Jay w wrote: ↑Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:40 pm
Pete, glad you got up to Shangri La. Great hike and you hit a clear day, but it sounds like it was hot. Of course 80F in the sun is hot for me. So any comment on why you needed 4 liters. I assume you filtered once you got to the lake.
Jay
Yeah Jay, we got very lucky this past Monday in getting clear air in the AM.
The DT on Sunday was ok but still quite hazy.
I don't see how the air is going to clean up unless we get a front that brings a good rain---and with NO lightening.
I don't see any such system in my reading.
It is EXTREMELY DRY out here. The weak dry(ish) T-Storms that might come this way next week could easily start new fires.
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I've done ShangriLa 24-25 times I think now since 2010 when NDJason showed me the way.
Three times in 8 days one year.
This trip was pretty tough on the geezer.
I'm pretty certain the main cause of my fatigue was simply being "out of shape".
And personally, I need to hydrate a lot more when I'm out of shape.
Working hard in that oppressive heat of the "jungle section", and the hike up the creek probably screwed with my electrolytes.
I knew this would be a tough day after my consumption doing the Dragons Tail False Summit.
I drank 2 liters+ doing the DT---and it's pretty easy. Soooo...
I asked Dan to make sure he brought his filter which he did--God bless him.
Without Dan's filter, I would have been "dipping" from the creek on.
I still 'dipped" about 1/2 liter when crossing the creek, unsurprisingly way down.
Soooooo we proceeded at a pace to accommodate me for which I'm gratefull.
Jackson, the 11 year old, proved to be quite agile and a capable hiker and scrambler!
Keep in my that Dan and Family had done Grinnell Glacier and the DT the two days prior.
The boy is fearless and can go.
And here I would like to say something ....
The scramble up through "the ledges", normally the most enjoyable part of the ascent, just wore me out.
I drank another liter in that section. And then I stumbled bushwhacking through the trees over near the creek.
I hooked my right boot toe under something because I failed to "lift my f'ing foot".
Left knee hit a rock giving me my usual superficial laceration and bruising
below my kneecap.
An inch higher I'd have kneecapped myself. Scary thought considering where I was.
Bruised the heel of left hand putting it down to mitigate impact on knee.
Bottom line was another rip and more bloodstain in my clothes.
"Fatigue" is what led to my stumbling. It did serve as a wakeup call to keep hydrating and pace myself.
I was happy when we got to the point on the scree to descend.
I drank more water at the lake. Quads burning from coming down.
We had a good rest at the lake before going back. Filtered more water at the bridge.
By the way, Dan was doing ALL the filtering for everyone. High Fives to Dan.
Then it was simply a "march" back to Swiftcurrent---drinking small amounts frequently during rest stops.
That night I would get cramps in feet, calves, thighs, even my fingers(probably aggravated by arthritus)
So there you have it...how I turned into a weenie in 2 days.
pete
Dan Lowery and his family are terrific folks.
It was a pleasure showing them the Dragon's Tail and ShangriLa.