Rocky Mountain hiking vacation!!

SRP

Cathlete
Ahh, I'm back! What a wonderful vacation! I wish I could stay forever, but who has that kind of money???

Ladies, I did things that I honestly didn't think were possible for me. I did four days in a row of all-day hiking (9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m.). Two days were on regular trails - fairly steep climbing, but anyone in decent shape could do it. Two other days, we went on "advanced" hikes, off trail, and into a couple of situations that scared me pretty bad. At one point, I literally panicked and didn't think I could go any farther. I started crying, and another hiker had to talk me out of it. I made it to the top of that peak, and back down! It happened again on another hike, though not so bad.

We hiked through snow and wind, over rock slides, along the sides of mountains where it looked like you could have fallen forever... and for the utmost triumph and fun, we actually slid on our butts for 1,000 feet down a mountain pass. The snow was deep enough, and it was a blast!!

The downer was that on that hike, I pulled a muscle so badly in my shin that I couldn't do anything for the last two days. I'm still hobbling around on it. Drat it all, I couldn't even do step aerobics with Charlene Prickett, who hosted the event.

This thing had better hurry up and heal. My Terminator is supposed to be here tomorrow!!! I guess until it does, I'll just do the weight training, though I'm not sure how the lower body will work. Even some of those stances, I can't do.

Anyhow - the event was in Banff National Park, at the Chateau Lake Louise. Some of the participants do this thing every year. Where on earth do they get the money??????
 
i am sorry you got hurt but it sounds like you had a blast hiking. heal up soon!
kassia
When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
Shannon, that sounds so exciting!! Sorry about your injury though. Do you think you'll go again next year?
Susan C.M.
 
that is a fantasy vacation for me! What fun and a lovely area. I live in the NW and I hike about 20-30 miles per month in the summer and I mountain climb in the winter. The sliding on your butt is called glissading and it is the most fun you can have on snow.

Sorry about your shin - you may want to try the Cathe exercise where you press the ball against you laces (while sitting on a chair) and flex your feet. This helps me a lot with sore shins after climbs.

Also, you are using a lot of different muscles for long days. Hydrate and recovery with a sports drink like Cytomax will help you shins and the rest of your body.

Congrats on a great trip!
melissa
 
Susan -
I'd love to go again next year, and next, and next... It all depends on my bank account, I imagine!
 
Melissa -
I haven't ever seen that Cathe exercise with the ball. What tape is it on?

Glissading - cool. The guides told me it was a legitimate technique, but I had forgotten the name.
 
Might be push/pull or supersets. I will try to look for you. But you sit in a chair with your feet out and kind of pointed, place the ball on your laces and flex into it.

What guide service did you use?

Did they have you use anything to control your speed while glissading. Just an FYI, it is very dangerous to glissade without an ice axe or proper technique when the angle is very high. If it was pretty low angle snow I wouldn't do it without guides.

How high did you climb? Fun, fun, fun, fun!
 
Sounds like an absolute blast, and what a spectacular location! I'm glad you had fun, but sorry you hurt yourself.

That exercise with the ball is also in GS Legs, in the floorwork section, except you sit on the floor, not on a chair.
 
That sounds like fun!! At least you had a few days of excitement before a muscle pooped out on you. Just take care, and it'll be better before you know it.

Congrats!!

Sara
 
Yes, Cathe works your Tibialis Anterior w/ball in Push Pull.
You can also stand on a weight plate and lift and lower your toes. When you get more comfortable doing that, you can do them one foot at a time and hold a dumbell.
Susan C.M.
 

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