Hanging in Yosemite (Ostrander Lake)

[lori]

Went with people from my hiking group on a three day backpack to Ostrander Lake. Twas a leisurely stroll with a lazy day in between.

I hadn't hiked with these folks before, but as usual with this group most were friendly and cool people. One may become a regular backpacking partner. Except for this one old guy who, at the trailhead before the hike, I noticed had a huuuuuuuuuuge Jansport that looked like it might pull him over backward. Also, a support around one knee. All righty then. I asked him about pack weight and whether he needed all that stuff. He removed a bath towel, a camp chair, flip flops, and some random bags of unidentified items from the pack. Said he had a down bag and a lightweight tent.

Uh huh. Turns out he had a three person tent and a synthetic bag the size of a continent. Pack weighed easily 50 lbs. After a long day of waiting several times for this guy to catch up with the group he discloses the doctor told him not to carry more than 25 lbs but he didn't remember what was in the pack and didn't want to hold up the group while he unpacked and repacked.... Later we find he has collapsed discs and diabetes. Yikes.

Yes, we will screen participants better next time.

We had a great time once we were there. Ostrander Lake is scenic and there was some good fishing. I hung my hammock and was told by one of the group that it was like laying in a waterbed, which I thought was a compliment until she said it made her seasick. I used my Thinlite pad and discovered that synthetic clothing sticks to evazote, and rolling around requires more of a lift and turn than a roll. The pad stayed put in the hammock however, and was easy enough to manage. It was in the 40F range overnight and my JRB quilt was a bit too warm; I think next trip I'll take a sleeping bag liner or maybe a fleece blanket.

I wandered around with one of the group and took pictures from the ridge overlooking the lake, took a nap, and chatted with Mr. Gimp. He revealed further that he has been carried out of the wilderness by SAR before. Nice.

The hike out, we added four miles to the hike because we had to go to the cars, unpack the packs, and go back to get the contents of Gimp's pack, as his legs were wobbling and probably giving out. Three flashlights, three survival kits, a five pound book, a fifteen pound bear can (for two days?), and a ten pound sleeping bag, among other things. We got him out. We're not taking him back without his first renting a llama for his crap. On second thought, we're just not taking him back. He should stick to short day hikes.



That dome in the middle is the back side of Half Dome.



Sunset over granite and conifers.



Grumpy whistlepig eyeballing us as we cook dinner. Marmots were everywhere and seemed quite interested in what we were doing, walking around so close to their rocks.



Cathedral cat tarp with the corners tied up, Hennessy ULB with homemade blue snakeskin showing. Just over that rock pile is the lake. Quietest night ever. I flipped the tarp over on itself and got great starwatching time in - beautiful cloudless night.

I'm planning another hike up there in September, with hiking group members I know are able to carry a backpack.

[Ramblinrev]

Not all of us gimps are so poorly prepared. But I can tell you that diabetes does tend to increase pack weight because of food issues. It's not as simple to throw the food together when you have to plan for emergencies as well.

[lori]

Not all of us gimps are so poorly prepared. But I can tell you that diabetes does tend to increase pack weight because of food issues. It's not as simple to throw the food together when you have to plan for emergencies as well.

I didn't mention that he refused to eat dinner or breakfast before the hike out, did I?

I get that he wants to be active and do the things that he loves. He's got a lot of drive to be out there. I think that his reasoning was impaired before he ever got on the trail, tho, and he was a liability to himself more than anyone else. We were just lucky that one of us was an ER tech doing assessments. His color was off and he kept insisting that all he wanted was tea. We kept pushing him to eat something, eat something, and he had no insulin or other equipment related to his condition. All his pack weight was apparently random items he didn't use. I had to give him some soup the night before the return to the trailhead because he would not eat his Mountain House dinner he'd brought. I had to provide pain pills (Aleve) because for some reason his extensive kit didn't have any in it and his back was spasming. The bear can was too heavy for the trip out - he should have eaten more than he did. But no, he was trying to give his food away to random hikers who showed up on our layover day, to lighten his pack weight.

Needless to say I do believe I will be asking lots of questions of the group heading to Dinkey Lakes next month.

[Ramblinrev]

lori

I am not defending this guy, nor calling you to defend your own assessment. I agree with you. Just sticking up for us gimps who _do_ know what we are doing. I was not offended by your original post and I trust you did not take offense at mine.

[lori]

I understand that - there are other people with varying levels of disability in the hiking group as well, including various chronic conditions and past leg injuries. No real offense taken. I have no problems with people who care for themselves who want to take risks, when they're not expecting others to bail them out and take reasonable steps to make sure they won't have to be helicoptered somewhere. I guess I'm still a little upset with this guy for risking himself that way and then relying on people he just met to step in to make up for his lack of planning.

[neo]

Went with people from my hiking group on a three day backpack to Ostrander Lake. Twas a leisurely stroll with a lazy day in between.

I hadn't hiked with these folks before, but as usual with this group most were friendly and cool people. One may become a regular backpacking partner. Except for this one old guy who, at the trailhead before the hike, I noticed had a huuuuuuuuuuge Jansport that looked like it might pull him over backward. Also, a support around one knee. All righty then. I asked him about pack weight and whether he needed all that stuff. He removed a bath towel, a camp chair, flip flops, and some random bags of unidentified items from the pack. Said he had a down bag and a lightweight tent.

