High Sierra Topix

Boy has this thread been hijacked! To continue the crime, Tom_H wrote:

One of the sad things about retirement is that by the time you're old enough to do it it's a lot harder and more painful on the body to get to remote places. At some point it becomes impossible. My advice to young backpacking fanatics: Get in all the demanding packing you can while you're young and strong. Save cruises and golf for the golden years.

Been retired for 8 1/2 years and still backpacking, on many trips I do cheat by getting packed in that first day of interminable up hill with the heaviest pack of the trip. Yeah I can't go so far in a day but 10 to 15 day trips are still in my plans. Ultralight gear, thick inflatable sleeping pads, side entry tents, hiking poles are all adjustments that have allowed me to continue packpacking into my 8th decade. So what is a little pain? Even when not backpacking it often takes an Aleve to sleep well. Never did golf, never will. Won't ever do big cruise ship gig as I can't deal with being in a herd. My biggest concession to age is getting a fishing boat and even that is not as easy as I thought because I am constantly up and down adjusting gear. Each day in the boat is like a day at the gym doing nothing but squats. A second concession to age is that my wife retired 3 years ago and some of my backpacking and fishing time has to be surrendered to her desires to travel and paddle a canoe (paddling and serious fishing are not compatible activities).

Maybe I'm just lucky or maybe just too bullheaded to recognize I should slow down. I know that sometime in the next 10 years seriously fun backpacking will just be a memory but right now, I'm going for it! So Dave you can do it!

About right now, I would prefer to be in the most remote location in the sierra.

As I don't work for them anymore, It was HP; first round of cuts happened in '95 when somehow the mgmt culture changed from maintaining employee loyalty to us being "meatbags" that were interchangeable and dispensable. Survived through 5 reorgs and my mgr in Scotland laid me off in '09 (went backpacking that day ). Anyway, a friend hired me back in '11 and that was fine until the mgmt upheaval once again, and I and my friend got laid off. I found another position; he did not and landed a job in Boston. So, this was the third time for me. It's not the Bill & Dave company it used to be.. Really sad.. It feels ok. Then I get this call from a room mate from 25 years ago. They laid off everyone in two US sites that I worked with; but kept everyone in Ireland.

To be fair to the original thread, split off the posts about retirement and backpacking, so this subject matter can be continued in its own thread.

Beware that once you retire, the rest of your family will think you are doing nothing, therefore, many requests for "granny" duty! I am physically capable of backpacking more than I do, but with eight grandkids I get called to duty a lot. I have had to be very clear that mid July to mid Sept I am NOT available to watch kids. Also, "significant others" are not too keen on you being gone contiually. Even when retired, balancing family and backpacking is tricky. Add in obligations for elderly parents and you still must MAKE time for backpacking; it will not just happen.

The biggest advantage is that I can now do weekday trips avoiding the weekend crowds. And no more midnight drives to get back to work. No more having to be a weekend warrior.

One never knows when some ailment will stop your backpacking, so be gratefull for every trip.

You wanna head up to Whitney via the MMWT next week? Just hiking up to Trail camp and hanging out there is bitchin'. It's 6 miles r/t from TC base to peak going up the Chute and then ridge line trail. (Which is covered in snow ledges, so really doesn't count as a trail.)

I have to salute you, Mike. I sure wish I could still get out and do those 15 day trips you talk about. I did a lot of packing when young, and did taper into ultralight gear in the last several years. I have sleep apnea now and use a CPAP machine. Without the machine, I can't get any air at all on my back and can barely get enough to sleep some on my side. I tried all kinds of air mattresses and pillows, but sleeping on my side on the ground throws my back out, makes my whole body stiff, and the pain is excruciating. I am grateful for all I got to do and see over the years, and have no regrets. I have had to accept that I can't do it any more and have hung up the boots except for day hiking. I hope you can keep going past 100. My hat's off to you. Enjoy every minute of it!

And my sincere apologies for hijacking the thread.

I have sleep apnea now and use a CPAP machine. Without the machine, I can't get any air at all on my back and can barely get enough to sleep some on my side. I tried all kinds of air mattresses and pillows, but sleeping on my side on the ground throws my back out, makes my whole body stiff, and the pain is excruciating.

Look into this or other cannabis (vapor or oil) to possibly help relieve or cure your symptoms Tom: http://extract.suntimes.com/extract-new ... ronabinol/

Thanks Mav, As long as I use the CPAP machine and have a normal mattress, I'm fine. Just can't sleep on the ground and be without the machine any more. I still enjoy some day hiking and am happy I have overall decent health. I've been a lucky man to see all the amazing wild places that I have in my lifetime. If such a place as heaven exists, it will be made of mountains, meadows, and wildflowers. And there won't be any 'skeeters!

Mav, thanks for splitting this off into its own thread. As of July, I am on Social Security and therefore consider myself retired. Since 1984, I’ve been in a home-based business with my wife so been somewhat immune to the Monday-Friday work week. However, I’ve not been immune to tight deadlines and the whims of clients. So I’ve been looking forward to retiring for the last couple of years and devoting my time to hiking, photography, and writing. But then sometimes “s***” happens . . .

Last summer, it was discovered I have an irregular heartbeat (atrial-fibulation). A scan due to the A-fib showed lesions on one of my kidneys, which grew larger in the follow-up scan. The doctors decided I needed to have a nephrectomy (kidney removal), which occurred in April. It turned out to be cancer. The cancer seems to have been confined to the one kidney, though I’ll be going in for scans a couple of times a year to make sure, probably for the rest of my life. It definitely changes one’s perspective and engenders a greater appreciation of the simple joys of being alive.

The doctor says I should be able to backpack in late June. So I’ll be checking off the places on my Sierra “bucket list.” I have 3 backpack trips planned for this summer, one with my wife and two solo, and then, hopefully, another solo trip late September/early October. This year, I’m keeping the trips relatively short (2, 5, and 6 days) with fewer miles of hiking per day to see how I do. Next summer, my wife and I are thinking of a long (40+ days) National Park road trip along with any solo backpack trips I may take. After that . . .

God speed Laurence, God speed. Friend had atrial fib issues, and got ablated. As he's my Abalone diving partner, that was important as he had a problem once in the water. That wasn't fun.

There is nothing wrong with camping. Heading that way myself.