High Sierra Topix

Life had gotten in the way of my summer backpack plans this year. I was going to do a South Lake - North Lake via Ionian Baisin trip after my trip from Horseshoe Meadow to Whitney Portal. My husband came down to pick me up and could have helped with transportation. All packed up too. Sadly, but not totally unexpected, my nearly100-year old mother died, so I came home and have been thick in arranging a memorial 800 miles from home. I now have a brief period I could do another 8-day trip. I woke up with a head cold a few days ago, and although not horribly sick, I definitely have a cold and a bit of a cough. Am I stupid to still go? I figure I can just as well be sick hiking as sitting around home, take the same OTC meds. Maybe cut back on the miles a bit and do a more base camping and fishing. This is my last chance for backpacking this year, I am babysitting grandkids end of Sept-mid Oct.

What would you do?

Depends on what you mean by slightly sick. If I feel terrible, I’d rather lay on the couch and watch the Price is right. But if you’re active, just take it easy and don’t get too far out in case it turns worse.

And hydrate!

For me, sometimes walking helps when sick. I like the Price is Right solution if I feel really really crappy.

If it is just a cold, and you know how your body performs as such, go.
If it is the onset of flu, I wouldn't go.

Have you hiked with a slight cold before?

Hi Wandering Daisy,
My condolences on losing your mother. 100 years is a good long time. The things she had seen in her life!

It has been years since I hiked with a cold. We went in over Kearsarge. What I remember is how much less energy I had. Very slow and feeling tired. The first day, sunny parts of the trail were super sweaty, miserable. And then right on the pass it clouded up and hailed. That was miserably cold. We all were coughing and sniffing that night at the highest Kearsarge Lake. In the morning we all agreed that being sick in the Sierras was better than being sick at home. We took a planned layover day at 11,394 in the Gardiner Basin, and generally had long, slow days with extended lunch breaks.
We all survived.
-mort

Would not recommend going, your immune system is already fighting off the cold, physical exertion will put even more strain on it, and your emotional strain is putting even more stress on it, which could turn it into something even more serious.
Wait a week or two, allow your body to recover from the cold and the emotional stress that your experiencing, the Sierra will still be there.

I actually used to go out and split wood when I got a cold. Get's stuff moving in the system and it worked for me.
Reduced the length of the cold.

Now, if I had a fever and chills, I would hole up and just rest.

That works in some cases Russ, if one has a light head cold, and you have a strong immune system, and possibly are younger.
Once it migrates to your respiratory system, forget it, your asking for an serious infection, which will take even longer to recover from.
WD having a cold, and then add in the grief of her mother passing, has most likely stressed her immune system, the physical intensity of backpacking, and at elevation, could make things much worse.
Plus a cold messes with you ability to make quick decisions, can throw of your balance, make breathing difficult, not things you want to be dealing with climbing up/down a steep scree field or boulder hopping down from a pass.

I haven't had a cold in years, but that is probably because I avoid sick people and never touch my hands to any part of my body, especially the face, until I get home from shopping, etc. That little touch pad at the grocery store and the shopping carts are the worst. Have hand sanitizer in the truck for such runs.

Sorry for WD's loss as well.

rlown wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2019 11:20 am That little touch pad at the grocery store and the shopping carts are the worst.

I've never used the little touch pad, and I haven't used a shopping cart in about five years. I never seem to get sick.