A shout-out to the 64year old studs of HST

[cgundersen]

So, what was in the air? water? mountains? in 1959 that I have read several recent posts on HST by guys who hit 64 this year (and apologies if I missed any 64 year old women), and have completed/initiated some sensational trips. There was Giantbrookie (John) and his iconic northeastern Yosemite trip followed by a magical fishing adventure. Ian Harlen appears to be eternally young, even if he claims that he's 64. A broken ankle has barely slowed him down, and he had that luminous trip to Humphreys basin. Moonwalker just wrote up a trip that few sane folk would contemplate let alone complete and I presume that Wrongway is in the heart of a trip to Lake 10232 on the western margin of Ionian basin. Inspirational barely says it, but I'll say it anyway. Thanks gentlemen! Cameron

[balzaccom]

I''m a bit older than that, but this summer I took on the Camino de Santiago with my daughter. And while I won't claim it didn't hurt at times, we still managed to make it through. What is that old saying? You don't stop hiking because you're old. You get old because you stop hiking!

[Harlen]

Thanks for the shout-out, but apparently I have reached the age in which I periodically forget how old I am. Lizzie tells me I will turn 63 in 4 days. Sounds about right, I was born in 1960. I be glad to join the 64+ Club next year. Cheers Paul.

[giantbrookie]

Thanks for the shout-out. In fact I get a lot of inspiration from peers here on Topix, including those older than me, such as WD, whose trips make me think "I want to be like her when I grow up", and some slightly older than me, like robertseeburger who still do difficult off trail trips to great fishing lakes (and even throw in a nice peak, here and there), as well as the 'peer group' including harlen, moonraker, and others. I have also taken inspiration from various prominent geologists who have remained mentally and physically active to 80+.

I had a great role model in my dad, who got me and my brother into backcountry hiking and began the family tradition of putting in the work to stay in shape--something that Dawn (17) and Lee (21) have followed. This resulted in Dawn becoming my top backpacking buddy. My dad was also instrumental in preparing me for wilderness hiking in that he had pretty much turned over all the trip planning to me by the time I was 13 years old. It helped that he had first shown me topo maps when I was 5, and I taught myself how to read them when I was 6.

My dad ran a 2:58 marathon at age 48 and although I was a stronger hiker at that time, when I got to about the same age range (my dad had passed by then), Judy would say "I guess you are not his equal" (I've never been a distance runner, though), which no doubt was true. However, owing to multiple issues, including a bad hip, whose degradation may have begun with a fall on Mt Goddard when we climbed it in 1977, my dad really showed his age at 64 (1992) when he found he couldn't finish the off trail ascent to Burro Lakes carrying a full pack. Things really went south for him after that, with strokes, heart attack, an ultimately pancreatic cancer that took him at age 71. I figure there are genetic and other random health factors beyond my control and I do my best not to worry about them. I exercise due diligence to control things I have some control over, which means to train hard to stay in shape (both strength and cardio; the former helps rehab old injuries and prevent new ones) and seek medical advice/examination etc. to monitor various aspects of my health.

I echo balzaccom's "You don't stop hiking because you're old. You get old because you stop hiking." philosophy and I encounter too many people of all ages saying "I can't", starting (on the younger side) with college students. Many have said "I can't" because their knee hurts or "I can't" because they are mildly asthmatic, yet my knees would be far worse than theirs if I didn't hit the weight room so hard to maintain my quads, and my asthma is worse than theirs, but overcome mainly through pushing a higher degree of cardio fitness. Those saying "I can't" when a bit of training can easily transform it to "I can" are throwing away freedom (in this case freedom of mobility) all too casually. Freedom of mobility is well worth the effort, because it improves our quality of life.

I feel fortunate that my dad introduced me to the particular joy of the high mountains, and specifically the High Sierra, at a very young age and, because those mountains have brought me so much joy, I like to try to help others enjoy it, too. Part of that includes showing folks that we can still do those adventurous off trail adventures when we're old enough to be using a National Parks senior pass.

[cgundersen]

Hi Gents,

I'll second Paul's admonition; Add in the ongoing fascination with the notion that 10,000 steps per day can improve health/longevity and then the issue becomes, "Wouldn't you rather be logging those steps in the Sierra (or a similarly gorgeous venue) than the mean streets of any major city". I think most folk drawn to HST already share the same answer, and I agree that too many folk give-up on themselves when a bit of activity (especially, under the guidance of a trained physical therapist) will remedy many common complaints. Heck, my buddy from the East coast went from one knee brace to two until a couple years of Cross-fit eliminated the need. And I tell everyone I know that the best core exercise I've ever encountered is tossing a pack on my back and wandering the Sierra for a week (or two). Yep, I try to stay in shape in between, but it's hard to mimic the impact of a few days on (or off) trail.
Apologies to Ian for prematurely aging you. I'm confident 64 will be a good year for you (if you can keep that wayward ankle in line). Cameron

[Harlen]

10,000 steps eh? So that's the magic number? How many miles is that-- perhaps the magic 4-5 miles that Daisy Wanders every day?

