Guadalupe shakedown

(Days until hiking commences: 12)

This post is about five days overdue.  Last week I went on a shakedown (a "practice" hike with all my gear) in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Unfortunately, the five-day trip was cut short by four days due to a recurring knee injury that has been plaguing my training efforts for the past two months.  I'll provide a few more details about that situation in a moment, but for now let's start with some info about my trip to the park.

Guadalupe Mountains from the south.

The Guadalupe Mountains rise over three thousand feet above the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas.  As the tallest mountain range in the Lone Star State, the Guadalupes are home to seven of its tallest ten peaks, including the top four.  When people in the more vertically-gifted state of Colorado express doubt that Texas has mountains of any significance, this is where I direct them.  The Guadalupes were formed quite unlike most other ranges in the United States - they actually got their start underwater.  250 million years ago, the Guadalupes were a vast and teeming coral reef in the shallows of the Permian Sea.  Today, they are one of the best preserved fossilized coral reefs on the planet, and geologists travel from all over the world to study and marvel at their unique limestone features.  On a clear day, El Capitan (the iconic peak of West Texas) can be seen from well over fifty miles away.

El Capitan, Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

I chose Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GMNP) as the location for my shakedown for two primary reasons: 1) by Texas standards, the Guadalupes are tall; 2) they are less than three hours from Midland, making them the closest mountains to my current location.  However, backpacking in the West Texas desert can be a tricky business due to the region's pronounced lack of water sources.  While there is one small spring-fed creek in GMNP, visitors are not allowed to draw from it since it is the only reliable water source for the area's wildlife.  Because of this, my plan was to camp each night at one of two designated campgrounds located at opposite ends of the park, both of which provide water, and to embark on a series of day-hikes while carrying my full pack.  In other words, I would be approximating my daily routine for the A.T. - using all my gear as I would on the trail - while camping in the same few spots each night.

Guadalupe Peak, about halfway to the summit.

My goal for day one was the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,479 feet.  The Peak Trail is not a particularly long hike - only 8.4 miles roundtrip - but it includes over 3,000 feet of elevation gain, making it more strenuous (and several thousand feet higher) than the majority of the peaks I will climb on the A.T.  With the lone exception of the aforementioned knee injury, the trip was a complete success; all my gear performed admirably and as expected, my pack weight (approximately 32 pounds fully-loaded) did not feel like a significant burden, and my physical conditioning was better than I had anticipated.  Hiking at a comfortably brisk pace, I made the summit in less than two hours, feeling considerably fresher than I did when summiting the peak a year ago while carrying only water and some light food.

Chihuahuan Desert, West Texas.  Taken near base of El Capitan.

Guadalupe Peak Trail.

Now, hold that thought while I (figuratively) change directions a bit to tell you how my poorly-timed knee problem developed.  About a week before Christmas, I came home from Colorado for the holidays and immediately began my physical training regimen for the A.T.  While running the streets of my neighborhood in the early December morning (remember, this is Texas, not Colorado), I noticed to my great surprise that I felt strangely fresh.  I hadn't run in years - I mean YEARS - but apparently I was not in quite the pathetic physical shape I thought I was.  Part of this has surely been due to living at higher elevation for the past year-and-a-half, but I think it is mostly a testament to the unsurpassed cardio-building abilities of West African dance (shout-out to the CU West African Highlife Ensemble!!).

Guadalupe Peak Trail.

I managed to get in two morning runs before heading to Abilene with my family for Christmas.  Four days after my second run, I began to experience some mild pain in my right knee, and within twenty-four hours the pain had progressed from a minor annoyance to a serious hindrance.  I went to the doctor for x-rays and learned I have chondromalacia patella - in layman's terms, that is inflamed cartilage under the kneecap.  Apparently my kneecaps are positioned at a sharper angle than is normal, and the high-impact action of running caused one of them to dig repeatedly into the cartilage underneath.  Since I had never before experienced even an ounce of knee pain, this came as an unwelcome surprise, and for someone about to embark on a 2,000-mile hike, it was grave news, indeed.  I was given anti-inflammatories and a knee brace and was told to stay off the knee for one week.  After the week had passed, I gradually progressed back into a regular workout regimen, this time avoiding running completely.  Fortunately, it seemed to be working, and I experienced little to no knee pain for the next several weeks.  Now, at this point in the story, let us rejoin our glorious hero as he stands victoriously - and pain-free - atop the highest peak in the great Lone Star State...

On Guadalupe Peak Trail near summit of El Capitan.

I felt great upon reaching the summit of Guadalupe Peak.  Eager to pay the ranger's station a visit before they closed for the day, I had a quick snack break, snapped a few photos, and started on the trail back down the mountain.  Within the first fifty yards, however, all my previous knee pain returned in an instant.  I stopped to put on the knee brace before continuing further, but it offered little help, and I ended up limping the 4.2 miles down.  While I had made the summit in just a few hours, it took me almost four hours to make my way back down to camp.  One thing was certain: I would have to cut my shakedown several days short.

Summit of El Capitan overlooking Chihuahuan Desert.

I had originally planned on spending five nights at GMNP and ended up staying for only one.  As soon as I descended from the peak and reached the parking lot, I threw my pack in the car and immediately left for home, intent on seeing the doctor again as soon as possible.  Fortunately, I was able to schedule an appointment at short notice for just two days later.  The doctor gave me another anti-inflammatory to use in conjunction with the first and a prescription pain medication to use in case of further issues.  In addition, she gave me a cortisone shot under my kneecap, making me the only person I know under the age of fifty to get one of these (I know you must be jealous).  Unfortunately, it is beginning to appear that knee pain is going to be an inevitability for much of the next six months; I just hope I am able to keep it under control enough to allow me to keep walking.

In a last ditch effort to find a miracle cure for my ailment, I paid a visit to the podiatrist yesterday.  I used to wear prescription orthotics in my shoes when I played soccer to help correct my over-pronating ankles, and the doctor suggested that orthotics might also help correct the positioning of my kneecaps, which in turn would alleviate my knee pain, at least in theory.  The orthotics are being rush delivered and should be ready in about a week-and-a-half.  This means that I will probably have to start the trail without them, but a few days late is better than none at all.  Here's to hoping they work.

On summit of Guadalupe Peak.