My hip is 1 month old!

Yesterday marked 4 weeks since my hip replacement.  The day before that I was told by the therapist at my doctor's office that I was to slow it WAY down.  I was disappointed to hear this.  I have heard that I need to slow it down a bit but this new therapist gave me the physiologic facts and possible repercussions.  I have requested a phone call with my doctor to run what she said by him.  She reminded me that he is a true extreme athlete (biathlons / triathlons) and said he is probably going to say, "heck yeah, go for it!"

I will do as always, gather advice, facts, opinions, of others and then make my own decision.  I will not purposefully do something that will cause this replacement to be ineffective and place me right back in the same pain I have been in over the past 25+ years.  To that end, I have already come to the decision there is MUCH I can do cardio wise and resistance wise to train, and I can train every other muscle, joint, bone in my body to its max potential while still babying my right hip and femur and performing only recommend exercises upon it.

Weigh in

Weigh In

Put 3 pounds on post surgery. Can I blame this new EXTREMELY HEAVY hip? :/  Gotta get back on a proper diet and find new ways to get cardio!!!! Pikes Peak!

Notes about Water and Purification Systems for Hikers

While I am feeling fairly secure in the fact that during our hike on 8/9/14 up Barr Trail to Barr Camp and then on to the summit of Pikes Peak on 8/10/14 that will have plenty of drinking I always favor on the side of being prepared.  We will take water with us and there is typically drinkable water at Barr Camp and then again at the Summit House but there in the event we need to rely on one of the water sources on America's Mountain I will be packing a water purification system.

There a few sites out there the have write ups on comparisons but by far the best I found was from Outdoor Gear Lab from the which the below information is taken.  But first a little on the importance of water especially as it pertains to physical exertion and altitude.

Physiological Facts
According to the United States Geological Survey web page up to:
60% of the human body is water
73% of the brain and heart are water
83% of the lungs
64% of the skin
79% of muscles and muscles and kidneys and
31% of our bones are water!

Here it is a graphic from the USGS site.  Notice that little blurb in the lower right hand concerning the aid in delivering OXYGEN to the entire body.  I am thinking that will become even more critical the greater the ascent into higher altitudes.

On a normal day the adult male needs 3 liters of water and females 2.2.  According to the Outdoor Gear Lab site when exercising in the mountains the required amount of water can increase by 50% meaning men may require over 4 liters of water and women 3 per day.

By the way; water weighs 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) per liter.  This is something important to keep in mind as you pack the amount of gear you will be carrying.

Concerning altitude sickness I have come across contradicting information but most of it ways towards the fact that drinking additional water helps reduce the risk of altitude sickness.  What seems more plausible is that dehydration is mistaken for altitude sickness.  Dehydration will be more prevalent during the hike due to a couple of factors, the most obvious being the additional exertion of hiking up the side of mountain.  Another factor is increased water vapor lost from the lungs, according to WikiHow.

Water Purification System Options
Items to consider when selecting a system:

• Cost - How much will the system set you back your pocket book?
• Reliability and Effectiveness - When out in the middle of nowhere will you be able to count on the system?  Will the system rid the water of both bacteria and virus?
• Amount of water treated - How many hikers will be needing the water?  Will you be expecting to cook with the water?
• Time to treat - Will treatment be fairly instant or will have to treat for several hours.
• Weight - How much weight will the system be adding to your gear
• Ease of use - Will you need an engineer degree to put the system together or will be as simple as dropping a tablet into a bottle of water?

Types of Systems: Those that CLEANS / Those that PURIFY

• Pump filters - cleanse water by pumping it through a filter
• Gravity-fed filters - cleanse water by using gravity to push it through a filter
• Drops and tablets - purify water by treating it with a chemical
• UV Light - purify water by treating it with ultraviolet light

My Selection(s)
For our trip up Barr Trail my understanding is that risk of virus is extremely is typically more a concern when hiking outside the US and Canada. We will hopefully only be minutes or a few hours away from receiving assistance if so needed.  I would like to be able drink the water almost immediately and not have to carry around additional water while it treats.  Hopefully we will be staying at Barr Camp where they will be cooking our meals, so that shouldn't be a concern!

Bottom line I may not really need a purification system but as I mentioned before I do believe in being prepared AND the geek in me wants so new toys to play with!  I initially chose the Sawyer Squeeze System. This was due to the fact it met my requirements; low cost, light weight, eliminated pathogens and very small particulate and was rated a best buy by Outdoor Gear Lab.

The Squeeze System does not eliminate viruses and after performing some additional research for this post I decided to cover some additional bases (and yes get another toy) and decided to purchase the Steri-Pen as well to eliminate any viral agents that may be in the water source.

Conclusion
So to wrap up I realize my "newbness" is showing by adding extra weight to our gear and spending a little more than I need to but the bottom line is a will be able to squash bacteria, virus, and sizable particulate from our water.  I hope others find this information useful and as always I welcome feedback and most importantly advice.

