DESTINATION Kassler to South Platte Canyon - CT #1 1 Photoset
2015-06-27 | |
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| Backpack | 16.80 Miles |
2,800 AEG |
| | Backpack | 16.80 Miles | | | |
| 2,800 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | If I could sum up my first day in one word it would be: brutal. It wasn't the miles or terrain which made it difficult, it was the heat.
I started the trail at Waterton Canyon around 9:30 AM and it was already hot. The forecast had predicted the high would be 88, but I'm sure it was somewhere in the low 90s near the peak of the day. The trail is essentially flat for the first 6 miles as you wind your way along a dirt road in Waterton Canyon. My dad (and support crew) joined me for the first 2 miles.
No less than a mile in, we were treated to the sight of five baby Bighorn Sheep grazing on the side of the trail. It was quite amazing how tame and unnerved these sheep were to human presence, but at the same time not too surprising considering how busy Waterton Canyon is.
At around mile 2, my dad decided to turn around. We said our goodbyes and I told him I would see him at the end of Segment 3, were my first resupply would be.
I continued down Waterton Canyon and the heat continued to ramp up. There is very little shade along the trail in the Canyon, so the name of the game was to move from shade to shade. I came across a biker named Mark under some shade who pointed out a large Bighorn Sheep posing at the top of a ridge along the canyon walls. We briefly spoke and I continued up the Canyon.
I was on a mission to reach the single track where the trails ascends into the trees as fast as possible, where some relief from the heat would be provided. I crossed paths with Mark again (in the shade), and we got to know each other a little more. I would leap frog with him until we reached "Leonard's Rest" at around mile 6.7, right before the start of the single track. Leonard's Rest was his turn around point.
I took a good rest at the bench and realized just how exhausted I was starting to become. I felt slightly nauseous and my breathing had become more labored than usually when going uphill. I figured it was just my body warming up, so I sucked it up and kept going.
Once you hit the single track, the switchbacks begin. It was a relief to finally be in some shade.
My water was starting to run low at this point, so the race was on to Bear Creek. I continued to climb, resting periodically to catch my breath. Once you finish the first "challenging climb" of the CT, there is another bench, "Lenny's Rest." Since there was no shade hitting the bench, I decided to pass this one up and I began the descent to Bear Creek. The trail was dense with vegetation along this stretched and it formed a kind of "green tunnel." It was also very humid along this stretch.
Once at the creek (~ mile 8.7), I came upon my first thru-hikers, Stephen and Kidd Schiffer, and another older gentleman (I can't seem to recall his name, sorry!). We briefly spoke, and they headed up the trail while I filtered some more water. After I finished filtering water, I began the next big climb.
I passed the Schiffers who had stopped to take a rest, and soon after I was taking my own break. The nausea and breathlessness was really starting to hit hard at this point, all I could think about was reaching the end of the segment, where I could set up camp, get water at the South Platte, and rest this out.
I continued to climb and broke from the dense vegetation after crossing West Bear Creek. It was around 2 pm at this point and the sun was unleashing its full wrath upon the landscape. The trees provided little relief at this point.
As I laid in the shade near the end of the climb, trying to cool down, a day hiker came by and asked "what mile are we at?" I told her it was "about 10.8." She wished me a good day and continued up the trail. Soon after I put on my pack on and continued up the trail. The trail was finally beginning to level out after a long climb. I passed the day hiker again, who was talking to a biker about water sources before the South Platte. He told her there were no running sources until the Platte (which actually turned out to be untrue, I hit 2 - 3 small running streams before the Platte).
She joined me on the hike and we continued down the trail. She was going to India within the next few days and wanted to section hike the first couple of segments of the CT before she left. She also intended to thru hike the CT at some point when she could find the time. We continued chatting and came upon a large bird standing off on the side of the trail. I was surprised it didn't budge as we approached it. I stopped right next to it and asked "is that a ptarmigan?" She said it looked like a wild turkey.
The bird must have been as surprised as we were because it immediately became defensive and started to squawk and run at us. We both slowly backed up and shouted at the bird, but it was still in pursuit. We had both never seen such a thing and tried waiting for it to flee but it insisted on not letting us pass. She said "well I think this is where i'll turn around", but of course, I couldn't turn around, so I made a cross with my trekking poles to push the bird back and slowly tried to make my way around it. The bird insisted that I not continue and tried to peck my legs and take swipes with its talons. Once I was on the other side of the bird, I booked it and ran around a few corners before looking back to see if the bird was still in pursuit. Very weird. I was afraid of bears, I guess I really should have been afraid of wild poultry?
I continued down the trail and reached the high point of the segment at mile 12.6. Around this point the heat was at its worst and I started to feel really ill. Walking even on flat or downhill was laborious and my heavy breathing was causing pain in the chest and dizzy spells. I wasn't sure what was happening considering I've done much rougher trails with a much heavier pack.
I messaged my dad with my Delorme and asked that I could be picked up at the end of the segment because I was ill. I was a little disappointed I had to do this, considering getting picked up after your first day is a little anti-climatic, but at the time I wasn't sure if my symptoms were purely heat related and I had tried to suck it up for the entire day. He confirmed that he would pick me up at the end of the segment.
After the segment high point, the trail descends to the South Platte. I didn't take much time to soak in the beauty of this part of the segment because my sole train of thought was reaching the South Platte so I could cool down, but I did manage to snap a few pictures.
Just before the end of the segment I ran into 4 or so different groups of thru hikers who were camped out near the South Platte (around where I was planning to camp for the night). I briefly spoke to a couple of the groups and the common phrase that kept popping up was "brutal heat." I had mentioned my symptoms to one of the groups and they all suspected some kind of heat exhaustion. I spoke to one of the hikers near the Platte a little later and told her that "I wasn't thirsty" and that I felt I had drank plenty of water, she said "If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated" and thirst wasn't a good gauge for heat exhaustion.
I reached the end of the segment and sat down in the parking lot near the Gudy Gatskill Bridge. My hands were tingling, it hurt to breathe, and my body was having a hard time cooling down. I was happy to be done with this segment. I soaked my headband with water and poured more water over my head for good measure, sat back, and relaxed while I waited for my dad.
An older gentleman, trail name Hawkeye, walked by after filling his water bottles at the South Platte and asked if I was alright. I told him I was feeling ill and that someone was coming to pick me up. We talked about the "brutal heat" and about trail conditions ahead. Hawkeye started at Segment 3 and went all the way to Frisco because of the temporary closure of Segments 1 and 2 the week before. He said the heat had made today his hardest day so far. He had come back to knock out Segments 1 and 2 since the bridge and Waterton Canyon had reopened, then he would continue where he left off in Frisco. He wished me well and went back down the trail to his campsite.
By the time my dad had arrived to pick me up a few hours later I was feeling much better. I regretted making the text and considered staying out, but after all the driving he had done to get to me, I figured I would take the unexpected zero day in Leadville to recoup.
Lessons learned: drink even when you aren't thirsty, don't underestimate the heat in CO, and don't fear bears, fear wild poultry. I never expected the CT to throw me a curve ball on day one. I've done plenty of longer and more rugged hikes, but this certainly was the hardest 16.8 miles I've ever done. In the future I think taking a siesta when it's hot is a much smarter alternative to just "sucking it up", because it doesn't get better.
All of that said, I still had fun, met some awesome people, and I'm excited to get back out on the trail tomorrow after my zero day in Leadville.
Onward to Durango! |
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