DreamFarmer
Active member
Ok, there’s a bunch of Sewards reports already but I have some comments that may be useful or entertaining (by way of my ignorance) to someone out there.
I have a lot to learn about this “W” stuff. I had my butt kicked on a hike that I would consider easy in warm weather. By the time I did Donaldson and then Emmons, I was totally shot and knew there was no way I could go try to get Seward too. I just wanted to get down off the mountain and heading for my car, even if it meant I had to go alone and walk 3 miles farther to the winter trailhead where my car was parked.
As I’ve read before, in many reports, and experienced myself, it is common to allow yourself to get too sweaty in the winter. Once you’ve reached this state, you don’t want to stop , because you get cold FAST (our day was never warmer than about 7 degrees). This leads to not taking your time to rest, and eat sufficiently , or even whip out your stove and warm something up. I know this stuff already and yet allowed myself to fall into this state. Dumb Ass, when am I going to apply what I’ve already learned ?
From the waist down, I was in good shape, all day long. I wore smartwool tights covered by quilted snowpants that unzippered from my waist to my ankles. This combination was great for venting. My boots were molded plastic bottoms, great tread, Thinsulate lined…warm and dry all day long. Upper body was a soggy disaster but I was ready with an extra tech-wick under garment, extra fleecy and entire other lined shell to put on !
I was soaked on the way up Donaldson putting off changing into the dry stuff until I reached the peak. Then, I decided to put it off until I reached Emmons. By then I was too chilled to think about stripping down so I threw on my lined shell under my iced-over outer shell and continued on. Dumb Ass again for waiting so long. I believe a full upper body change, a short rest with something warm to eat would’ve been great…and I know this but didn’t do it. –Dumb Ass.
I did do one thing right, and that was keeping the drinking water warm! Thank God !
The night before, I cut up a sleeping pad and made a big cylindrical liner for my pack. Inside the cylinder, at the bottom of my pack, were my dry undergarment and fleecy in a plastic bag. Then 2 -1 liter bottles of hot water inside wool socks, then on top of the water, my lined shell. My water was still drinkably warm 11 hours later.
To keep food warm enough to eat, I would transfer menu items into an inside pocket to catch some body eat to make edible. It was still hard to eat much, thus leaving me low on energy most of the day. I have to make improvements in this area if I’m ever going to be a “46 W”.
Towards the mountain tops and summit ridges another problem is always present : rubbing against the stubborn vegetation that doesn’t want to give an inch. I am always amazed at how sturdy the little braches are that beat your head and shoulders all day long.
These braches love to unzip your pack, grab your hat, rip at your hood, stick you in the face, and generally abuse the innocent hiker. I tell ya, it’s like they have a will of their own ! Just the frigging rubbing noise on my shell was really aggravating me. And catching on my pack and my hood…Ugh !It was driving me crazy.
Then, constantly ducking through openings all day started to give me a backache.
I have to duck a fair amount to get along the trails when there is no snow. When you lose a couple feet of your normal clearance, I’m ducking even more and it got to me ! I’ll have to condition my back more, I guess.
So, I have to learn the discipline to apply some of these things I’ve learned and just deal with some other things, but I have to say, getting the “W” is quite a different ball game and I have a lot of respect those who “get it”.
It’s more than just staying comfortable while you bag a peak; you really have to keep in mind that your life is at stake when you are out on a cold day.
14 W’s down- 32 to go…ugh !
I have a lot to learn about this “W” stuff. I had my butt kicked on a hike that I would consider easy in warm weather. By the time I did Donaldson and then Emmons, I was totally shot and knew there was no way I could go try to get Seward too. I just wanted to get down off the mountain and heading for my car, even if it meant I had to go alone and walk 3 miles farther to the winter trailhead where my car was parked.
As I’ve read before, in many reports, and experienced myself, it is common to allow yourself to get too sweaty in the winter. Once you’ve reached this state, you don’t want to stop , because you get cold FAST (our day was never warmer than about 7 degrees). This leads to not taking your time to rest, and eat sufficiently , or even whip out your stove and warm something up. I know this stuff already and yet allowed myself to fall into this state. Dumb Ass, when am I going to apply what I’ve already learned ?
From the waist down, I was in good shape, all day long. I wore smartwool tights covered by quilted snowpants that unzippered from my waist to my ankles. This combination was great for venting. My boots were molded plastic bottoms, great tread, Thinsulate lined…warm and dry all day long. Upper body was a soggy disaster but I was ready with an extra tech-wick under garment, extra fleecy and entire other lined shell to put on !
I was soaked on the way up Donaldson putting off changing into the dry stuff until I reached the peak. Then, I decided to put it off until I reached Emmons. By then I was too chilled to think about stripping down so I threw on my lined shell under my iced-over outer shell and continued on. Dumb Ass again for waiting so long. I believe a full upper body change, a short rest with something warm to eat would’ve been great…and I know this but didn’t do it. –Dumb Ass.
I did do one thing right, and that was keeping the drinking water warm! Thank God !
The night before, I cut up a sleeping pad and made a big cylindrical liner for my pack. Inside the cylinder, at the bottom of my pack, were my dry undergarment and fleecy in a plastic bag. Then 2 -1 liter bottles of hot water inside wool socks, then on top of the water, my lined shell. My water was still drinkably warm 11 hours later.
To keep food warm enough to eat, I would transfer menu items into an inside pocket to catch some body eat to make edible. It was still hard to eat much, thus leaving me low on energy most of the day. I have to make improvements in this area if I’m ever going to be a “46 W”.
Towards the mountain tops and summit ridges another problem is always present : rubbing against the stubborn vegetation that doesn’t want to give an inch. I am always amazed at how sturdy the little braches are that beat your head and shoulders all day long.
These braches love to unzip your pack, grab your hat, rip at your hood, stick you in the face, and generally abuse the innocent hiker. I tell ya, it’s like they have a will of their own ! Just the frigging rubbing noise on my shell was really aggravating me. And catching on my pack and my hood…Ugh !It was driving me crazy.
Then, constantly ducking through openings all day started to give me a backache.
I have to duck a fair amount to get along the trails when there is no snow. When you lose a couple feet of your normal clearance, I’m ducking even more and it got to me ! I’ll have to condition my back more, I guess.
So, I have to learn the discipline to apply some of these things I’ve learned and just deal with some other things, but I have to say, getting the “W” is quite a different ball game and I have a lot of respect those who “get it”.
It’s more than just staying comfortable while you bag a peak; you really have to keep in mind that your life is at stake when you are out on a cold day.
14 W’s down- 32 to go…ugh !