Barr Trail: This is NOT a Walk in the Park (pun intended)

It is FLATTERING that some of you want to join us on the hike.  I have spoken with a few of those folks but want to capture in writing what education over the past several months has provided me about this excursion.  I have NOT hiked Barr trail. So 99% of what follows is second hand. I will work to keep it is as objective as possible.  It is intended to EDUCATE, not scare nor deter, there is no undo drama. I have been to the summit of Pike's Peak via vehicle, and it can be difficult to catch your breath if active, and I can assure you this trail will be nothing like those around our lakes!

GEOLOGY

Trail Distance:

12.8 miles sticks in my head but other reports are

13 miles according to National Recreation Trail

11.8 miles according to the Barr Trail website

12.6 miles according to the Wikipedia page of Barr Trail

From the trail head to Barr Camp my understanding is that approximately  6.8 miles.

Elevation / Altitude:

Trail Head: 6500
Barr Camp: 10,200
Pike's Peak Summit: 14115 (Not a typo)

The signs up top have not been updated as of this writing.  I learned this fact well after I came up with the FourteenThousandOneHundredTen name and URL.  So the way I see it if the summit is really 14115 then there must be, by scientific law, a spot that is 14110.  So I have told others I will keep my goal 14110 and then just over achieve once I get there!

There is a such thing as altitude sickness that under certain circumstances could lead to death.

Gain:

The change in elevation is over 7500 feet is what I have always said; other reports

7900 feet according to the Barr Trail website

7615 doing the math Wikipedia page of Barr Trail

Grade:

The average grade is 11% according to Skyrunner from who the below image is from.

CLIMATE

Oxygen Levels:
One of the most profound words of advice I have received is that you can perform all the cardiovascular training you want but it is not going to prepare you for the major decrease in Oxygen percentages.  There are some, what I would consider expensive, methods for attempting to prepare your body for the higher altitude from the comfort of you low altitude
Here is a link to see what the elevation is at your specific location:

VeloRoutes

And below is chart to show you the percentage oxygen at varying altitudes to compare yours against.

Temperature:
No matter the temperature the sun can cause damage to your skin. Make certain to utilize sunscreen and dress appropriately.

Here is a comparison of the Summit of Pikes Peak compared to that of the trail head located in Manitou Springs.

Summit:

Trail head in Manitou Springs:

.
Lightning:
According to the NOAA there are on average 27.5 thousand cloud to ground lightning strikes per year in El Paso county Colorado.  The numbers in the image below are in the thousands and represent an annual average.  Notice El Paso county, home of Barr Trail is by far the second most county for cloud to ground lighting strikes.

Keep in mind too that when hiking up Pike's Peak, based on your altitude, you could end up INSIDE the cloud where lightning is occurring.

Below is table, also from NOAA, that provides statistics on lightening injuries and fatalities. It is critically important  to understand what to look for to avoid being caught in a lightening storm and safety measures to take in the event you do become so.  My eyes did widen a bit when I saw there were 12 injured by lightening last year in El Paso county.  Hovering over that row in the table you will find a link to a story that reports this was a single event on an Army base.

Year	Month	Day	Time	Total Killed	Total Injured
2013	July	31	1345	0	12
2011	July	24	1400	0	5
2010	July	10	1240	0	1
2008	June	24	1420	0	2
2007	May	22	1330	0	1
2007	June	2	1330	0	1
2007	September	2	1758	1	3
2006	July	19	1700	0	1
2003	July	13	1040	0	1
2003	July	25	1330	0	1
2003	August	5	1715	1	0
2003	August	23	1400	0	3
2001	August	5	1620	0	1
2001	May	30	1330	1	3
2000	July	25	1159	1	0
2000	July	28	1630	0	1
1999	August	19	1700	0	8
1999	May	24	1406	0	3
1999	May	24	1420	0	1
1998	August	19	1500	0	1
1997	July	6	1230	1	0
1997	June	13	1800	0	1
1996	September	10	1330	0	1
1996	July	10	1720	0	1
1996	July	20	1900	1	0
1995	July	1	1500	1	1
1995	July	9	1615	1	1
1995	June	2	n/a	0	1
1994	July	14	1500	0	1
1994	June	29	1300	0	1
1991	May	31	1615	0	3
1990	July	9	1615	0	1
1990	July	9	1800	0	1
1989	June	26	1400	0	1
1988	June	23	1845	0	2
1987	August	28	Afternoon	0	2
1987	June	9	1345	0	3
1987	June	13	1400	0	1
1987	June	30	Afternoon	0	1
1985	May	5	1745	0	1
1985	May	18	1600	1	0
1982	August	9	1630	1	0
1981	August	5	Afternoon	0	1
1981	July	1	1715	0	1
1981	May	26	1215	0	1

