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"Older backpackers"-What concessions are you willing to make as you age?


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion "Older backpackers"-What concessions are you willing to make as you age?

Viewing 25 posts - 126 through 150 (of 211 total)
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  • #3539861
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Starting out gentle: very smart.
    Reducing pack weight: also smart. Things change below 15 kg.
    Trail runners: of course.
    Avoiding heat wave: we get those in Oz too.

    Cheers

    #3539869
    John Vance
    BPL Member

    @servingko

    Locale: Intermountain West

    I have felt like the only real concession I have made as I have gotten older is fewer miles.  Where 25 to 30 miles was the norm, 18 to 20 feels more comfortable.  This is certainly terrain dependent as this past winter I walked along paved road shoulders for nearly 35 miles just to see how my knees felt.

    I loaded Strava on my phone and took it for my daily hikes this past month and was surprised at my speed and elevation.  My walk, 5 sometimes 6 times a week, is from 7.6 to 12.4 miles each day and I average 4.0 mph up and back.  Elevation gain is 1000 – 1200 feet depending on the route.  This is with no pack and at a pace I couldn’t sustain all day, but for 1.75 to a bit over 3 hours I am good.

    I noticed last weekend, my first longer trip this year (4 days), I am really strong for about 4 hours and then slow down the rest of the day.  I think I may have trained my legs for the short term, so another concession may be to slow my pace down a bit. This last trip was a great deal of postholing with some of the best glissading I’ve had in years and a bit rough on knees and quads.

    My third concession is going to bed earlier.  This, along with lower miles and a slower pace, should keep me going for many years to come.  That’s my plan and I am sticking to it.

    I know at some point I will have to hang it up but some 5 years ago or so, I met an 80 something year old at the end of Titcome Basin in the Winds bent under a heavy pack filled with photography equipment that gave me hope and was my new hero.  We sat and visited for about an hour talking mostly about off trail routes and his interest in lighter weight equipment.  He obviously hadn’t made the change yet but thought it would be a good idea so he could keep backpacking.  As a wilderness photographer out of Jackson Hole, he has had a very active life.  His advice was for moderation in diet and alcohol, and walk, walk, walk.

    #3539952
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    “… I am really strong for about 4 hours and then slow down the rest of the day.”

    Experiment with eating more carb-dense foods, frequently, starting an hour after you being your walk.

    IMHO, YMMV, HYOH, and have fun out there.

    #3539958
    Gary M
    Spectator

    @gorthain

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Gatewood
    thought you might like this, I turn 59 this month and hopefully I finally have the plantar fasciitis under control(Dr. gave me a Meloxicam prescription) as for concessions I’m willing to make, I’m willing to carry a little more weight for a nice thick sleeping pad. as long as I get a good nights sleep I can put up with a lot.

    #3540015
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    Flag stuck in ground:
    Carrying an inadequate mat so you don’t get a good night’s sleep is not ‘ultra-light’, it’s ‘stupid light’.
    Reason: we go walking for pleasure, not for suffering.

    Cheers

    #3542831
    Keith Fultz
    BPL Member

    @in4life6

    Locale: Central Valley, CA

    About 18 years ago I hiked up Mt Whitney for like the 12th time, this time to do some fishing on the west side.   I was 50 years old.   I remember taking a long time to soak in the scenery from Trail Crest thinking that it was most likely my last time to be able to hike that high and that far.    Well, I am 68 now and last year took my 14 year old grandson up Mt Whitney for my 21 st time and his first.    Four years ago I did the JMT SOBO in 20 days.   This year my daughter wants to do the High Sierra Trail, so it looks like I might go up Whitney for the 22nd time.   Never made Whitney a goal, just seem to be too close to pass it up most years.    The crowds may drive me away quicker than my capacity.   Yes I go a lot slower, but 14 mile days are not out of the question.    18 years ago, i was carrying large heavy pack.   BPL and a 15lb base weight pack have lengthened my hiking days many years.  For this I am thankful.  I might be crazy, but I hope to retire in a couple of years and dream of doing the PCT which passes not too far from my home.   Yes, the air mattress is great and the ability to buy high quality and light weight is a blessing.    I live just east of Bakersfield, CA and I can see the foothills of the Sierras every day, if it is not really smoggy.  And they call me every day.

    #3542834
    Doug Coe
    BPL Member

    @sierradoug

    Locale: Bay Area, CA, USA

    NeoAir mattress replaced original Thermarest about ten years ago (I’m 59) which had replaced a 1/2″ Ensolite foam pad (beige thing from the dark ages).

    Two years ago I got trekking poles when I noticed I was moving slower. My other option was to train before heading out into the mountains, but buying the poles seemed easier!

