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Caught a glimpse of what to expect when the inevitable happens. There comes a day when you can't out-hike or out-run Father Time.

One of my running partners went from (to quote his doctor) "the healthiest 75 year old patient in his practice", to alerting us that this week was more than likely his last time on the trails. From my home office, I can see a neighbor that retired to Tucson in order to spend time hiking, shuffle his way at a snail's pace to the community mailbox. I've chatted with him a few times and now he's 85 and a big day for him is two miles along the flat dirt trail around my subdivision.

Met another hiker recently and he's making calculations as to what trails to hit one last time before he can't hike them again. Was putting together a short list of hikes that he thinks he can do over the next 3-4 years.

Enjoy life while you have good health and don't take any day in the mountains for granted.

My wife and I are already seeing that we won't be able to hike to some of our favorite places again. So knowing that we are absorbing every part of what we can hike now. This year I started looking at our favorite hikes now as maybe the last time we'll see it before it burns. This is also not negative but enjoying that hike even more to it's fullest.

I hear ya Spidey, next month I turn the big 80 and I've been slowing down quite a bit lately and this Quarantine ain't helping a bit. Just over two years ago I had both knees replaced and I was hoping that that was what I needed to rejuvenate my hiking but it hasn't been the secret I was hoping for.

My only advice to those who have too many items in the "bucket", ya better get working on em while you can. Time waits for no one.

My guess is that I'll be hanging up the ropes at least, by the time I'm 60. The knees just won't be able to handle the kind of abuse that comes with canyons any longer. That means if I start back into them soon, I'll have about 2 years left. Covid has really thrown a loop into that activity right now, at least for me. I need to get more backpacking in too before it's too late. There's still areas that I want to hit doing that as well. Hiking I should be good for awhile on, just not sure how long before I'm facing the knee surgeries that Jack had.

Even I think this thread is depressing.

@Jim_H
I only find it depressing that there are 70 year olds starting fires, peeing on the trail, and somehow surprised that things stop working when they age. How is that news to anybody?

80 years old here and reporting in after hiking virtually via HAZ.
You don't have to give up my friends as HAZ has more to offer than you can do in a lifetime!

I don't consider myself "old" I guess, but I do hope my best hiking days are not in my rearview mirror. I have a lot to do and see yet. When I get to where I can't walk then I plan to do river trips ( with other people--boo) and maybe horsepacking trips to get into places like the Winds. Assuming I can get on and off the horse. Right now covid and my mom's needs with her progressing issues health and dementia has me on hold but the upside is I am finding some gems within a relatively short drive of home.

@SpiderLegs
Does not have to happen that way. Too much time/mileage can be fun but degrades the body instead of strengthening it. One is either improving or getting worse. Too far, not progressing but regressing, not paying attention to increasing your strength, and that is what will happen.

Not there yet, just hang up retired packs though I will admit that it helps to use glasses when reading the compass dial.

I enjoy reading about the few extremely elderly people doing some great things, such as Dale Sanders' thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail at age 82, and his Mississippi River Source to Sea canoe trip at age 80. He's now 84, and is doing a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim backpacking trip in October, and hopes to be the oldest to have done that.

About 5 years ago I met an 87-year-old man who backpacked to Bright Angel campground with several friends. I think they probably took up some of his load, such as the tent, but anyway, he did it. I should only be so lucky to last that long.

There was a guy in the Southern Arizona Hiking Club named John Irving who summited Mt. Whitney every 5 years on his birthday. On his last summit hike he was 90. For that trip, several Club members went along and basically carried ALL his gear. He was able to summit, but I was told it was pretty slow! Nice to have good friends... He passed away from cancer a couple of years later.

I'd like to find some stories about women in their 80's and 90's doing marvelous outdoor trips. Anyone know of any?

azbackpackr wrote:I'd like to find some stories about women in their 80's and 90's doing marvelous outdoor trips. Anyone know of any?

Don't know of any off the top of my head. But I will say based on what I see around my part of Tucson, the healthiest looking 80+ year old women I see are all out on trails in Catalina State Park, Linda Vista trails, Pima Canyon and especially around Madera Canyon. I'm firmly convinced the fountain of youth is found on hiking trails. There was a couple in Green Valley that just did their 500th summit of Mt. Wrightson last year.

azbackpackr wrote: ↑Sep 11 2020 5:11 am I'd like to find some stories about women in their 80's and 90's doing marvelous outdoor trips. Anyone know of any?

Barbara Lilley will be 91 in October, and she is still bagging peaks: https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/Clim ... ?cid=22139

@DixieFlyer
@SpiderLegs
That's great to hear!

SpiderLegs wrote:Enjoy life while you have good health and don't take any day in the mountains for granted.

I was planning to retire this year and spend as much time as possible hiking. So much for that. I decided to continue working until serious travel became possible again.