Yosemite Falls Day Hike - 20160730

Yosemite Falls. Got up at 5, Boogie waking me up for once, and we got on the road early. Made it through the park gate just before it was manned with Rangers, and left the park after 8, so we didn't have to pay the park fee. A cheap date!

We parked across from Camp 4, and already felt that the day was getting warm. 86 degrees was the high, but as we made the first switchbacks up and over Captiol dome, the air was thick and hot. Hot, sweaty, steep, muscle tired, out of breath, steep, overweight, and steep. This section didn't seem so bad in the morning, maybe because we were thinking ahead to the difficulty of the switchbacks going up the side of the falls, but on the way down, this last section of switchbacks in the trees seemed like purgatory - the same trail cut with the same slick rocks on indefinite repeat. It hurt coming down the hill.
I could do some more endurance training and I could lose eight or 10 pounds of fat. Some of it can come off if I do fasted cardio by walking in the mornings – walking the ZIP Code; boots on the ground.

The going from the top of the lower falls to the very top was rough. The heat made a difference. We had been leapfrogging a few groups on the trail thoughout the morning, and a couple of them turned around at the 3/4 point. We tried to talk them out of it, but they just weren't up to it. We didn't feel great, but no way were we going to just quit. We did a lot of stopping and cooling down, but I had a worrisome deep quad cramp in my left leg at the top, which, when I tried to stretch out, countered with a hamstring cramp. Rested and drank and it didn't recur. Like old marathon times! In fact, I'd compare this effort to a 3/4 marathon today - even though the total miles were only 9ish.

At the top, we worked our way up the stream to find our own pool to swim in. Most folks took pictures from the falls overlook (not even a view of Half Dome from there) and then swam in the first pools in the river. We got to the first, but furthest pool from all the yahoos upriver - quieter there and no way was I drinking water after people had piled into it.

Going the extra mile (literally) to Yosemite Point made the day. We traversed right up the rock and got up on the highest point; a tower of rock off the edge of the point of the dome, and felt the vertiginous exposure - pulling, yawning, drawing the guts into a desire to fall out and into all that air. I felt small on the way up the switchbacks, underneath the Capitol dome rock wall, but on top I felt large - like I could fly, like I should fly, like I was meant to just cross that space in a single thought.

Lots of people climbing up as we were coming down - smart to do so in the shade, instead of the sun, but late in the day with no time to enjoy the top. A helicopter was rescuing a hiker who'd come down with heat stroke at the top of the lower falls when we were climbing down - just that toasty of a day up there.

Hetch Hetchy Day Hike - Aug 8

Just a 3 mile turnaround day hike today, but we decided to start out in the hottest part of the day. First time to the Hetch Hetchy area, and I was surprised at the amount of damage caused by the 2013 Rim fire - the area still feels bleak.

Took a great swim in the lake. The water was perfect! Very little water coming over Wapama, and no water at all over Tueeulala, so we hid a bit in a shaded grotto at the fall base by the bridges, then said the heck with it and just found a good spot near the rockfall east of the falls to jump in.

Must come back here when there's more water - maybe to do the lake Vernon loop around to Rancheria - eating up the last of the food at Rancheria so there's nothing to fight the bears over.

We stopped at Priest Station Cafe on the way in for some German bratwursts and the view from their deck - pricey, but good. I'd heard it was a must-stop kinda place. However, the winner was eating at Happy Burger in Mariposa on the way home - just squeaking in for a burger and bubbly water before the 9:00pm cutoff.

Been a while since I've been hiking. My hamstrings were actually sore on Monday from walking around!

Bike n' Hike - June 7

Bike to AHO box, no sprints today. 
9.8 mi, 12.5 ave, 47 mins.

Down and back to the Forks of the Kern on national trails day. Wearing that assault pack, man, my left trap felt torn afterward. If that doesn't fix with a shoulder strap adjustment, I'm getting a new rig. Really happy wearing a techniche evaporative cooling ballcap - wet it in the little Kern on the way back, and it was still dripping wet at the car.
I was amazed that 3.45 from my door, I'm swimming in that turbulent pool and climbing around on that Jabba the Hutt rock at the campsite. No excuses not to get out more often, no excuses on a steady state day not to dress it up with some of God's wonder instead of staring at the asphalt on the bike path.

8.5 hours - 2130/0600. 195 minutes. PE: 8. 48 hours.
P192g/C297/F204 : 20/31/48%, 3803 total cal, 959 net - calorie deficit day

Bonus Day - Don't See That Everyday - Apr 4

Doing some things I normally wouldn't do - really, have never done - just to try them out. Call it a skill/HT day.

Power snatch cum muscle snatch
10x bar/55/65/75/85
9 mins.
I need some coaching on this. When there was a little weight on the bar, I found myself just muscling it up and into a not-nearly-neutral rack position.

Landmine complex, bar only

10 single-leg RDLs each leg

10 reverse lunges per leg

10 squat

3 rounds, 1 min RI

12 mins.

I'm just waking up to the wonder that is the landmine. I have to get one, if only to give that broken BB in the backyard a new lease on life. Iso rows and this complex would be enough to justify the expense.

4 x10 Hip Thrusts @ bar/95///

3x12 Standing Calf @ 300

11 mins. 

These are a great feeling. I'll have to consider the hip thrusts as a good squatting assistance movement.

PM
Hiking around the bluffs with Boogie. Two reps up.

6 hours - 000/0600. 34 minutes total. PE: 6. 24 hours. 223/13.
P354g/C172/F181 : 38/18/44%, 3649 total cal, 2778 net - no condemnation during refeed week.

Avalon Fire Road

An easy hike up the fire road - no running this trip, or mtb, or scuba - just the one excursion. But it was nice, and enough. Getting the blood going and feeling the lower extremities. Just walking and enjoying the time and views with L. Did some sweating in the canyon turn, but not a training hike. I'll load up that ruck and do more of this when the air's clean at home. Today was fun, keeping the easy day easy.