Using Summer Early Daylight

[JWreno]

I have been increasing my walking workouts each day for the last 3 months, cutting out garbage treats and have added intermittent fasting this month. I am working on getting back packing fit by Labor Day weekend when I will do a 11 day southern Sierra trip. I am down 19 pounds so far and would like to continue to loose about 1.5 pounds per week to weigh much less on the backpacking trip. My goal is to loose a 10 day loaded backpack worth of body fat before the trip.

We have been blessed in Reno with lower the usual temperatures for the last 2 months with a lot of extra rain from thunderstorms. That seems to be coming to an end and it is getting close to being too hot for walking later in the day.

I am on phase-in retirement with working at 60% FTE for 12 more months. I work Wednesday - Friday each week. My wife and I have Saturday - Tuesday off each week and we walk a lot and also hike on our days off.

The last two mornings I decided to add walking to my early morning workday routine. I walked 8.25 miles starting at 5:15 this morning and the temperature was lovely in the lower 50s at the start and still comfortable a couple hours later at the finish. Yesterday morning I walked 5 miles before work. I also walk about 3 miles at my lunch break but will probably not do that when the days reach mid 90s or higher. I will go to fitness gym instead to be inside at lunch break.

My wife likes to sleep in a little bit on her days off because she goes to work before 5AM as a nurse on workdays. I decided I will do a 5 mile early workout while she is sleeping and then do another 5 miles with my wife and dog after she wakes up.

I won't be able to keep up this routine in a few months as morning daylight comes later but I am enjoying it now.

We plan on hike the whole PCT over a 3 year period when we retire so I am looking to improve my fitness levels so I can continue to enjoy the mountains after we retire.

[mort]

Hi Jeff,
That's great. I am also trying to get back in Sierra shape, but you've set a very high bar! Where are you going "11 day southern Sierra?"
-m

[JWreno]

I am taking my wife, son and 72 year old brother. It will be my brothers first backpacking trip. He says he wants to section hike the PCT with us. I said he needs to go on a significant backpacking trip. We are starting at Cottonwood Pass and exiting at South Lake. On 3rd day we will summit Whitney. We may take a day trip down the middle fork of the Kings River to the Devil's Washbowl. I have been through that area 3 times on full JMT trips but have never taking the time to see it. I have enough extra gear so all he needs to take care of is his food using our stove and clothing.

Hopefully we can ford Woods Creek if the bridge is still a problem since it will be in September.

If he does well, we will hike the rest of the northern California section starting August 2024 when we are fully retired. Probably start a Tuolumne Meadow and hike to Hwy 50 or I80 and then come back and do South Lake to Yosemite Valley. I figure I can ford the San Joaquin river at the damaged bridge if it is mid September most years.

I had 12 miles total walking today before I ate my breakfast at 2PM. My brother started intermittent fasting 18 months ago with great results. He is also Vegan so he will having to figure out his own food.

[Gogd]

Brother is 72 and this will be his first back pack trip?! How was it determined he will be up for this level of activity, given his age and no prior experience backpacking? You might want to consider putting together a Plan B contingency in case he gases out.

Ed

[shawnterustic]

Hopefully we can ford Woods Creek if the bridge is still a problem since it will be in September.

The Woods Creek bridge was recently repaired and reopened, so you'll be able to cross it then!

[JWreno]

Thanks for the update on the bridge.

My brother walks 18 holes of golf seven days a week including work days since he works from home in Ohio and started is day at 8AM Pacific time. He just retired at the end of May. He currently walks 7-8 miles per day. He is not overweight at all. We did some hiking on Mount Charleston last September and he had no issues with altitude or hiking uphill.

My plan is to return to Cottonwood Pass if problems occur in the first couple of days. Second bail point would be at Onion Valley. We will skip Mt Whitney if he doesn't feel up to it.

[JWreno]

I have been watching the "Hiking with the Codgers" Youtube postings regarding their PCT 2023 experience. The Day 69 video shows them arriving at Wood Creek bridge campsite and the bridge is covered with caution tape and a worker is finishing repairs. The tape is down at the end of the video and the bridge is officially reopened.

Watching their videos and the snow conditions reminds me how happy I will be hiking this in September and not June/July.

[michaelzim]

@JWreno... I have been watching The Codgers videos too (for obvious reasons - being one myself!) gleaning all kinds of vicarious tips and pleasure about PCT and Sierras conditions, etc. It's a pity they took that one month break at KM-S as I was especially keen to see how they would handle Forester after my abort of that route in late May. When they re-joined the trek I did notice that the water flow in their video of the second S. Fork Kern River bridge was much lower than when I was at it in May. Stuff like that is really helpful I find.
For me, watching the PCT'ers videos can be a really fine way to feel still in touch with the mountains and hiking while I impatiently wait to get back up into thin air. Helps get me back on my Stairmaster too in 'anticipation' of following some of their tracks.
M.

[JWreno]

About 15 years ago I thought I would through hike the PCT when I retire. After seeing many years of wildfire closures and some challenging June snow in the Sierra I began to believe that section hiking is more my style. I think through hikers are not hiking many parts of the trail when the conditions are best to enjoy them.

Our 3 year plan is to do all our section hiking in August - October. The southern section of California will be hiked in October and possible early November when weather is more comfortable. Be spreading it out over 3 years and not following a specific order we can skip over closed sections and return the following season. We won't be fording snow melt creeks and rivers. We will see some snow on high passes but we saw a lot of that in our August 2011 JMT trip.

The other benefit of doing it over 3 years is that it will keep up my motivation to stay fit for the trail over multiple years.

[michaelzim]

Jeff...Your analysis is solid, and as you say this (below) is indeed a darn good reason:

"The other benefit of doing it over 3 years is that it will keep up my motivation to stay fit for the trail over multiple years."

Best ~ M.