 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by rightstar76 »

.
Last edited by rightstar76 on Wed Aug 14, 2019 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6641
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Our health care system (insurance does NOT equal health care) stinks! I took the risk of no insurance a few years prior to getting on Medicare, quit my job, and was lucky never going to a doctor. Even now, after several years of Medicare, I have been to the doctor twice. Unfortunately, if you need regular care, this does not work.
User avatar
kpeter
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1449
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:11 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by kpeter »

I am so grateful to you for helping to spread appreciation for the Sierra, via your own website and your participation here. And I am especially grateful that you shared your personal story to give hope to all of who are worried about physical ailments that could cause us to age out of hiking. That was certainly on my mind last summer, and I'm beginning to hope that I could have many more summers in the Sierra to come.
User avatar
oldranger
Topix Addict
Posts: 2861
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bend, Oregon

Re: An elderly hiker's trips for 2018

Post by oldranger »

Wandering Daisy wrote: Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:51 pm Our health care system (insurance does NOT equal health care) stinks! I took the risk of no insurance a few years prior to getting on Medicare, quit my job, and was lucky never going to a doctor. Even now, after several years of Medicare, I have been to the doctor twice. Unfortunately, if you need regular care, this does not work.
Heads up to all you youngins getting close to medicare age. Before you get there, like no later than 62 find a good young family doctor or internist that is not likely to retire before you die. Generally if they accept you as full pay or as insured when you turn 65 they will not dump you. Make sure that is the case. If you do that Medicare works pretty good when combined with supplemental plan g or plan f. That way you know, except for drugs what your healthcare costs will be. It becomes really difficult to get a good doc if you move to a new town after becomming medicare covered.

Plan Ahead!

For kathy and I plan D Medicare Drug Plans are a ripoff. We could easily save a $268 a year by using GoodRx coupons for our drugs and not paying the 348 we will be paying for our Plan D basic coverage. One of my drugs costs $1 for 3 months supply, the other 2 $6 each for 3 months for a total of $52+348 or a total of $400 a year, while I can purchase 3 month supply of each for about $11 each for 3 months or a total of $132. But if you don't get plan d and you end up needing really spendy drugs (like chemo) then you pay a huge penalty for enrolling in plan D late.

Plan ahead! Note that medicare is pretty clear about what they cover and your doctor and any specialist they refer you to should be able to lay out options for your care so you will know exactly what is covered ahead of time. Private insurance always seemed like they were looking to not cover stuff that seemed obvious.

Anyhow, once again, plan ahead! Your medical care will never be cheap once you leave an employer sponsored health plan. But medicare plus supplemental will be less expensive than private insurance and if you plan ahead can be pretty good with first rate doctors. My Doc saved my life by noticing a small change in my EKG and listening to me. My insurance costs that year was about $3000 (next year up to $4000 but I'm way older and looking at the possibility of another $50000 procedure or giving up and getting a walker then a wheelchair) for plan b plus supplemental plan F. The basic charge for hospitaliztion and doctors, and 30 days of rehab was $50,000 and I had no out of pocket costs. I have first rate Cardiologist and Urologist. My doc has offered to give me a referral to a first rate neural surgeon if it turns out I need one. (it is really interesting that all of his negative reviews deal with his bedside manner but his outcome rating is way better than average) **** I don't need a personable surgeon--I need a great one!

One more time! Plan ahead!

My plan is to do what has to be done and stay active as long as I can--Fish alaska and Mexico, fish from my boat, hike the sierra and wherever, play with my wife, travel with my grandkids (whoops perhaps a freudian slip) and do some volunteer work when in town (maybe in Mexico,too).
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 154 guests