Miles Hiked 33.1
Elevation 6,062 feet
Miles Hiked Today 8.2
I was up by 6:00 AM. The WordPress app that I use to post to this blog is not working, so I decided to have a chat with support. There was a data connection at my campsite; although it was not very strong. I spent an hour and a half online with tech support, and they could not fix the problem. What a waste. I broke camp, had a breakfast bar and was on my way by 8:30.
The trail was mostly down again until late in the day when it went up about 700 feet. Almost a repeat of yesterday. My knees where not doing well and my right leg had joined in. By mid-day I was literally limping down the trail. I stopped about every 15 minutes to rest my knees. It didn’t help. It was then that I decided to stop in Patagonia and get a room and try to resolve the knee issue. When that decision was made, I was 20 miles from Patagonia.
The further on the trail I went the more I realized, that the most I could hike this day is 10 miles. After checking a map, I noticed a trailhead coming up. I walked into the Canelo Pass Trailhead about 3:00 PM. I couldn’t go any further. The plan was to pitch a tent at the trailhead, which is something you aren’t supposed to do. Despite that rule, I knew going further was not possible. I sat down to rest when a couple of mountain bikers rode up to get some water. We talked some and they told me about a couple of section hikers who would be at the trailhead soon. There were only a couple of cars there and one of the cars belong to the hikers.
When the hikers arrived, we talked about my knee and back problems. and they offered me a ride into Tucson, which was quite a long drive. I realized from past experience that the knee and back problem would probably go away, but it would take at least a couple of weeks. Spending the money to sit in a hotel for two weeks was out of the question and I didn’t have enough food to stay in my tent for that length of time. Also, I was fighting the weather. Soon temperatures would be in the 90’s and my plan had been to get north, where it was cooler, before the end of April. That is when the heat cranks up in Arizona I was told. Clearly, if I stopped to give my knees and back a chance to bounce back, I would get caught in very hot and dry temperatures, which could be risky. As much as it pained me to do so, I called off the hike. Better to retreat to fight another day, than risk everything out of stubbornness.
One of the section hikers gave me a ride right to a Quality Inn at the Tucson Airport. I’ll fly home from there. The end of a very disappointing three days.
Epilogue: I at home now and reflecting upon what happened. Naturally, I am second guessing my decision to stop the hike, but in my heart I know it was the right thing to do. As long as I’m on flat ground, my knees are fine. However, I tried going down some stairs at the Tucson Airport and that was a huge mistake. Since I have been home now for a couple of days, my right leg and hip have been in a lot of pain. I’m still popping Ibuprofen, which helps some.
What could I have done differently to avoid the problem? And why didn’t I have a problem last July when I did the entire Colorado Trail with no knee or back problems? I believe the answer is easy. First, I should have avoided the snow. The slipping, sliding and falling was a major part of what created this problem. I had the opportunity, but I was bound and determined to start the trail at the beginning. I should have listened to Carolen when she offered to take me north of Miller Peak to start the trail with her and her friend. Also, I needed a better water strategy. I couldn’t help thinking that things might be different if I had not carried so much water (4 liters) from the start. I should have drank a liter or two of water before even starting from Montezuma Pass and only carried about two liters up the mountain. As it happened, I went into camp that first night with at least two liters of the original 4 liters of water with which I started. I believe the snow and water carry issue are the differences between why I had to get off the Arizona trail and why I was successful in hiking the Colorado Trail last year. There were no long lengths of snow on the trail in Colorado and I only carried two liters of water except for one or two days, and then I only carried three liters. Better planning is the key. Maybe I’ll try again and see if it makes a difference.
