2015 was a hard year.
I turned 40. My weight got up to
290 pounds. I had atrial fibrillation,
and my heart was shocked back into rhythm in the E.R. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and learned
to sleep with a mask. I closed a
business and went through bankruptcy. Yes,
my thirties were better.
Even though my forties started out on a low note, I am
excited to see the rest of this decade of my life improve. 2016 is fresh and exciting. I’m not a big fan of the term “New Year’s
Resolution,” but the end of a year is a good time to reflect on what went wrong
and what can be better the following year.
For years, I tried working 6 days a week, and putting
everything I had into a failing business, that I always thought could be
revived and saved. That ended in
problems with my health and ultimately was not the smartest way to correct
problems.
I used to hike mountains a lot. I grew up in Southern California just above
sea level at about 1,200 feet. My friends and I hiked the mountains above
Fontana regularly. The high points were
Mount Baldy (10,064 feet) and Mount San Gorgonio (11,503 feet). Last year my brother and I broke my personal
altitude record and hiked Mount Timpanogos to an elevation of 11,752. However, I live above 5,000 feet now so the
elevation change isn’t as dramatic, but it is still very hard to gain over
5,000 feet in elevation in a day.
This year I have some new goals. I’ve never hiked alone. I want to cross the Uintah mountains in Utah on
the Highline trail from the East side to the West as a solo trip. That is an 80
mile trek. It has 5 points that are
higher that I have been before. Dead
horse pass is 12,200 feet, Red Knob Pass is 12,248 feet, Porcupine Pass is
12,236 feet, Kings Peak is 13,528 feet, and North Pole Pass is 12,256
feet. Most of the rest of the hike is at
an altitude similar to my previous maximum.
80 miles in 10 days with 10 days of gear seems daunting but doable. I can only go if I’ve lost enough
weight. I’ve gotta be under 250 pounds
and get my pack down to start at around 60 pounds. I know the pack could be much lighter, but I
like being comfortable once at camp and am willing to work harder when hiking
to have a more comfortable bed when I get there.
So it begins. Start
training 21 miles a week. Eat better,
Sleep 8 hours per night. Stay
motivated. Don’t get hurt. Pray for success.
10 DAYS
80 MILES
5 PERSONAL ELEVATION RECORDS
ALONE.
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