I have used a technique over years that seems to work for me; maintaining a base fitness and then shocking my system for long outings. My base work is in top shape thanks to all the cycling I’ve done over the past year. This shows when I’m doing familiar climbs at the park, like Longmire to Paradise or the Sunrise Park road. I’m climbing faster than in the past with much less effort. A few days ago I aborted an attempt at RIMROBOD because of a rapid shift in the forecast. Because of the weekday closure of the Stevens Canyon Road, RIMROBOD can only be done on the weekend. I was already camping at White River after doing the Northern Loop Trail so set out from there at 5 AM. As I climbed in the dark to Sunrise, a few pitter patters of rain turned into a steady stream, enough to stop and put on rain gear. As the skies lightened and I approached Sunrise, it was very evident that this was not a passing thing….it was socked in in all directions. I had a very wet descent and went directly back to my van to dry off. Later I did another climb to Sunrise as the roads had mostly dried, and this time I spun about 1 to 2 MPH faster than the first ascent, as I didn’t need to pace myself. Both these climbs are not very steep and were so much easier than past transits. Stats for both climbs: 46 miles/6,000’ elevation gain.

But back to the Northern Loop: I had done no hiking in July and decided on the NLT as a shocker; it didn’t disappoint (blog writeup here). I was good for the first 25 miles or so but the continuing downhill and climbs started to take a toll on my unaccustomed legs. I had to dig pretty deep those last 10 miles but suffering and hardship on the trail is something I am quite familiar with. In the past I have run the NLT as an ultra warmup, but this day I was trotting only the downhills. The beauty of the NLT is that it approximates the hardest day I would encounter on a 3 day Wonderland trek (NLT stats: 38 miles/9,800’ elevation gain). The aftermath wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be; yes, I was sore, but not nearly like a much shorter trip beginning of the season. And my climbs to Sunrise two days later really showcased the different muscle groups involved in hiking/running and cycling. Example: seated cycling was easy, but if I tried to stand on the pedals I could really feel those trashed muscle groups in the legs.

*Frame grab on a soaking climb to Sunrise*

My Wonderland plan now is to hit the trail this coming Monday, with a current forecast of great weather but on the warmish side. This will help considerably with my equipment choices if the nighttime temperatures are 50 degrees or above at typical altitude. I have decided that, no matter the forecast, I will take my OR Helium Bivy to ensure a weather proof roomy enclosure in case of unforeseen circumstances. In the meantime I have a few peaks to bag.