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| Hiking | 26.27 Miles |
7,758 AEG |
| | Hiking | 26.27 Miles | 13 Hrs 39 Mns | | 2.08 mph |
| 7,758 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
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| no partners | | 66° to start with about a dozen cars at the trailhead.
A nice hike up to Romero Pools. A runner that I saw over a mile ago, approaching, got to within ~30 yards. I picked up the pace. Just after shaking off the runner, I passed the first bona fide hiker I'd seen in three trips.
7.25 mi • 9:38 a.m. | 3h 23m
Romero Saddle - felt like I was doing pretty good, but no better time than last week upon review.
9.24 mi • 11:00 a.m. | 4h 42m
Not accustomed to seeing anybody until the gate at the road, I was within 5 to 10 yards approaching Wilderness of Rocks Trail #44 junction. It's slightly downhill, and I was booking it coming around the corner of a large boulder, expecting RS to say "arrived". Heard a girl scream, or maybe I screamed like a girl. I don't have directional hearing, and it happened so quickly, I'm not sure. Two gals were on a snack break in the shade of the boulder on my right. Luckily, my heart didn't stop, and I continued.
9.72 mi • 11:15 a.m.
14-minute break in the sun on a smooth boulder. Almost fell asleep twice.
12.64 mi • 1:07 p.m.
19 minutes at Quartzsite Spring: pumped water, staged 2 electrolyte bottles, and changed socks.
13.25 mi • 1:20 p.m.
7h 2m - reached Lemmon TH, semi-busy chatter from dog walkers and day trippers. Felt like I was on cloud 9 for 1.5 miles heading back down. Bruce would have engaged in conversation to get the word out that he was doing a twenty-mile hike to the half dozen small groups I passed twice.
16.23 mi • 2:43 p.m. near highpoint 7767
Within the last 1.5 miles back to the gate on the road, I surmised it wasn't the sandwich last week that defeated me. Water was getting less and less desirable to consume. My lips and the inside of my cheeks were getting dry. It was apparent that I was getting dehydrated. Perhaps hyponatremia(hypo nay tree me na), but I thought I was consuming more salt and electrolytes than last week, and certainly more than the 28-mile Rincon hike 3 weeks ago, or any C2C for that matter. Waterborne illness doesn’t hit you within miles/hours; it takes days.
Took a 13-minute break on a smooth, slanted rock in the shade to prop my feet over my heart to drain lymphatic fluid and extracellular fluid (fluid outside the cells).
18.01 mi • 3:38 p.m. | 9h 20m
Tried to puke, but only a few ounces.
20.4 mi • 5:07 p.m. 9 minute break
Knowing it was a very good trail to Romero Pools, I'd been planning this vicinity for the past few hours to consume an 8-oz peach mango V8 that I'd been saving. I dry heaved to be sure I didn't have hydrochloric acid pooled in my stomach. Headlamp ready.
As I'd been praying, I felt better within minutes. Cruised 2.2 miles to Romero Pools. With only 1.5 hours of sleep, I was getting tired but moved well for the 0.9 easy stretch before my 1.1-mile balance nemesis(mile 2).
Last week, I got to this point feeling like blah. The first cattywampus step had my internal gyroscope feeling like it was missing an axis. Albeit slow, within a few steps, this wasn't going to be that nightmare. Lack of breeze was the toughest obstacle until I was having trouble staying awake the last half mile.
Rehydrated at the truck and quickly felt better. There's a strategically placed In-N-Out Recovery Burger, but it didn't sound good for the third week in a row.
Synopsis
After three consecutive weekly hikes here, subtle changes stand out. Onion-shaped bulbs on one bush were new. The Indian paintbrush at the upper ascent of #5 is remarkably different in full sun. Nearly all the deadfall from 3 weeks ago is easily negotiated now... reverse of the more common winter is over.
18 minutes quicker than last week, got to the upper trailhead, and gleaned info to make it better. Too convenient to ignore, great hike and workout. |
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