Source: NOAA

Strategy

• Educate appropriately
• Train appropriately
• Day of the Hikes start out early, beat the afternoon weather, and know that the average person will go from trail head to summit in 6 to 8 hours
• Dress in layers be prepared for the heat, the cold, the rain, the snow
• Pack light and appropriately
• Keep an eye on the weather
• Know your limits and use good judgement in pushing them

Inadequate Preparedness: Real World Example

A fellow's video captured experience and lessons learned:
If you are planning on ever making this hike then I strongly suggest you watch these videos. While performing some practice hikes this gentleman learned he was not prepared. Examples the viewer will see is that he starts late, had no idea of the distance, over-packed, and did not train appropriately.  I intend no insult to this fellow and promote the videos viewing due to the fact they are publicly posted. Another benefit of these videos is some great footage of the trail's views and shots of Barr Camp.

• Night before
• Morning of
• Hike video 1
• Hike video 2 
• Hike video 3 
• Hike video 4 
• Hike video 5 
• Hike video 6 
• Barr Camp 1 
• Barr Camp 2
• Barr Camp 3 
• Barr Camp 4 
• Barr Camp 5 
• Hike Cancelled 

Conclusion

I encourage people to assess their health, abilities, knowledge,and time to prepare. Do not underestimate this challenge.  If there is a desire and commitment to complete this hike, either by gifting us with your companionship on 8/9/14 and 8/10/14 or any other time in your life, then GO FOR IT!

Open Invitation and High Level Itinerary 8/6/14 to 8/12/14

With the hip replacement milestone met I would like to offer an open invitation to those family, friends, and supporters that would like to celebrate life, each other, and the majesty of Pike's Peak to join us!  Whether it is the early morning kick off at the Barr Trail trail head August 9th, the summit of Pike's Peak August 10th, or ANY part in between it would be a joy and an honor to have others share in building what I hope will be one of my son's greatest memories!

I will begin posting to the blog more frequently covering topics in more detail such the trail itself, Barr Camp, the summit, Cog Rail, training/hiking/preparedness, Colorado Springs, and Manitou Springs; among others...

Our high level intermarry so far:

8/6/14 - per a suggestion to allow our bodies time to acclimate to the altitude we plan to arrive in Colorado Springs
8/7/14 - Get a lay of the land, trail head, Pike's Peak entrance, restaurants, begin rounding up those that have said they would join us, practice hike / site seeing in one of the many trails suggested to us, perhaps something a Garden of the God's.
8/8/14 - A day on top of Pike's Peak, per a suggestion we will drive to the top of Pike's Peak to help our bodies become even more acclimated to the altitude.  We will picnic, site see, practice hikes, and over all relax and enjoy each other's company.
8/9/14 - Hit the Barr Trail trail head by early, 6 or 7 a.m.'ish local time.  Ascend to Barr Camp taking in the beauty and reveling in the experience.  The afternoon and night will be spent on the side of the mountain at the  Barr Camp level.  We have purchased the private large upper cabin which sleeps 12.  family and close friends that wish to spend the night may sleep with us in there on the 9th.
8/10/14 - leave Barr Camp early and attempt to summit Pike's Peak!  Enjoy the moment! later descend via car either by either a relative, friend, or car service.  That night celebrate, if enough energy, at a location to be determined!

Contingency Plan
There is NO GUARANTEE that the peak will be accessible via foot, train, or car!  There is ALWAYS the chance the only way off the mountain is to HIKE back down.  That being said we have booked 3 spots for Simon, Trish, and I in the main cabin the night of 8/10/14 in case we cannot summit the day of the 10th.  We plan to make another go of it on the 11th.  If we cannot summit the 11th we will head off the mountain either that day or the 12th camping where we can until we make the hike back down to the trail head.

Ton's of places and ways others can join us!
If we are blessed enough for others to want to participate in some fashion there are many opportunities beyond performing the entire hike!
Other ideas are:

• Join us on the 8th to hang out on Pike's Peak!
• Join us at the summit as we complete our goal!
• Head to the summit on 8/10 and hike down the Golden Staircase, then hike back up the Golden Staircase with us! (Another post will review the Golden Staircase)
• Take the Cog Rail to meet with us and visit Barr Camp, Do the same for the summit!  (Other posts will cover Cog Rail and Barr Camp)
• Join us at the trail head and hike part way up!
• Join us the night of the 10th or any other time in Colorado to enjoy this wonderful state!

RSVP's would be greatly appreciated so we know where to look for you!  Contact me with questions, concerns, ADVICE, encouragement:
Follow my account on Facebook: Fourteenthousand Onehundredten
Or email me: joseph@whyjoseph.com

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! It motivates me and I hope to inspire others!

14110 Gear is here!

I used vistaprint.com. 2 sided printing on hats with shipping were $20.00 and the T-Shirts $15.00.