Trail Tip: Blue Jeans on the Trail?

3 reasons why we think blue jeans are TERRIBLE for hiking:

1. If the bottoms get even a little wet or damp, they wick up your legs.
2. Wet jeans stay wet.  When compared to the lightweight hiking pants, there’s really a huge difference in drying time.  Even a light morning dew can create wet pants for hours.
3. Most jeans are somewhat form-fitting.  This means that the leg has to work harder at the knee joint.  If you meet resistance with every step, it’s not efficient.

Welcoming Spring at Pinnacles, with Hiking Poles of course!

Happy Spring!  A gorgeous day at Pinnacles National Monument.  Recent rains brought out the flowers, the moss and the lichen.  The trails were in PERFECT condition.

Arriving almost as the gates opened, we were able to be hiking by 8.   We had the entire West side to ourselves and did not see another hiker until we were OUT of the Bear Gulch Caves.  Being alone in the caves was a magical experience.  Contrast this with the hoards of people on the weekend.

The weather could not have been better.   Two of us drove down on Tuesday – the first day of Spring and stayed at the Motel 8 in Soledad.  This is a very clean and nice motel.  Another buddy drove down the next morning, but she left the Bay Area around 5.  We hiked from 8 to about 1 and were on the road in time to miss the traffic.  A perfect way to welcome Spring!

Photos  (click on any to enlarge, click back button to return to post):

• A trail on the way to Balconies Caves
• Cream Cups – my favorites
• Lichen on rock
• Pine Cone Perspective
• Purple flower (maybe a dark baby blue eyes?)
• Heart shaped rock
• Steven in Bear Gulch Caves (lit by Cindy’s headlamp – clever, huh?)
• Western Wallflower
• Reservoir
• Gazing in wonder
• Rock with moss & lichen
• Me
• Steven walking in Balconies Caves

He brought water shoes – how prepared is THAT?    I took my socks and insoles off and walked with my hiking boots.   My boots were wet, but my feet were safe.  Plus it was at the very end of our short hike that afternoon AND I had another pair of hiking boots for the next day.

In the caves, I used BOTH my headlamp and my powerful small flashlight.  I wished I had a string on my flashlight.

I suppose if you went on the weekend and had 200 other people with headlamps, you might not need the extra light, but as we were all by ourselves (sublime), the extra light was helpful.  Also, in Balconies, it helped to have a powerful light to figure out which way not to go.  Once eliminating every possibility, what was left was obviously the way (a la Sherlock Holmes).

I collapsed my poles when I wasn’t using them because they were easier to manage.  If I’d been wearing my back pack (I was wearing my fanny day pack), I would have put on the rubber tips (which I ALWAYS carry with me) and secured them to the pack.

Bring binoculars.  We saw lots of birds, but only THINK we saw Condors.

I hope you welcomed Spring in a lovely way and that you enjoy all the season has to offer!  Happy Trails!

Knee Replacements: Prepare For and Recover From – How POLES Help

From Consumer Reports onHealth newsletter (excerpted):   Knee replacements are on the rise.  The rate among adults 45 to 64 more than doubled between 1997 and 2009…and the numbers will probably keep climbing.   …predict that 6.5 million adults will be diagnosed over the next decade with knee osteoarthritis, the main reason for the surgery.

• Use POLES!  Stay strong and active. 
• Avoid using a cane which puts you into a seriously uneven gait and can cause compensation injury.  Use a cane if you need to, but using poles provides a much more natural, fluid gait.
• You might find you can delay surgery; I’ve known people who have avoided the “let’s put you under the KNIFE ” diagnosis by using poles and getting significantly stronger and more mobile.
• Prepare!  Learn optimal use ahead of time.  You’ll notice an unweighting of the challenged knee joint because your upper body is helping in a healthy way.
• Recovery after surgery:  Transition from a walker to your POLES (which you’ve learned how to use), not a cane.  Why clump around when you can use both arms and your whole torso?
• Recover faster – because you’re stronger to begin with.
• Get  fantastic exercise in your back and arms – this presumes you’ve learned optimal use.

There are so many other benefits, including:

• Achieve, Maintain, even Regain Mobility! – Help prevent injury & falls.
• Exercising the back muscles (bi-laterally)  helps the spine stay strong, healthy & YOUNG – Yippee!
• Handle uneven terrain with more CONFIDENCE.  What once was a non-event (like driveways or curbs) can become insurmountable obstacles.

I worked with Jeanne, a writer who at 79, could not step off a curb.  Within a year she was hiking again.   We met twice a week for many years and she was able to RE-OPEN doors she thought had shut forever.  She loved her poles and loved getting outside walking around Foothills Park in Palo Alto, CA.

Using POLES for Walking & Maintaining Mobility – MS Radio Talk Show

Radio Show helping people with Multiple Sclerosis.   Today after being bounced out of bed by an earthquake, I was honored to be the guest on a wonderful new radio talk show with John Rowley.

We talked about how people with MS can benefit from using poles.  Press the play button, listen and let me know what you think?

Falling is BAD: Ice & Snow Safety Balance Tip

A dear friend with Multiple Sclerosis  (who lives in MN) shared a WONDERFUL tip yesterday.   She keeps a set of YakTrax on a pair of shoes (in her case – slip on boots for ease of application) in her car so that when she arrives at a client’s home, she can safely walk in and out.  This is brilliant!

