
Despite the health scare on Day One, in four days, I hiked a total of 28.7 miles and climbed 1,995 ft. I very much enjoyed the hike, though I would have preferred the trail to have been a bit less populated, and definitely could have done without the ATV/Side-by-side convoy. But everyone else is just as entitled to be out enjoying the forest as I am so I cannot complain.
Health
We know I have AFIB and other health issues and that’s just a fact of life. I have medications and best practices that ought to but don’t always keep things under control. I put off changing my medication before my last trip and made the changes when I returned. I wasn’t planning on going out again this year, but when the opportunity arose, I wasn’t going to turn it down. I carry my InReach Satellite Communicator and SOS beacon with me, so if I cannot self-rescue, I can call for help.
Solo backpacking during the winter season, in particular, provides many opportunities to consider one’s mortality. Ginger and I are well aware that a heart attack or stroke out on the trail cannot be ruled out, and if it happens, even if I manage to get out an SOS, I’ll not survive. And we are okay with that. It would be much better than ending my time in a hospital bed.
In a few years, my cardiologist is going to insist on aggressive anticoagulants. I’m going to have to radically review my strategy when that happens, but for now, I’ll keep taking the pills and carry on backpacking.
What worked & Lessons learned
- My summer quilts were fine in the temperatures I encountered.
- My clothing was fine, though once again, I took and didn’t wear my spare base layer top and spare pair of undies.
- I love my Fancee Feest alcohol stove1, and as usual it worked impeccably. I took my wood stove and didn’t use it. It may be better to leave it behind when it’s cold and damp.
- My summer tarp kept everything dry through several hours of gusty rain.
- My decision to carry on was the correct one. We’ll never know if my contingency plans would have worked.
- On the past couple of trips, I’ve been carrying an extra half-liter water bottle just for my electrolytes. It fits comfortably in the side pocket of my pack along with my one-liter plain water Platty.
- The LED camp light is a better option for winter camping than the LED light string.
- I found a better way to attach my Hunter orange vest to my pack. The key element was a small bulldog clip that held the collar in place on top of my pack.
- I shall double the number of meds I take with me. I don’t want to have to consider bailing on a trip because I’m low on meds ever again.
- Make absolutely sure any changes in my medication regime have fully bedded in before going out for several days.
- In future I should use the tools on my GPS to work out distances rather than guessing. Failing that I’ll have to carry a compact pair of navigational dividers (I have a huge pair I used to use when sailing).
All in all, for a last-minute trip, it turned out much better than I would have thought at the end of Day One. I like the Berryman Trail and may need to hike it more often.
Notes: 1 It looks like the Fancee Feest stove is no longer available. The website has been down for over a month now. I found a message from the owner posted in June 2024 saying he had plenty of stoves in stock, but there’s now no way to get them. That’s a shame, but at least I have three on hand!
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