    I never have done many miles per day. It’s not an issue on most trips, but when I did the JMT six years ago I carried ten days of food at a time for a twenty day hike. If I could make it a sixteen day hike I’d be a happier camper.

    Maybe my “concession” will be training for longer hikes. Maybe.

    #3542892
    Dan K
    BPL Member

    @graydan

    To make a short story long, my wife and I retired about a year ago and moved from the Sacramento area to just outside Tehachapi to be near our grandkids. I have been looking forward to backpacking more, especially out of the Cottonwood Lakes area. I am currently in the process of resolving chronic foot pain issues, which has impacted my hiking plans. The pain hasn’t kept me off the trails, but it keeps me humble and slows me down more so than usual. A recent MRI shows arthritis in my left foot, and I am beginning to work with a physical therapist. So, my concession (more of a promise?) is to follow my therapist’s recommendations concerning my foot pain; make sure the 25+ pounds I lost 6 years ago stays off (can be a challenge in retirement); replace my hiking shoes more frequently; and pursue additional reduction to my pack weight. I have maintained a pretty good exercise program through the years, and any changes will be at the recommendation of my PT. However, if my rehab doesn’t provide the necessary results, I may need to look into getting a pack goat – which a few respondents mentioned earlier in this thread. We shall see.

    Gray Dan

    #3542917
    Tom K
    BPL Member

    @tom-kirchneraol-com-2

    “However, if my rehab doesn’t provide the necessary results, I may need to look into getting a pack goat – which a few respondents mentioned earlier in this thread. We shall see.”

    Whatever it takes, keep moving.  In the words of the immortal Yogi, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over”.

    #3542950
    Larry Swearingen
    BPL Member

    @larry_swearingen

    Locale: NE Indiana

    re: the aforementioned Pack Goat.

    What’s wrong with the Grandkids ?    :>)

    Larry S

    #3542996
    Tony Wong
    BPL Member

    @valshar

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    Age is just a number and getting old is just all in your head.

    I refuse to make concessions as I get older….mind over matter….my will is strong and my  determination shall allow me to prevail over any mountain and high elevation pass.

    Nothing will stop me from enjoying the mountains that I so love.

    After 20 miles on the trail at Joshua Tree earlier this year:

    “F#%K my knees are killing me!”

    “Thank god that I have both these hiking poles….who knew that they could double for crutches.”

    “Who’s bright idea was it to do a 21 mile day…it has been 7 years since I have done this many miles in a damn day AND in a dessert!”

    “Who put this stupid mountain here and why aren’t there switchbacks or an escalator?!”

    “Sh*t, this is beautiful out here, but why is my knee burning and my foot cramping up?”

    Limping into camp on one leg after 21 miles….”Dear God, just make it stop….I just want to take some Advil and Alieve and call it a night.”

    And yet, I keep wanting to go back on the trail.

    Maybe with old age comes the ability to forget about the suffering of the prior trip and the gleeful willingness to do it all again, knowing that I have a low medical co-pay and a good amount of life insurance.

    Immaturity is forever, no matter what your age is.

    Tony

     

     

     

     

    #3543302
    Tom K
    BPL Member

    @tom-kirchneraol-com-2

    I recently moved from Seattle to Bellingham, in the NW corner of Washington State, and struck the Mother Lode for a geezer unwilling to make concessions as he ages.  The local senior activity center has an affiliate called Senior Trailblazers, composed of folks in their 60s-80s, and after 7 hikes with them I can tell you, they show up ready to roll, rain or shine, year around.  So far, the hikes have ranged from 6-10 miles with elevation gains of 1800-3600′.  As one ages it becomes a little harder to get out there on one’s own, especially in an unfamiliar area, and these folks have been a godsend in both regards, not to mention they’re a great bunch to hang out with;  doctors, lawyers, tradesmen, engineers, you name it, they’ve done it, including a feisty little pixie with several screws in her spine who used to be a sky diving instructor, and  an 81 year old who still skis like a maniac and kayaks open water.  There are countless folks who start out leading active lives and gradually give it up, due to the pressures of family and job, or sometimes just because they lose the motivation.  These folks up here are survivors of those pressures, and they’re all dedicated and tough as nails.  Yes, indeed, The Mother Lode.  Here are a couple of shots from a hike 3 of us did yesterday on Excelsior Mountain in the North Cascades;  9 miles round trip with 3600 feet of elevation gain, the last 1000 on snow.  It was a classic North Cascade hike in late spring conditions, lots of water, post holing, step kicking, snow bridges, route finding where the trail was covered with snow, and mind boggling scenery.  Life can be sweet for those who choose not to concede.

    #3543310
    Casey Bowden
    BPL Member

    @clbowden

    Locale: Berkeley Hills

    Really nice…

    When I grow up I want to be Tom,
    or Amy/Jim,
    or Roger/Sue,
    or …

    So many great role models here at BPL.

