According to Dave, he had a feeling the hike was going to be somewhat of a physical and logistical nightmare from the start. Glen and Mike showed up with their little "Costco" packs with the water bladders removed although they did pack a few small water bottles. Rollie's pack had four 1/2 liter water bottles, two apples, and two oranges and wore cotton socks. Cheryl wore no hat, Mike had an iPod. Glen and Lynn had trekking poles but did not use them "to their best advantage." No electrolytes or other carbohydrate sources other than snack food consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables.
We started our hike a little after 7:00 a.m. Little did all of us know that the 14-mile hike would last almost 11.5 hours.
We encountered dozens of trailrunners preparing for the Mt. Wilson Trail run that will take place during the Memorial Day weekend.
Dave told everyone to stop at First Water, which is a little over a mile and a half into the hike. It is here we heard news from Dave that Lynn and Greg dropped just a mile into the hike!Here is what Dave observed as he was the sweep: "Watching from the rear, I could see everyone's gait and speed, and could see when things got dicey. At one point, Mike and Cheryl got a little snippy with each other and I seriously thought Cheryl was gonna bail ... that's when I gave her my (trekking) poles (she was laboring), pumped her full of Cytomax and GU, and she was raring to go in better spirits. I knew we were in trouble just above Orchard as Mike was griping about 'What the hell was Glen thinking about putting us up here on this hike?!', with Cheryl trying to calm him down, while I was trying to keep Rollie focused on moving forward."
We continued our push towards Orchard Camp another two miles away. Poison ivy lined the trails on either side. Since I was the "point" I alerted the others behind me "oak left" or "oak right."
Mike and his iPod.We finally reached the "halfway up" portion of the hike...Orchard Camp. We sat down to eat and drink. Dave came over an lifted my pack and asked me how much did it weigh. I told him it weighed 25 pounds. I went over to his pack and lifted it. His Osprey pack had to weigh at least 35 pounds! "What the hell is in there?" "Water, electrolytes, food." "Any rocks in there?"
We struck out for Manzanita Ridge which according to the trail signs was 1.9 miles away. Pam and I set out on a really good pace. I told Pam we could turn around at Manzanita Ridge if her foot was an issue. It was not. She wanted to continue. We sat there on the bench waiting for the others to catch up.
Poison oak was abundant between Orchard Camp and Manzanita Ridge. There was one portion of the trail you had to duck under a canopy of poison oak. Pam and I waited for the other to alert them, but we decided we go on ahead to the ridge.
We get to the ridge, take off our packs and rest on the bench in the shade. Once everyone caught up and rested it was off to the summit another 1.6 miles away.
Whenever I hike, I usually note when and where I am at along the trail. Today, I did not. I didn't even count the switchbacks.
All of us made it to the top. Pam and I opted for the "shorter steeper" route while the rest went the "toll road" and into the parking lot.
Sitting (l to r): Me, Dave, Cheryl, Mike. Standing (l to r): Pam, Jane, Rollie.
Now that the "getting to the top is optional" part was accomplished, it was now the "getting down is mandatory" part. I knew that this portion would be a problem for some.Jane, Pam and I reached Orchard Camp ahead of the others. Jane said for us to go ahead and go if we had time constraints. Pam and I decided to wait for the others. We were there for a good half hour or so when Cheryl and Mike finally came down. I noticed that Mike had a slight limp, but he was okay. Cheryl looked fine and was in good spirits.
When Rollie and Dave made it down, there was a problem. Rollie was having serious knee problems. Especially, his left knee. Luckily, Dave had two neoprene knee braces for Rollie to wear. After everyone was well rested, it was time to hike the last 3.5 miles to the end. It would be the longest 3.5 miles for Rollie.
About two miles from the end of the trail, I stopped at a vantage point to spot the rest of the hikers since Pam, Jane, and Cheryl were with me. I saw Mike coming down the trail, but no sign of Dave and Rollie. I gave my car keys to Pam and told the ladies to go on ahead. Mike later caught up and I gave him the situation. Mike was yelling at Cheryl to stop since Mike was out of water and Cheryl had some.
Still no sign of Dave and Rollie.
There was something in the back of my head to wait. What if Dave needed help with Rollie? What if something happened to both of them?
About 45 minutes later, I saw Dave and Rollie coming down the trail. Rollie was hiking "backwards" because his knees were bothering him so much. Not a good sign. A disaster in the making. By now, Rollie is experiencing fatigue as well as agony. I bet his mind was saying "I want off this f**king trail now!" but his body was telling him, "Patience. You will eventually get your ass off this trail." The danger about hiking backwards downhill on such a steep trail is that you increase your risk of stumbling and somersaulting out of control resulting in serious injury or even death. Walking backwards down this steep trail is like walking down the stairs backwards without holding on the handrails.
I took off my pack and and reached into my utility sack and pulled out two Ibuprofen 800 tablets to give to Rollie when he reached me. When they did, Dave told me he already gave Rollie some Aleve. I placed the two tablets into Rollie's shirt pocket and handed him my trekking poles to assist him with easing the strain on his knees.
I grabbed Rollie's pack about one mile from the end. He didn't want to relinquish it, but I grabbed it anyways without further comment.
It was slow going but we eventually were in sight of the houses towards the end of the trail. It is here I gave Rollie's pack back. Once the three of us were in sight of the road where the cars were parked, we saw everyone including Glen and Lynn. After celebratory hugs and handshakes, I couldn't help but notice Rollie still 20 yards away from us. It appeared he froze in his tracks overcome with emotion and fatigue realizing what he just did. "Come on, Rollie, you ain't done yet!" He finished. We all finished. The Mt. Wilson Death March was officially over.
This was Pam's first really long hike. Considering the grade of the Mt. Wilson Trail and the amount of physical exertion needed to hike up it, I feel she will have no problems climbing up to the top of the highest in the lower 48 in September.
As for me, this was my first long hike since my sciatica flare up in March. With my 25 pound pack, I experienced no problems with my back the entire way.
What a hike.