From another friend:   Jayah, I finally got a chance to use those slip-on crampons yesterday at Sugarbowl.    They were great!  Walking in an icy and snowy  parking lot is usually the most dangerous part of a ski day. 

Click on image below to see which model of YakTrax we recommend.

I slipped in the parking lot on the way to cross country ski.  I landed on my hip on the hard pavement.   I’ve been a YakTrax fan ever since.  Note about sizing – Order a size larger than you think so you can more easily put them on your heavy walking shoes/boots.

Hiking with Trekking POLES in the desert

2 AdventureBuddies, 2 sets of poles.  Our annual Winter/Spring desert hiking trip this year found us in Sedona.   Our first stop was Phoenix to help some folks learn about using poles via the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center.  Then onto Sedona to enjoy some hiking on terrain that’s very different from our local mountains.   Using poles in the desert is the most powerful and efficient way to navigate rocky, steep terrain.   We especially appreciate our long foam grips &  gloves as we explore this glorious terrain.

Click on any photo to enlarge (esp #1) and press back button to return to post.  See the hole behind me in photo #3?   Look at photo #9.

Above are views from Bear Mountain, Bob negotiating rocky trail and an overhang at Long Canyon.

If you follow this blog, you will know that I LOVE cairns.   I have a new hobby – cairn topping (or cairn enhancing) ha ha!   We explored 3 days – Bear Mountain, Doe Mountain/Fay Canyon & Long Canyon, following Cairns to stay on the trail.

• Bob and me on Bear Mountain
• Cairn on Bear Mountain – the townhouse of all cairns!
• Bob and his trekking poles on the top of a rock cliff at Long Canyon
• A pretty, colorful rock in a creek-bed in Long Canyon
• A canyon wall in Long Canyon
• Bob looking thru the hole of the overhang

At Long Canyon, we got to the “end” and climbed up on a rock for lunch.  Bob went to explore the easiest way down the cliff.  When he returned, I gleefully noticed it was starting to  SNOW.  I was so happy eating my sandwich watching the snowflakes.   Bob said “We’re LEAVING, NOW!”   He knew immediately that we did not want to be walking down on wet rocks.  Good and fast thinking, Bob!

Weather can manage our outdoor experiences.  We knew the forecast and, even with a slight possibility of rain or snow, we were well prepared with gear.  45 degrees and wet is a recipe for hypothermia.  We had full head-to-toe Gortex gear – NO bluejeans for hikers!  On again, off again, gear changes, but we were comfy, dry and safe.

One of our favorite Winter Visitors, the BuffleHEAD!

Thanks to our bird buddy, Len Blumin:

Pole Walking Classes all over the Bay Area

Determining which poles best suit a person’s issues and goals is an important part of the learning process.  We use all 3 types of poles, helping participants figure out what works best for their structure (fit), their issues and their goals.

Take a look at this Article in the Pacifica Tribune this morning.  We offer 3 levels of classes so anyone can learn great skills to more fully enjoy the outdoors.

• How to use POLES for Hiking & Outdoor Exercise
• How to use POLES for Balance, Mobility and Basic (Functional) Walking
• Walking Workout:  Urban PoleWalking for Health & Fitness (Nordic Walking)

Regardless of your activity level, you can achieve many benefits from learning these skills.  Your back and knees will thank you and you’ll feel taller.

Increased circulation to the brain is a good thing!  Being outside, with your buddies, enjoying a full body experience is the triple win of poles!

Check our calendar for all class listings, including Rocky Mountain National Park!

Trail Tips for PoleHikers: Mountain Lions and Ticks

Here’s a great article on what to do if you are ?lucky enough? to sight a mountain lion.   Article is from the University of CA Police Dept.

We try to sprinkle all kinds of pole & trail tips into our seminars.  We ALWAYS miss something and recommend that you either subscribe (just click on the upper right corner) to this blog or periodically visit to see what’s new.  If you subscribe, you’ll get an email when we make a new post – it’s easy and not spam!

Also, we have a tick post for hikers (search ticks on this blog), but this is an article reminding us how important it is to be aware!

PoleWalking at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Join us on Friday afternoon, March 2, 2012 for a Nordic Walking training around beautiful Lake Merritt in Oakland.  This park has undergone an amazing transformation thanks to the voting citizens of Oakland.   Class is listed with the City of Oakland.

Nordic Walking helps you walk with the attitude of youth.  Click here for a step-by-step tutorial with video.

Photo from our bird-buddy, Len Blumin, with edited comments below.

The Redhead (Aythya americana) is sometimes seen in bays (Tomales Bay, Bodega Bay, etc.) but more often on lakes and ponds. In my limited experience they have been shy birds, always too far for a photo. Imagine our delight when this one joined all the scaups and other Aythya at Lake Merritt yesterday. Swimming with 50 feet of the Redhead were a male Tufted Duck, male Ring-necked Duck, and both sexes of the Canvasback, Lesser Scaup and Greater Scaup.   The Redhead is a pretty duck, and rather unmistakeable.  An old name for the Redhead was “American Pochard”.   If there is a better “natural” spot in the world to view the Aythya, I’d be surprised.

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