Do you hike in the summer heat?

[cass1234]

I have noticed lately that there have not been many people on trails that are supposed to be very crowded. Is it because of the heat?

[AZHikr4444]

Most likely. That and the fact that it is Monsoon season. People are most likely staying off the Rim because of the storms. Canyons as well can become dangerous when "flash" season is upon us. Most don't generally hike in the Supes in the summer, but I see there has been a few (including you). Plenty of time in the winter to lose yourself out there.

Notice there has been a rash of Flag hikes, as people head up to beat the heat. Get there early, get down before about 2 o'clock and your gold.

[azbackpackr]

If you are able to hike in the heat, go for it! I wish I could, but it just doesn't agree with me. I used to especially enjoy some of the swimming holes in the Catalinas around Tucson in summer.

Of course, Tucson is being hit with record high water in Sabino, in the Rillito, etc. Really astonishing amounts of water have been coming down the washes--30,000 cfs yesterday in the Rillito, which they say is a record!

[joe bartels]

I'm obviously not a role model as I hike quite a bit in extreme heat. The desert is generally more lush and less crowded in August then November.

It's been my experience that while you nearly feel like you're going to die after heat exhaustion, upon recovery you feel invincible. I do NOT suggest intentionally testing this theory yourself.

In recent years I've hiked with an umbrella in direct sunlight over 90 degrees and utilize the evenings, nights and mornings. My days of running up Camelback at 3pm in July are long gone!

[AZHikr4444]

Just drink water constantly. I sweat like you wouldn't believe. This past weekend I made an attempt at Bear Mountain. Temp was only around 76 degrees (this is at 6 am), but the HUMIDITY holy moly. After a mile up I was drenched in sweat- simply wrung out. It zapped me quick, and I decided to wait until less Mississipian weather to hike that bad boy.

Mike

[Trishness]

When I took up hiking again in 2003, I spent my first three months out in the Superstitions........in July, August and September!!! So I guess you can say I hike in the heat.

I sweat terribly also but that's actually a good thing as long as you hydrate and don't forget about electrolytes.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I have noticed lately that there have not been many people on trails that are supposed to be very crowded. Is it because of the heat?

The heat chases a lot of people away, and I appreciate it. I enjoy the solitude it creates. My family has lived here since long before air conditioning and I worked outside in the heat when I was younger. I "heat harden" as summer starts, use a number of "beat the heat" tricks and tune in to how my body feels. I've learned my limits and learned from mistakes, but I love hiking in the heat. I've learned what I can do at 105 and what I can't do at 115 I know what it's like to run out of water and I've learned tricks to conserve what moisture my body has. Cody Lundin has a great quote in his book "98.6 the art of keeping your pumpkin alive" : (paraphrased from memory) "A drop of sweat lost is a drop wasted". Look at all the construction workers and landscapers that work in the heat. But I do respect the heat and stay tuned to my body. I remember seeing two young girls brought into the emergency room because their mother let them play outside in a tent in the heat of the day. and I remember idiots on Bright Angel projectile vomiting at the 3 mile rest house.

ps a frozen solid 100oz Camelbak bladder takes longer to melt than you might expect. Try it at home before you try it on the trail <oops> I used 4 liters hiking out and this was supposed to be 3 of the 4 liters I needed for hiking back in to the trailhead. It's no fun sucking an ice cube when you need a drink of water. Also when you start carrying 8 to 9 liters of water at 2lbs per liter, you start carrying quite a bit more weight on a hike.

[AZHikr4444]

I fill my 3L camelback about 1/4 to 1/2 full. Then add water in the morning. Even then I sometimes end up with an ice cube in the bottom. I also carry an extra 1L Nalgene of water for "backup", and then pour that in when I've exhausted all my water, save the ice cube.

[SuperstitionGuy]

For those of you that are not familiar with hiking in this desert heat and are considering doing it, keep in mind that your body needs to be well hydrated in advance of your trip. If you begin to hydrate yourself at the beginning of the trip your body may not be able to keep itself well regulated from the lack of water where it will do the body the most good.

This is especially true if you are really going to be stressing yourself in milage, altitude change or be hiking in direct sunlight. You may find yourself getting fatigued quite quickly even though you are drinking large amounts of water. If this happens to you, stop and rest frequently and in the shade if possible. Give your body time to hydrate.