Uh huh. Turns out he had a three person tent and a synthetic bag the size of a continent. Pack weighed easily 50 lbs. After a long day of waiting several times for this guy to catch up with the group he discloses the doctor told him not to carry more than 25 lbs but he didn't remember what was in the pack and didn't want to hold up the group while he unpacked and repacked.... Later we find he has collapsed discs and diabetes. Yikes.

Yes, we will screen participants better next time.

We had a great time once we were there. Ostrander Lake is scenic and there was some good fishing. I hung my hammock and was told by one of the group that it was like laying in a waterbed, which I thought was a compliment until she said it made her seasick. I used my Thinlite pad and discovered that synthetic clothing sticks to evazote, and rolling around requires more of a lift and turn than a roll. The pad stayed put in the hammock however, and was easy enough to manage. It was in the 40F range overnight and my JRB quilt was a bit too warm; I think next trip I'll take a sleeping bag liner or maybe a fleece blanket.

I wandered around with one of the group and took pictures from the ridge overlooking the lake, took a nap, and chatted with Mr. Gimp. He revealed further that he has been carried out of the wilderness by SAR before. Nice.

The hike out, we added four miles to the hike because we had to go to the cars, unpack the packs, and go back to get the contents of Gimp's pack, as his legs were wobbling and probably giving out. Three flashlights, three survival kits, a five pound book, a fifteen pound bear can (for two days?), and a ten pound sleeping bag, among other things. We got him out. We're not taking him back without his first renting a llama for his crap. On second thought, we're just not taking him back. He should stick to short day hikes.



That dome in the middle is the back side of Half Dome.



Sunset over granite and conifers.



Grumpy whistlepig eyeballing us as we cook dinner. Marmots were everywhere and seemed quite interested in what we were doing, walking around so close to their rocks.



Cathedral cat tarp with the corners tied up, Hennessy ULB with homemade blue snakeskin showing. Just over that rock pile is the lake. Quietest night ever. I flipped the tarp over on itself and got great starwatching time in - beautiful cloudless night.

I'm planning another hike up there in September, with hiking group members I know are able to carry a backpack.

wow awesome picturesneo

[Hooch]

I hadn't hiked with these folks before, but as usual with this group most were friendly and cool people. One may become a regular backpacking partner. Except for this one old guy who, at the trailhead before the hike, I noticed had a huuuuuuuuuuge Jansport that looked like it might pull him over backward. Also, a support around one knee. All righty then. I asked him about pack weight and whether he needed all that stuff. He removed a bath towel, a camp chair, flip flops, and some random bags of unidentified items from the pack. Said he had a down bag and a lightweight tent.

Uh huh. Turns out he had a three person tent and a synthetic bag the size of a continent. Pack weighed easily 50 lbs. After a long day of waiting several times for this guy to catch up with the group he discloses the doctor told him not to carry more than 25 lbs but he didn't remember what was in the pack and didn't want to hold up the group while he unpacked and repacked.... Later we find he has collapsed discs and diabetes. Yikes.


I get that he wants to be active and do the things that he loves. He's got a lot of drive to be out there. I think that his reasoning was impaired before he ever got on the trail, tho, and he was a liability to himself more than anyone else. We were just lucky that one of us was an ER tech doing assessments. His color was off and he kept insisting that all he wanted was tea. We kept pushing him to eat something, eat something, and he had no insulin or other equipment related to his condition. All his pack weight was apparently random items he didn't use. I had to give him some soup the night before the return to the trailhead because he would not eat his Mountain House dinner he'd brought. I had to provide pain pills (Aleve) because for some reason his extensive kit didn't have any in it and his back was spasming. The bear can was too heavy for the trip out - he should have eaten more than he did. But no, he was trying to give his food away to random hikers who showed up on our layover day, to lighten his pack weight.

Needless to say I do believe I will be asking lots of questions of the group heading to Dinkey Lakes next month.

Sounds like this guy should, first, takes his diabetes seriously, which he obviously doesn't. Second, remember: Prior Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance.

[lori]

Sounds like this guy should, first, takes his diabetes seriously, which he obviously doesn't. Second, remember: Prior Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance.

Abso-friggin-lutely.

On the positive side, I found out that I can do two miles in half an hour with a 25 lb pack on my back without soreness or other ill effect. Just something about the thought of our group showing up in the newspaper as the ones who let some doddering dude fall down a hill and needing SART to come look for him - was enough to propel me along to the car and back.

[Ramblinrev]

Lori... as a self-proclaimed "gimp" with diabetes and peripheral neauropathy I guess what prompted my less that gracious response was you calling the guy "gimpy" There is a big difference between "gimpy" and irresponsible/unteachable. You're account sounds like the latter. All I can say is "been there/done that". On both sides. I have disrupted other peoples hikes and I have been the one has has their own hike disrupted. It ain't fun either way. But please... for the sake of the self-proclaimed "gimps" everywhere, call unteachable people what they are. Thanks and I promise that if we ever hit the trail together... you might have to wait for me... but not because I am unprepared or unteachable. Just cause I'm gimpy.

[lori]

Okay, that's fair. I guess I wasn't thinking of gimp as pejorative so much as descriptive; I've been known to describe myself that way before as well.

I doubt I'd have to wait long. I like to stop and smell the flowers and usually end up at the back of the group.