Seven miles into the hike, just over half way, and we were climbing out of Separation Creek watershed to the Horse Creek Trail 600 feet vertically above us. There were no switchbacks, and I periodically stopped and wondered how the two guys in front of me got so far above me. Or ahead of me, since above and ahead distances were not much different.
We had done a car shuttle to log out the middle portion of the Separation Lake Trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness. We hiked down and in 5.6 miles through an area we had logged out the week before and then crossed the creek itself on a narrow bridge that I didn’t want to cross again, to do the next part. Now we were on the up and not quite out part. Once I got to the top, assuming I was still alive, there was a 5 mile hike back out to where a car had been left. We would get in the car and drive back to the Separation Creek trailhead, 20 miles by road, to get everybody back into the vehicles for the long drive home. We carpool.
Somehow, I made it to the top and back out, all 13.2 miles, and I seemed to be fine, except for some heel pain that I thought was due to the boot’s rubbing on me. It wasn’t.
I had tendonitis, supposedly a middle-aged problem, but overuse at any age can cause it. I knew where the overuse occurred. For the next year I dealt with it by using ice, care in how I walked, and getting by. My problem improved enough so I could still hike, some days bothered by the tendon, other days by my left knee. At my age, these things are not uncommon, although two years prior I had neither. But two years in one’s youth and mid-life are very different from two years when one over 70. They are more like dog or cat years. Trail work isn’t body friendly.
One day this year, hiking familiar Spencer Butte, I had more pain, enough so that I couldn’t walk well after one hike, which was new. I rested 2 days and felt better enough that I went back and scouted Horse Creek for this year’s log out. I did fine for hiking 5 miles up. Coming back, I had pain in my sole for the last 3 miles, which was new and probably plantar fasciitis.
That latter pain improved quickly, and I even worked a few days later running the power brusher with little difficulty. That weekend, even wearing the same boot, I had more trouble and wondered how I would work Horse Creek again, this time with equipment.
I gave up. I was tired of hurting, so I canceled on the log out, and for the next three weeks did only short walks with open back shoes, a lap around the neighborhood, nothing more. With such a regimen, I improved greatly and was able to be out on the trail with a group who wanted an experience being a trail volunteer with us. I did fine.
I still do fine, although my Achilles is sore at the end of a hike. By the following morning, it is better, and a day after that I can hike again. I had to give up the Wednesday hikes because I was working both Tuesday and Thursday on the trails, and I couldn’t do three days in a row.
I had hoped to help out up later this summer in the North Cascades region of Washington State, where fires, winters, and minimal staff have left a huge backlog of trail work needing to be done. They have a few hundred logs per mile, and they need crosscut sawyers up there. I qualify, and I’d do it, but it’s a day’s drive each way, and while I can work, it is difficult putting back to back days together. It would be a great deal of time spent for not much help delivered. On the other hand, with some of the pictures I’ve seen, one might not be hiking far at all, spending the day cleaning up huge tangles of brush and logs. Need to think about it.
On top; 5 miles to go. The trail in front heads further into the Three Sisters Wilderness.
Boreal B[l]og 
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