Week 15 of 26

A big week! First, I decided there was no way I was going up the Umbwe route on Kilimanjaro. Second, Joe decided he would go along as well! So we asked the Zara Tour folks if there were any scheduled climbs using these routes in order of preference: (1) Lemosho (2) Rongai (3) Machama. It turns out we can join some other folks for Lemosho, leaving a day earlier than originally planned (Sept 19), which really maximizes our probability of success. I am very happy with all this, and so happy Joe decided to go also. It just didn't seem right to do such a major adventure without him!

We have taken to the hills big time. The route I talked about last week is a portion of the Jones/Whites Loop trail (see: http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGS529-118) You can go counterclockwise up a 7.5 mile gentle rise and then come crashing down 2525 feet in 2.5 miles...OR you can go clockwise around which is what we did. Somehow climbing up that steep trail is easier than falling down it!! Anyhow, the total distance is 10 miles and is listed by my trails book as "difficult." You betcha.

I am trying to learn how to use hiking poles. The first time I did Brown's Creek, I didn't have any and skittered and slid down some steep, rock covered slopes. Joe was in Massachusetts and I could only locate one pole; I about killed myself coming downhill and getting the stupid pole wrapped around the boots. Anyhow, I later located many, many poles and chose a nice light pair and have been using them ever since. I have a good rhythm going uphill, but downhill is still something of a challenge. They're great when the path is wide, but downright treacherous when vegetation is growing near or over the path. Nothing like getting a pole caught in sagebrush while you are galloping downhill and the pole is stuck behind you rather than breaking your fall!

The hip continues to complain a bit, but not too much. I must be continuing to favor it, because my right foot and knee have started to give me problems. I have to be careful how I place my foot on the uphill to avoid knee issues; and going downhil for 7.5 miles just makes my right foot swell up and ache.

We got Joe some new boots just like mine, and we went to see Ryan at the Shoe N Foot store for inserts etc etc. His solution for Joe (metatarsal pads) has eliminated his neuroma pain that has bothered him for years! Unfortunately, Ryan's solution for my right foot hasn't fixed the problem and has lead to a big blister on my little toe. Gotta pay him another visit.

Some people have asked whether I have altered my diet for this adventure. I have started taking a multivitamin (sometimes). As of week 13 I swore off hard liquor and all chips (have done OK with the chips, not so well with the martinis!) But otherwise, no dramatic changes. I have lost about 8 pounds, and Joe has lost a bunch also. I wonder what a curve of my fitness change would look like? I am thinking S shaped, since at the beginning I was in such awful shape I couldn't do much. Every day is still a struggle, but now I am struggling with 10 miles on a steep mountainside instead of a 3.4 mile walk on the road. So I guess progress is being made.

The week:

June 21: Nothing (played golf)
June 22: Pilates
June 23: Jones/Whites Creeks loop, 10 miles (5 hours)
June 24: Pilates
June 25: Jones/Whites, 10 miles (5 1/2 hours)
June 26: Nothing
June 27: Jones/Whites, 10 miles (5 hours 10 minues)

Total mileage for the week: 30.0

Some pictures from the Jones/Whites loop:

Week 14 of 26

We were informed this week that we will be using the Umbwe route for the climb. We had been told we'd have some choice in the matter, but one of the climbers has decided that we will take this route. He is Macon Dunnegan who has written a book which I need to get, Sons of Kilimanjaro; he has also climbed the Kili 17 or more times. He says this route is no more difficult that any other (and is shorter). However, read about it, such as http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/umbwe_route.htm or
http://www.africatravelresource.com/T1/africa/tanzania/ne/kili/u/0/intro/ or

http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com/the-routes-up-kilimanjaro/the-umbwe-route-5-6-days/index.html

One account shows an estimated 26 out of 29 hours spent hiking up between 18000 feet and the top and then down 14 miles. Our account (with Zara tours) shortens this to 24 hours out of 27. Either way, I don't see how anyone does this.

Note that this is NOT the route that the website promised when I signed up for this adventure. I doubt I would have signed up for it! Anyhow, I am considering demanding my deposit back and finding another outfit to climb with. Or abandoning the idea altogether.

