High Sierra Topix

The development where I live has approximately 15 miles of hiking trails The closest trail head is about 1/3 of a mile from my house. Leaving the house I first gain 30' of elevation and then loose 60' going down to the trailhead. Moderately steep descent. A fairly level trail heads off to the south. I take the trail heading off to the northwest which is a dirt road. Moderate upslope to start with. Come to a fork and I take the fork to the right which is a lightly used jeep trail. As the trail twists and turns it gets steeper and steeper. And it is slippery and muddy after last night's rain. After about 3/4 of a mile I decide to turn back. Total elevation gain from the trail head is around 400'. Back at the trail head I take the trail to the south for about a 1/4 of a mile. This is a path through the oak trees. No mud. Getting tired. I am way out of shape. So back to the house. Took 1 1/2 hours to hike a little over 2 miles with around 500' of elevation gain. Not bad for a first hike in a long time.

I was also giving my base layer (long sleeve T shirt) and my mid layer (polyester flannel shirt) a test hike. Temp 60* with light wind, sunny blue skies with some clouds. Got hot and had to unbutton the flannel. Border line if the base layer would have been warm enough. Probably would have been ok with just the base layer.

I am going to be doing this hike 2 to 3 times a week gradually extending the mileage as I get in better shape. After the winter rains are done I will start hiking the Silver Peak Wilderness loop trail. The short loop is around 17 miles and the long loop is around 25 miles. I will do these loops over 3 days and 2 nights. I will also do the Caliente Mountain trail. 18 miles. 2 days and 1 night.

That's my exercise plan to get me in shape for next summer.

Good work getting started. I think wantiing to be in shape for backpacking is the biggest motivation I have for staying fit.

For me, exercise is just something I like doing. Some motivation does come from being fit for various weekend adventures, but I also enjoy the weekday lap around the park for it's own sake.

I have the same philosophy on exercise as I do religion: whatever gets you out there and motivates you (to do good or get exercise) is probably what you should do. Forage for mushrooms or try to win an Ironman, whichever works for getting you out the door and into some sunshine.

I am looking around for some ankle weights to help with ski season. The past two years, I've strained my hip flexors with the additional weight of the boot & ski. For backpacking, I'd think ankle stability exercises & weight lifting (either with pack weight or with free weights in a gym) would be ways you could add some specificity.

I watch a lot of vigorous sport on the television, while eating jalapeno chips with beer. I reckon that I get something out of it in the way of fitness-- through a kind of virtual osmosis I suppose. I'm sure I feel a lot stronger at the end of a football game. Give it a try bald tires, see if it helps you too.

Sam, I know you won't stoop to such indoor athletics; you'd rather wheeze and sweat and burn calories.

When I lived in Mexico on my sailboat and even when I came back to San Diego I didn't own a car. I either walked where I needed to go or took public transportation. The trolley in San Diego even had a stop at Costco. I now live 15 miles out of town. Too far to walk to town. The hiking trails where I live will have to do.

After my hike last Thursday I looked on Google earth what the grade was on the steep section of the trail. 44%. No wonder I was slipping backwards in the mud on the trail. Will be back at it on Tuesday. Forecast is for rain for tomorrow.

I watch a lot of vigorous sport on the television, while eating jalapeno chips with beer. I reckon that I get something out of it in the way of fitness-- through a kind of virtual osmosis I suppose. I'm sure I feel a lot stronger at the end of a football game. Give it a try bald tires, see if it helps you too.

The other trail at the trail head is also brutal for someone just starting out to get back in shape. It is literally going up and down steep hillsides with up to 40% grades. Not quite ready for that. Maybe in a month or two. So I am walking 1.5 miles mostly along roads with one section going across the common area that has a slight upslope. Takes me an hour to do the 1.5 miles. I feel like I am walking very fast. I don't know how some of you can hike at 2 to 3 miles per hour.

You're good to have so much time. Advise prioritizing injury avoidance. Injuries derail everything, and most arise from overuse/over training. Don't go too hard, too fast.

Six months out from high season is enough for most folks to be in very good hiking shape for mountain summer. Ideally, your return to the mountains is mainly challenging because of the thin air and not your fitness.

Be mindful of your connective tissues. tendons and ligaments strengthen much slower than muscles and the cardiovascular system.
The "golden rule" for marathoners (10% gains per week) is a good way to progress safely while training. Can be modified for hikers.

To elaborate:
Keep track cumulative distance, elevation, and load (if carrying a weighted pack) over a two week period. Try to keep increases for the three metrics under 20% (15% if over age 60) for subsequent biweekly periods. This also gives you an early warning for deficiencies that need to be addressed before they become injuries. Like a burgeoning IT band problem, lower back, shoulder, plantar, metatarsal, etc.

Take some advice from an old Fireman. The two biggest things that impact your performance in the trees are nutrition, and hydration. When people that are otherwise in great shape tip over, the first thing critics look to is dehydration, however in the Fireman world, the forensics usually point to poor nutrition. Eat quality food regularly whether you are hungry or not. Stay away from things akin to gatorade, your body needs electrolyte but it needs water way more, carry an electrolyte packet like "squincher" for emergencies like leg cramps or headache, you'll appreciate it believe me. Good luck!!

Hey bald tires, and hello again Hillclimber2011,
I try never to carry water, except on winter trips, where for once, there isn't a water source around every corner. This has served me well throughout many decades of Sierra travels, and after recently learning a bit about Hyponatremia, I am now even less inclined to carry (heavy!) water, and more likely to fill my pack with favorite salty snacks, such as Jalapeno Chips, and beer nuts. Dig this from Mayo Clinic:

[Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that's in and around your cells.

In hyponatremia, one or more factors — ranging from an underlying medical condition to drinking too much water — cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. When this happens, your body's water levels rise, and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening.

Hyponatremia treatment is aimed at resolving the underlying condition. Depending on the cause of hyponatremia, you may simply need to cut back on how much you drink. In other cases of hyponatremia, you may need intravenous electrolyte solutions and medications.

So what I get out of that is that besides weighing 8 lbs. per gallon, water is dangerous to drink, as it will cause your cells to explode. Chips and beer nuts are relatively light, and more caloric than water by a long shot, and they taste better too. Bald tires, I hope this sage advice will help you to lighten your pack, and balance out your water consumption with chips and beer. Hillclimber2011, you may have needed more water than the average bear due to your career choice, but now you should be able to get all the moisture you need from golden trout-- if you can catch one small enough to eat.