    #3543318
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Tom is my hero.

    #3543327
    Alex H
    BPL Member

    @abhitt

    Locale: southern appalachians or desert SW

    You are a lucky guy Tom!  Keep it up!

    #3543359
    Tom K
    BPL Member

    @tom-kirchneraol-com-2

    “You are a lucky guy Tom! ”

    Yes, in so many ways, beginning with having had the great good fortune to have been born in the best time and place in the history of the human race.  Many other reasons also, but as relates to this thread, perhaps the luckiest thing of all is that I have so far avoided the major joint issues that either sideline or greatly diminish so many active people.  I’ve had my share of injuries down through the years, but none of them involved major orthopedic surgery, and recovery was a matter of will and hard work.

    “Keep it up!”

    For as long I have the life force within me and my legs under me.


    @Casey
      Growing up is highly overrated.  Take my advice and don’t be in any hurry.  ;0)

     

    #3543361
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    “When I grow up I want to be Tom,”

    I used to want to be Tom when I grew up — then I met him…..

    Still like hiking with him though….

    #3543397
    Tom K
    BPL Member

    @tom-kirchneraol-com-2

    “Still like hiking with him though….”

     

    Me, too, even though you won’t include me in your “embrace of all humanity”.  ;0)

    (A CHAFF joke to those of you who avoid the place)

     

    #3543510
    AK Granola
    BPL Member

    @granolagirlak

    It’s ok to bail sometimes, is a concession I’m now willing to make. That’s probably something I’d never have said in my 20s, unless facing a life or death situation. Not because of ego, just because I was tougher! Now at 54, a friend and I just yesterday cut a trip short due to high wind, on an all-above treeline trail. We hiked in 4.5 miles or so, facing 25mph wind the entire way, with occasional stronger gusts. After a comical 25 minutes erecting our shelter, we spent a fairly sleepless night watching the tent flapping over us. No let up at all, so constant that my ears were ringing all night when I got home. We hiked back out instead of continuing the next 25 miles. We had both already hiked this trail, so it wasn’t like we were going to miss something we’d never seen. Actually that’s not true; the last time we hiked it we did most of it in pea soup thick fog, rain, hail, so we still haven’t seen it!

    i guess I just don’t have anything to prove to anyone. Could we have completed it? Of course, we were totally prepared. But it wasn’t that much fun. Walking back out with the wind at our backs was lovely! Saw more wildflowers, birds, and wildlife than we could have seen if we continued, because we couldn’t see anything while walking head on into the wind.

    #3543630
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Wisdom ^

    #3543682
    Eugene Hollingsworth
    BPL Member

    @geneh_bpl

    Locale: Mid-Minnesota

    Concessions? I had to think about that a while. I’m 59 and still learning to pack lighter and smarter, so that’s progress, not conceding anything, UNTIL…

    I discovered how many ounces of creamer and sugar I carry just to put my coffee in for flavoring. Ugh. I save a half pound now and drink chi tea.

    #3543715
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    I am recovering from a rather bad Australian autumn. Half day walks with a bit of climbing are OK.
    Last week we had a plan: track walk to a saddle then over a nearby peak off track to the destination. When we got to the turn-off, we found thick scrub (no problem) with drops of icy rain on every tiny leaf. All very sparkly and pretty of course. Sue and I looked at each other, slowly shook our heads, and took a track route instead. We did not regret the decision.
    It’s meant to be fun, after all!

    Cheers

    #3543805
    Tom K
    BPL Member

    @tom-kirchneraol-com-2

    “All very sparkly and pretty of course. Sue and I looked at each other, slowly shook our heads, and took a track route instead. We did not regret the decision.
    It’s meant to be fun, after all!”

    Wisdom for the ages.  There is no glory in pain and suffering.

    #3544096
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    Yeah, If I must suffer I’m into “short suffering” only. (Well, I did just celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary last Friday so I have done a bit of long suffering. ;o)

    #3544392
    cyndy b
    BPL Member

    @triskele

    Locale: Somewhere in the Southwest

    This has been a GREAT thread; thanks to everyone whose commented.  I feel like I’m .. ‘not that old’,  but I am old enough to feel old some days and feel the changes, at the edge of 52.

    I find as I get older I am less interested in going solo (safety is more of a concern, and socializing with like minded people is more of a plus).   But somewhat conversely,  I am less willing to ‘try and keep up’ with others to prove I can.  I’m slower with a bit more age and accumulated injuries on me, and that’s o.k.  !

    I had an officemate a few years ago who was fond of saying “you are where you are, today”,  as a way to remind me – or himself – to appreciate what we can do, right now.  Wise words.

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