The inclination varied from 20° to over 45°. This got me to thinking about how far I was progressing on a linear horizontal plane. I dug into my memory to find the equations for sine and tried to mentally calculate the x-axis distance for the path I was covering. For 45° it is about 100' for every 141' I walked. At 30° it was ~100' for every 126'. I haven't checked those numbers for accuracy since getting back but I think they're close.
That settled I began thinking of the weight I was carrying. An old 35mm camera that is built like a tank and weighs as much. A gps to track and record my progress. Sundry other things that I might need in case of a problem. It occurred to me that if I lost the 15 pounds that refuse to go away there would be 15 pounds I would not be hauling to the top of the mountain.
This reminded me of a time at the race track when one of the riders was showing everyone his new titanium clutch, brake, and shift levers. He allowed as how the weight savings (a few grams at most) was surely going to put him at the front of the pack. He was kind of chunky and I suggested that he could save more weight and a lot of money by just skipping a few cheeseburgers. This led to a spirited race around the pit garages with me in the lead and him right behind me with a 27mm spanner in hand. Everyone had a good laugh.
I noticed some tracks in the snow that didn't look like a dog's. The area is known to be habitat for cougars and mountain lions. This made me question my choice of attire. A tan parka with a furry ruff that is about the same shade as a deer's pelt. Light gray/tan pants and dark boots also mimicking a deer's coloring. Maybe that 5 pound camera would make a good weapon to hit the attacker on the head if it came to that. Luckily, it didn't.
Snow varied between none and 5-6” along the way. This is a mixture of good and bad on a hike like this. Going uphill it forces you to lift your feet higher and then drop them into the snow again. Plodding along, looking for the thin spots to make it easier. On the way down the snow is a blessing. It cushions your footfalls and saves your knees from the shock of each step. Because it was crusty it also gave a firmer footing than the loose rocks and gravel.
Two
and a half hours later I was back to my truck. Just short of 6 miles
R/T with 1800' vertical climb. I didn't make it to the top but I
wasn't sitting in front of the television either.
Make my day, tell a friend about this blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment