Training Hike #3: El Capitain

Michelle and Rich at mile 3 of El Capitain

A few weekends ago Michelle, Rich and I headed to Lakeside, CA for another training hike. On the agenda was an 11-mile strenuous hike. El Capitain is know to be the hardest hike in the local San Diego area and I must admit, none of us took this claim too seriously beforehand. In fact, we took this claim so lightheartedly, Rich and I met up with friends for dinner in San Clemente the night before. While I called it a night early and went back to our friends house to get a good night's sleep, Rich went out with the boys and arrived home around 3 a.m....to then get up at 6 a.m. to head off to our hike. So, needless to say, neither of us was well-prepared.

Regardless, the three of us headed off around 8 a.m. and saw the temperature climb over the first two miles from 90 degrees to 105 degrees. By the time we reached the 3-mile marker, it was a sweltering 110 degrees and we still had 8 miles to go. While this hike ended up being miserable for Rich and I due to our lack of preparation and planning, I will say this-- we learned our lesson. We did not bring nearly enough water or the right gear and both started out dehydrated. Thankfully, Michelle is a major planner and saved our butts. She was perfectly prepared and we learned a lot from the "backup" supplies she carried. While I am a bit embarassed it took us almost getting heat stroke to realize we needed to take our training a bit more seriously, ultimately, I'm glad we had this wake up call now and not in two weeks when we try and head up Mount Whitney.

So, after all that, a big thank you needs to go out to Michelle for always being prepared. She's a rockstar in every regard and while the hike was miserable, the company was great! Thanks Michelle.

Michelle and I shouting to the rooftops at the summit of El Capitain!

About halfway down and we're still alive...it was a hot one!