This week included a new mountain trail, up Jones Creek to Church's Pond. It is only 6.2 miles total, but one very experienced and fit hiker friend said it is the hardest trail she has ever done, period. Ouch.

This week:

June 14: Pilates and golf
June 15: 6.3 miles, Brown's Creek loop. 2 hours 35 minnutes
June 16: About 6 miles up Brown's Creek from Pauly's house to top of Forest Service Road. 2 hours 20 minutes
June 17: 6.5 miles on streets
June 18: Golf
June 19: 4.5 miles on streets
June 20: 6.2 miles, Jones Creek to Church's Pond. 4 hours (included lunch stop)

Total mileage for the week: 29.5

Week 13 of 26

A landmark week! Moved on to the mountain trails near my house (so still at 6-7000 feet). I did the Brown's Creek trail once last week, and again 3 times this week, but with a twist: on two days I did the 2.3 mile loop twice, and on the third day did a portion of the forest service trail instead of the loop. I can see there is a time coming soon where I won't be able to tell how many miles I have gone, but only how many hours. So I am going to start recording here the time as well as estimated miles.

Trails are much harder on the body parts than the streets. My hip, which hasn't bothered me much since about week 3, started complaining again, especially on the downhills. The knees were also unhappy for part of the week. I really can't do the trail two days in a row without things hurting. But I see how far I have come in three months, and hopefully in another three I will be able to string together several long days at elevation. Either that, or I won't make it up Kilimanjaro. I have days when I feel strong and think, ok, I can do this. And other days when I think I won't be able to make it two days, never mind making the summit.

I also have realized (through the pilates) that my left leg is really significantly weaker than my right (left side was the hip surgery). I am disgusted to look back on this week and find that I only did the pilates once. I know this is so important, and I can't seem to make myself do it!

This week:

June 7: 8.6 miles, Brown's Creek loop 2X. 4 hours, 15 minutes
June 8: Rest
June 9: 8.6 miles, Brown's Creek loop 2X. 4 hours, 10 minutes
June 10: Forced day of rest to thatch the lawn. 3 hours hard labor!
June 11: 8.1 miles, Brown Creek trail + forest service land
June 12: Pilates, 5.2 miles on streets at 6K feet. 1 hour 15 minutes
June 13: 6.5 miles on streets at 6K feet. Forgot to get the time.

Total this week: 37 miles

Week 12 of 26

I did no walking or anything on Memorial Day. We did a little train ride in Carson City with friends and then had them up to the house for some steaks. Quiet day, and needed after the previous marathon week!!

I remain blister-free this week!! I think after this week, we can declare the boots "broken in" finally. I am still alternating boots and sneakers on a given day when I do two walks. Pretty hard to go long, long ways in those boots, but they aren't feeling like 10 pounds of lead on each foot any more.

The temperatures are finally becoming spring-like. On Saturday, May 5, I had my first hike at over 70 degrees (73 actually). The trails are dry (well, still snow covered up at 9-10K feet) but the creeks are roaring. There are flood alerts all over the eastern slopes of the Sierras around us. I have begun walking the Brown's Creek Trail, which is steep and has a lot of loose rocks (pics below). Last year they added a couple of bridges over the creek, making this passable at this time of year. Even so, at the eastern crossing the creek has jumped its bank and taken over the trail for about 50 yards, and you have to fight your way through some wild roses that are pretty thorny.

And now that the weather is warmer and clothes are being shed, I am having issues with the best daypack we own. It's an Arcteryx, which is a great brand, but this pack has a LOT of straps which flap around and chafe my arms. It also has no place to attach hiking poles (of which I can find only one; wonder where the other one got to?). I suppose I'll have to go shopping. Sigh. Somebody has to do it.

This week:

May 31: Absolutamente nada
June 1: Pilates, 5.2 miles in boots, 4.5 miles in sneakers, all at 6K ft
June 2: Nada
June 3: Pilates, 5.2 miles in boots at 6K feet
June 4: 5.2 miles at 6K feet (very tired)
June 5: 5.7 miles between 6-7K ft, Brown's Creek Trail
June 6: 6.2 miles at 6K ft

Total miles for week 12: 32.0

(1) Brown's Creek Trail (2) View over Washoe Valley from trail (3) Manzanita in bloom