This post lauding the 60+ year old backpackers comes just after I read the disturbing news that we are bound to lose either 1% muscle and strength per year from the age of 40 on, or in the second account-- between 3% and 8% per decade after we reach 30 years old. Worse yet, this second account says that this deterioration accelerates after the age of 60! I hope these data are wrong, but the way I feel now corroborates it. Every since getting out of shape, while being laid up with my little injury, I have seemingly lost my fitness. 6-7 paltry miles up Piute and I was wiped out... and then just the 3-4 level miles over to Tomahawk Lake felt the same. Is it true that after 60 we haveto train constantly to maintain fitness? That would be a lot easier if we lived in the eastern Sierra.

One last point, my erstwhile partner Frank also says that after about the age of 64, he began to sense a loss of balance, and fitness. He's 68 now, but said that to me a few years ago. We're not planning to stop backpacking, but I guess we'll have to prepare better-- but we don't want to work as hard as Giantbrookie!.
*Just as I wrote this I got a phone call from Frank. When I mentioned this deterioration business, and the sad accelereation post 60 part, he agreed. He said, "Ya, it's like you're sliding down the fitness mountain, and going faster and faster as you go." Pretty bleak outlook.
Thanks a lot for the post Paul.

[giantbrookie]

This post lauding the 60+ year old backpackers comes just after I read the disturbing news that we are bound to lose either 1% muscle and strength per year from the age of 40 on, or in the second account-- between 3% and 8% per decade after we reach 30 years old. Worse yet, this second account says that this deterioration accelerates after the age of 60! I hope these data are wrong, but the way I feel now corroborates it. Every since getting out of shape, while being laid up with my little injury, I have seemingly lost my fitness. 6-7 paltry miles up Piute and I was wiped out... and then just the 3-4 level miles over to Tomahawk Lake felt the same. Is it true that after 60 we haveto train constantly to maintain fitness? That would be a lot easier if we lived in the eastern Sierra.

Well I'm not sure if the annual loss figures includes those who do rigorous training to retard the degradation or if they are an average of all surveyed individuals.

I realize that every individual is different and there will be a range of results for the same training regimen, but my own record of muscle strength in terms of things I can measure might be tracked, at least for my upper body, by my bench press max. I was a little bit of a latecomer to upper body training, having begun working on knee rehab as early as age 18 but not starting the upper body stuff regularly until age 26 (although I was semi serious about it by age 21). I did not achieve my all time bench press max until age 28 or 29 (285 lbs, body weight was about 172lbs then). The last time I hit 285 lbs on the bench was at age 48 (body weight was also 172 or so pounds) and I don't know if the decline since then was due to adopting more balanced upper body workout (emphasizing pull ups more), or aging, or also the lowering of my base weight (most of which seems to be getting leaner rather than losing muscle mass). I had a 2+ year hiatus from bench press owing to not going to a gym (COVID closures and my reluctance to return after they opened) and restarted training in Fall 2022. My last "max check" was in early summer when I put up 235lbs (body weight 160 lbs). I do seem to notice that I've hit a plateau (can't seem to progress beyond 2 rep sets at 225lbs) over the last year or so, so I'm tinkering with a different routine (more reps at 185 and 205) to see if I can push the max higher. The bottom line is that 235 lbs bench press max for a 160lb body weight at age 64 doesn't seem like much of a strength decline compared to 285lbs at 172 lbs at age 28.

Other athletic aspects have certainly declined, but I think these may be partly related to accumulations of injuries and somewhat diminished flexibility. When I was at my peak in terms of explosiveness in my lower body, I had a vertical jump in the 32-35" range with my peak reached at an age of about 21 or 22. As of my late 20s I probably topped out in the 32" range or so. I think this really declined beyond age 40 and it seems to have declined fairly gradually, but it's hard to say how much of this is aging versus not doing the exercises and actions that promoted it---specifically playing basketball and some of the drills I did to encourage the explosiveness. I'd say I'm probably around 24" vertical and no more than 26" nowadays, so that is a pretty signficant decline. Folks who play basketball with me today still think I can jump, but I'm pretty good at the art of illusion through good timing, so I just do things that make it look like I can jump, whereas my airborne game is nowhere near what it used to be. My top end sprint speed also seems to be limited, partly by fear. Sadly, I never got timed at sprint distances (I'm a big track and field fan but never participated), but I felt I could outsprint everyone I competed with on the basketball court (and in informal football games) until my first hamstring pull in my early 40s (or was it late 30s) which came at a time when I was also dialing back my basketball frequency. Sometime in my late 50s Lee challenged me to a 100 m sprint. I was chagrined that he beat me handily out of the blocks, but like a big train I blew by him at the 10-15 m mark continued to widen the gap to the finish. The issue came when we decided to run a 2nd time and my hamstring popped at about 10 m, so I figured I need to be a bit more measured about sprinting now.