Another thing that will help is to cool yourself off with water from streams or tanks you find along the way regardless of the condition of the water. It may save your life. I once soaked in an old style bathtub that a rancher had set up to water his cattle with near Greer. Another time I cooled off in the tank upstream of Peters cave in Peters Canyon of the Superstitions.

[joe bartels]

In response to SuperstitionGuy's reply:
Very much agree, it's nothing to take lightly. It should also be noted that while it may seem like an easy option to make simple wise choices, when the heat messes with the chemicals in your head these choices are no longer crystal clear.

Even then I sometimes end up with an ice cube in the bottom.

Man, who hasn't come home with a friggin' popsicle on their back. Only to stop and think, dangit I just lugged a chunk of ice across the desert and BACK!
ICE RATS reunite!

[IRIE_LION]

THIS IS TOO TRUE...YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR LONG HIKES OUT IN THE DESERT. TODAY SAT 8/5/06 I HIKED UP WEST BOULDER SADDLE FROM CARNEY SPRINGS AND THEN WENT ON TO SUPERSTITION PEAK. THE HEAT TODAY SEEMED TO BE UPPER 90'S, I DIDNT CHECK THE WEATHER, BUT DIDNT FEEL AS HOT AS 100. I ONLY BROUGHT WITH ME 2 AND HALF LITRES OF WATER. WHICH WASNT ANYTHING NEAR WHAT I NEEDED. I WAS GREATLY FATIGUED BY THE TIME I REACHED THE SUMMIT. I KNEW IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SMART TO TURN AROUND LONG BEFORE I REACHED THE SUMMIT, BUT I FELT LIKE I COULDNT WASTE THE TRIP AND PUSHED ON RATIONING THE WATER. WELL FROM THE SUMMIT I ONLY HAD 20OZ OF WATER LEFT FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP BACK, I DECIDED TO SOAK MY SHIRT IN SOME MOSSY TAD-POLE INFESTED WATER ON THE TRAIL, WHICH HELPED ALOT. THE SUN BEATING DOWN CONSTANTLY, THE LACK OF WATER, AND THAT HIKE IS VERY STRENOUS. I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO FAINT COUPLE TIMES, BUT PUSED THROUGH, I WAS OUT OF WATER LONG BEFORE GETTING TO CARNEY SPRING. I JUST KEPT THINKING ABOUT A BIG GATORADE FROM THE WALGREENS ON KINGS CREEK ROAD ON THE WAY HOME....IT WAS HELL BUT I MADE IT....LESSON LEARNED...BRING MORE WATER THAN YOU NEED....JUST IN CASE THE TRAIL TAKES AN EXTRA TOLL ON YOU!

[big_load]

I don't like it, but I do it anyway. I recently finished a couple weeks in Idaho, where my thermometer hit a maximum of 111F. I definitely reached the point where electrolyte depletion was limiting my performance, even though I was eating plently of salty snacks. A little Gatorade at the right time sure makes a big difference.

[wetbeaverlover]

I became a true believer in the umbrella idea. I saw one for 2 dollars at a garage sale and gave it a try. The only downside was an occasional gust of wind. Sure makes a blistering hot hike much more tolerable.

[Rob del Desierto]

Ice needs water around it to melt fast. If you drink your cold water first, its going to make it harder to get that cube into drinkable matter.

[Trishness]

Ice needs water around it to melt fast. If you drink your cold water first, its going to make it harder to get that cube into drinkable matter.

I used to fill my water bladder 1/4 to 1/3 and then freeze it but then had that problem of the "frozen block" that just didn't melt. And the tube got frozen too! Now when I hike in the heat, I fill the water bladder 1/2 full of ice cubes and add water. The ice cubes melt faster but the water stays cold for hours. I also carry a nalgene that I froze with some gookinade and then add liquid gookinade to it before I leave. It's usually defrosted but still cold by the time I get around to drinking it. Electrolyte replacement!

[AZHikr4444]

Plus- you can fish out the ice cubes later and use them for a quick remedy for Swamp Butt!

[Jim_H]

This topic seemed appropriate given the seasons change. Yes, I hike in the summer heat. I'll even head out in the heat of the day. Sometimes it can be a broiling 85 or even 90 degrees outside, but I don't let it stop me.