Fat Tuesday
New member
I had to bail on Isolation, my 48th peak yesterday, due to fatigue related to the following:
a) Having completed a 15 mile, 6K ft. traverse of the Wildcats and Carters on Sat
b) 34 miles logged the weekend prior
c) Red Sox in the ALCS
My friend Liz and I got a relatively late start on Rocky Branch—7:20. The trail was completely covered in leaves and just beautiful. A sea of chartreuse. Perfectly sunny, rich blue sky. I felt myself huffing and puffing behind Liz, with whom I am usually equal in pace. I wasn’t sore from Saturday’s death march, oddly, but felt myself to be underneath the kind of exhaustion that sits behind your eyes and wills them to close.
I slogged on, happy for the very gradual incline of the trail and for the thick leaf cover that kept the mud from seeping up. I was still lethargic, however, and began to worry about the trip out, which would surely be after dark. We were equipped and prepared for a night hike, but the risk of tripping in my stupor seemed to be growing with each step. About twenty paces past the dry river wilderness boundary (2.5 miles in?) I alerted Liz to my condition and we decided to turn around and head out.
I felt befittingly humbled by the mountains, who scoffed at my attempt to cram my last 10 peaks into a one month period after having spent five years and two months hiking 38 peaks at my leisure, without strategy and many times over.
Actually, screw the moral lesson; it is going to bug me if I can’t get this done before mixed conditions and winter truly set in. I don’t want to do this as a winter backpack this year, for a number of reasons. Given the fading daylight, I may attempt as a backpack this weekend or next.
Anyway, I have never posted here before and I should say that I am really grateful for this community and have found the winter trip reports indispensably helpful for my planning. Thanks to all!
- mardi
a) Having completed a 15 mile, 6K ft. traverse of the Wildcats and Carters on Sat
b) 34 miles logged the weekend prior
c) Red Sox in the ALCS
My friend Liz and I got a relatively late start on Rocky Branch—7:20. The trail was completely covered in leaves and just beautiful. A sea of chartreuse. Perfectly sunny, rich blue sky. I felt myself huffing and puffing behind Liz, with whom I am usually equal in pace. I wasn’t sore from Saturday’s death march, oddly, but felt myself to be underneath the kind of exhaustion that sits behind your eyes and wills them to close.
I slogged on, happy for the very gradual incline of the trail and for the thick leaf cover that kept the mud from seeping up. I was still lethargic, however, and began to worry about the trip out, which would surely be after dark. We were equipped and prepared for a night hike, but the risk of tripping in my stupor seemed to be growing with each step. About twenty paces past the dry river wilderness boundary (2.5 miles in?) I alerted Liz to my condition and we decided to turn around and head out.
I felt befittingly humbled by the mountains, who scoffed at my attempt to cram my last 10 peaks into a one month period after having spent five years and two months hiking 38 peaks at my leisure, without strategy and many times over.
Actually, screw the moral lesson; it is going to bug me if I can’t get this done before mixed conditions and winter truly set in. I don’t want to do this as a winter backpack this year, for a number of reasons. Given the fading daylight, I may attempt as a backpack this weekend or next.
Anyway, I have never posted here before and I should say that I am really grateful for this community and have found the winter trip reports indispensably helpful for my planning. Thanks to all!
- mardi
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