I do find that I have to train a bit longer and harder to maintain my mobility and strength, but it's worth it, for me. I don't particularly enjoy those weighted training hikes in my neighborhood, but if it means I don't impede Dawn and Lee (ie doesn't subtract from fishing time) and gives me access to all the places I'd like to get to, it's worth it. Occasionally the training can actually improve an apparently chronic situation. An example is my lower back. I would have unpredictable and debilitating bouts with back spasms from age 21 to just short of 50 before really getting into core improvement via doing the plank. My plank PR is 1 hour 7 min and it was done last year (age 63) after some competition and trash talking from Dawn (she had several that went to the half hour mark). I could probably break my PR if I was willing, but it's so boring and painful, I think I'd rather not. In any case by age 50-51 (plank PR had reached about 15 min) my back became so strong that it was better than at any time from age 21-50 and the only serious bout of back spasms I've dealt with was early last year, almost assuredly a side effect of hormone therapy.

On general principles, we know that all the training takes time and we often think that we can't do it because we want to do something work related or the like. But I think nearly all of us find that the higher level of physical fitness leads to higher mental productivity, so that we get a lot more done in the amount of time we give ourselves. And it is no doubt true that doing weighted training hikes or doing strength training is not as fun as backpacking or playing basketball, but it can be an end in itself, especially when one is somewhat elderly. One ends up with quite the fan club at the gym or (for those weighted hikes) in the neighborhood. But having an ego boost isn't the big positive that makes that fun for me, but rather it is being able to inspire people of all ages that training can improve their quality of life.

Anyway, we all know that Father Time is undefeated and he'll eventually slow us down before he finally knocks us out. But we should not concede decline until we have to.

[LMBSGV]

I agree with Harlen’s post about the problems with aging after 60, though I didn’t really notice it that much until I was 65 and also had cancer. So I don’t actually know how much is aging and how much is caused by cancer. I do know that beginning in 2016 there’s been a loss in stamina that has only increased in subsequent years. I can still do a lot of miles if it’s relatively level, but long sustained climbs wipe me out. Short and steep climbs are okay so, for example, going from Fletcher Lake up to Townsley Lake this month was actually fun. It’s the long sustained ones that get me. Even adding more hills to my daily runs this summer didn’t make any real difference. I'm also much slower even on downhill and level so going 8 miles from Townsley to Tuolumne Meadows took me 6 hours, not 4. So I’m now doing trip planning that gets me off major trail locations and minimizes climbs. Unfortunately, in the Sierra most of the trailheads are located in places that require a big climb the first day, so planning is more difficult and creative.

[cgundersen]

Ian: I think John's post answers your question: yes, one needs to be vigilant to minimize the age-related muscle deterioration. After all, the cited range is huge (3-8% per decade), and I presume that it is the workout-dedicated folk (like, John) who clock in the 3% versus couch potatoes at the other end. It's the old use it or lose it mantra (on steroids). The good news is (like I mentioned for my buddy's knees, and as John reported for back spasms) with attention to what needs fixing/improvement, you can get back to your "younger self" or in some cases, even improve. Fingers crossed that your upcoming trip shows an improvement in the mojo.
John: I think I've mentioned this elsewhere, but my wife and I have a couple of geologist pals and I think that your discipline's emphasis on getting out where the rocks are instills a focus on fitness that's less common in most modern "jobs". Even so, I'm guessing you're a standout among your academic peers (didn't you report favorably on your ascent of a peak in the eastern Mediterranean a few years ago that left most colleagues gasping?), let alone HST.
Laurence: Well, the Lance Armstrong story (cancer survivor) was inspirational until it wasn't. Still, I'm pretty confident that any therapy you went through had to affect strength and stamina. And I also suspect that with a suitable regimen, you can recover enough to do much of the same trekking you'd have been doing had you not gone through that treatment trauma. Sounds like you're doing mighty fine out there! Cameron

[rayfound]

So, what was in the air? water? mountains? in 1959 that I have read several recent posts on HST by guys who hit 64 this year (and apologies if I missed any 64 year old women), and have completed/initiated some sensational trips. There was Giantbrookie (John) and his iconic northeastern Yosemite trip followed by a magical fishing adventure. Ian Harlen appears to be eternally young, even if he claims that he's 64. A broken ankle has barely slowed him down, and he had that luminous trip to Humphreys basin. Moonwalker just wrote up a trip that few sane folk would contemplate let alone complete and I presume that Wrongway is in the heart of a trip to Lake 10232 on the western margin of Ionian basin. Inspirational barely says it, but I'll say it anyway. Thanks gentlemen! Cameron

Amen. Hope I am fortunate enough to match them and have 25+ years of backpacking in me .