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| Hiking | 9.10 Miles |
1,134 AEG |
| | Hiking | 9.10 Miles | 5 Hrs 18 Mns | | 2.00 mph |
| 1,134 ft AEG | 45 Mns Break | 20 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Another training hike... I hiked this loop back in January, and I enjoyed it. Last time, I hiked it clockwise (CW). This time, to be more of a challenge, I decided to hike it counter-clockwise (CCW).  Oh, yeah, much tougher. Clockwise, the grades are easy; CCW, they are tough (for me).
I hit the trail about 6:15 - which was about right for this time of year. Any earlier, I would have needed a headlamp.
The first 4 miles - along the Dutchman #104 trail, I made good time. I stopped once about 75 minutes into the hike, and changed socks (I sweat a lot). I was never out-of-breath, and I could have carried on a conversation, no problem.
I arrived at the junction with the Black Mesa trail, and turned left onto the Black Mesa # 241 trail.
BTW, don't follow my GPS track here! Last January, coming the other way, I had trouble finding the "right" path through all the brush and undergrowth. This time, I used MapDEX, and tried to find the right path from the satellite photos. I didn't. That tiny section was mostly bushwhack. Don't follow me!
Right after the junction, and across the dry stream-bed, the trail goes UP! It was here that I met two men coming the other way. They said they started at First Water TH that morning, and they agreed that going CCW would be much tougher. I told them I needed the exercise. 
I continued struggling up the hill, and finally topped out at the saddle, and started down the long easy grade toward the Second Water junction. The trail here is rocky, but manageable.
Three miles later, I finally reached the junction with the Second Water Trail # 236. Hang a left, and it's two miles to the First Water TH.
It was about here I passed a young couple. A pleasant exchange of "Hello"s, and continue downward, down into the canyon.
Those four people were the only people I saw the entire day. Given how busy the First Water TH is, I was very surprised.
About 10:30, about 0.3 miles past the junction, I pooped out. No energy. Tuckered out. Nothing left. I stopped in some shade, took off the backpack, fanny pack, water bottle, and GPS, drank some (more) water, ate a couple of granola bars (my first meal of the day), and just rested. After 15 minutes, I felt much better. I still had well over a gallon of water, so I dumped out 2 quarts to lighten my backpack. I loaded up, and made the final push for the trailhead.
That break made all the difference, and I was able to make it to the end without much difficulty.
Lesson Learned: Drink more water; eat more snacks; take more breaks more often.
In the HAZ Forum, some friends and I discussed blisters. big_load suggested a product called "Body Glide". I tried it, and it works great. No blisters, no red areas, with only one change of socks. I slathered it on when I started, and again when I changed socks. I had no problems at all.
As for a water report, see my geo-located photoset. The only water was in the first few miles. After that - nothing.
All-in-all, a good hike. It was warm, but not too bad. A hard slog up that one hill, but that's what I wanted - an exercise hike. I'm glad I went. |
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