Happy Legs Are Here Again

SOON it will be time to kick this blog into full gear.  Soon, oh so soon, it'll be time for us to apply for our permits.  Once I have those permits confirmed, I will begin posting details of our upcoming hike.  I fear if I post too much of anything beforehand, the gods will smite us for our arrogance and we won't get the permits we need!  :)

In the meantime, here's a cut-and-paste from our main blog.  I have..(had?)...Iliotibial Band Syndrome -- but my leg feels much better now, and the girls and I will soon ascend another peak.  Hooray for the mending process!

*****

Woo-hoo!  My leg feels fine and dandy.  Had a visit with my local -- and most excellent -- sports med doc yesterday afternoon.  All I need to do is keep doing what I've been doing these past few weeks -- mainly, stretching.  He gave me a few new stretches to go with the old ones.  He also told me I should use hiking poles on a regular basis, to slow the progression of arthritis.

Two days ago, I did a five-mile hike up and down some hills near my house.  Yesterday, I walked a few flat miles and rode a stationary bike for half an hour.  Nothing hurt.  YES!

Monday, I'll head back into the woods and take on some mountain miles.  A week from tomorrow, the girls and I will summit a peak or two. 

It feels good to feel GOOD again.

ZPacks 20 Degree Sleeping Bag

I'm continuing to NOT post much of anything on this blog until we've secured our permits, since I don't want to jinx our trip.  I should be able to start filling this site with planning and gear purchase details by the end of February.

In the meantime, I've added one important item to our packing list.  I finally broke down and bought an ultralight sleeping bag.  The 20 Degree Bag from ZPacks (long version) is 1 pound, 2 ounces, and, according to every review I've read, performs extremely well in three-season temperatures.

The girls will need ultralight bags too, but that's a discussion for another day (when I have our permits).

My leg is doing much better, by the way.  All the stretching helps tremendously.  I plan on trying a small mountain (5 miles roundtrip with less than 2500 feet of elevation gain) by the end of this month.  I think I might be completely back to normal by the end of February...we'll see.

ITBS, PT, and Hiking the JMT for FA

How's that for a bunch of letters?

First -- we are fundraising for Feeding America.  Before Christmas, we reached 50% of our $2104 goal.  Now it's time to raise that other 50%.  Please check out our fundraising page and contribute what you can.  Every penny goes straight to Feeding America.

Now, for some slightly bad news...on December 26, I slipped on my icy driveway while loading the car for a hike.  I then did what most outdoor enthusiasts do...I got up, brushed myself off, and drove to the trailhead.

Here's Alex's reenactment of the incident...

In the days that followed, I hiked another mountain, shoveled a bunch of snow, and attempted a third winter ascent.  To make a long story short, I now have Iliotibial Band Syndrome.  Usually, that's an overuse injury.  In my case, I whacked the distal portion when I fell, then I ignored the soreness and carried on as though nothing had happened.

This won't affect the JMT hike.  At least, I'm fairly certain it won't.  I anticipate getting back on the trails within a few weeks, and I hope to be back in usual 4K hiking shape by the end of winter.  We're not hiking the JMT until August (assuming we get our permits), so there's plenty of time to heal.

In the meantime, I'll carry on with gear purchases and planning, though I won't post much about any of that until after I get those permits...I'm worried I'll jinx myself otherwise.

I'll also post short, weekly updates on the physical therapy (PT) process and, eventually, our training hikes.

Please don't forget to donate to Feeding America if you haven't already.  Thanks!