The Go Go Go Gal

The Serengeti, er, Hat Creek Rim

We finished hiking the Hat Creek Rim section of the PCT. For the way people traditionally hike the PCT, landing them in the southern deserts in either the spring or fall, this is typically the hottest stretch of trail for folks. That was the case in 1977, when it was 114 degrees in nearby Redding as we put in a 30 mile day through here. It’s likely to be the case this year, as the temperature hit a hundred in the even closer town of Burney.

This stretch reminds me of how hiking styles differ between people and how styles can change over time. In the seventies I got late starts and hiked fast, thanks to my best friend at the time (and eventually my best man). I suppose Savitt might point a similar finger at me, but he was 6’3″ with long strides and in the early going of us hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1975 I pushed myself to keep up.

Ah, but those were carefree days, when I either had no leadership role (1975), or I was mainly a figurehead leader (1977). True, Savitt and I did have a saying between us “twenty by noon” for the handful of times we would get a 6:00 – 6:30 start to get twenty miles in for the morning. More often were the times we started between 10:00 – 11:00 to get thirty miles in before dark.

Then for another AT hike in 1980 I met a woman with the perfect stride and had a new best friend for the rest of my hiking endeavors. Cindy was labeled part of the “Go Go Go” group when we hiked the Continental Divide Trail in 1985. She like to get the day started and finished early. When paired with one of the “Three Hour Coffee Break” members of the group as a tent mate there was friction.

I adapted to my new best friend’s style. Over time I actually preferred early starts. This transferred over to when I started writing and became most definitely a morning person. Indeed, I became the one to get the “Go Go Go” gal started.

That remains true to this day, though we no longer get early starts. Cindy now is adverse to the cold. This started with our 2011 hike across the country, but that was more of an apprehension. These days when I get her out of her sleeping bag she often shivers, which in turn delays when I’m likely to get her up. For the Hat Creek Rim section we got started between 7:30 – 8:00, which even for Savitt might be considered late for the type of day we would look at each other and agree to “twenty by noon.”

During this hot stretch both Charissa and I had trouble slowing our pace down to match Cindy’s. This calls to mind a rule of thumb I discovered long, long ago from hiking with many different people in a group committed to the same goal. Contrary to what you might think it is far more difficult to slow your natural pace down for someone else than to speed it up. I say this as one who has slowed my pace many times to help a hiker having difficulty, either by carrying some of their weight or just providing company.

Within limits, speeding your pace up can be exhilarating and a kind of conditioning exercise. Slowing your pace down can be tedious. If burdened with a heavy pack, injury or illness slowing your pace down can be agonizing.

Knowing this I sympathize with Charissa when she faults herself for getting impatient with Cindy and tries to get her going at a faster pace through the heat. Alas, Cindy’s pace is not what it was when she was the “Go Go Go” gal even under the best of conditions. As for my part I wait periodically in the shade for Cindy to catch up and give her a kiss. That does not make her hike faster in the heat (though I tell her it does), but it does seem to keep her going.