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Post by cweston on Oct 2, 2020 5:29:40 GMT -8
cweston, you are too kind! One of the things that I definitely have been noticing is that I’m hiking more slowly, at any elevation. I actually thought of you yesterday at my trailhead. It's a super-popular trail and the USFS has a lot of signage at the trailhead (and also in the lake basin) about bear safety, where you're not allowed to camp, etc. It's listed as 4.5 miles to the lake (a book I trust more says 5), and about 2,500 ft of gain. On the trailhead sign it says: "Distance: 9 miles. Time: allow 8 hours." I thought, OK, I know people (like rebeccad) who say that they hike slow, but good gawd, if it's going to take you 8 hours, maybe choose a different trail?
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zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,877
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Post by zeke on Oct 2, 2020 5:45:40 GMT -8
I am slower than rebeccad on any uphill section, and a general rule I find applicable for me is 2 mph and 1000 ft ph. That tells me it would take me about 4.5 hours to reach that lake in your example, or an 9 hour RT. I'd probably take 10 hours, so I could enjoy the lake some.
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Post by cweston on Oct 2, 2020 6:02:47 GMT -8
Just to clarify, my intent was more to poke fun of myself than of hikers who like to take it slow. I'm a fast walker in regular life, in the grocery store, on campus, etc., and tend toward undue impatience when others slow me down. I'm working on it, but progress is slow.
Also, long ago the PNW was my home hiking base, but for decades now, it's mostly been the Rockies during monsoon season. So I think I've really trained myself, not necessarily consciously, to push--for the sake of being down (or better yet, at camp) before the storm.
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