Hike Smarter, 5 tips to getting there and back.

Wherever and however you like to travel on foot, there are ways to refine and improve the experience. Whether dayhiking, backpacking, or mountaineering, I've developed some systems that work well for me and might just be helpful to you. I hope you can take something from this that improves your efficiency on the trail and enhances your enjoyment of the mountains.

Numerous people have noted that I can be difficult to keep up with on the trail. I don't really attribute these comments to any innate advantages I might have. A long stride, for instance, helps, but that is just a minor plus. Real speed in the backcountry takes training, experience, and the development of systems that eliminate inefficiencies.

I'm fit, but not extraordinarily so. I don't run mountain ultras. I don't through-hike 30 miles a day. There are books that reduce endurance sports to a science. This is not my goal here. All the nutrition, gear, and fitness advice in the world won't help you if you don't know how to walk, so let's start there.

1.) Pace/Cadence: Set a pace that will get you there. When I set out on a hike I set a pace that I can live with, a pace I can sustain for miles, regardless of the steepness of the trail. I settle on a cadence (the rate of time step-to-step) that can be maintained. Set the metronome in your head to a certain cadence of step. As the angle of the trail changes, instead of speeding up or slowing down, change the length of your stride. An analogy would be to think of the gearing on a mountain bike. The gears are set up to change the distance gained per crank depending on the gear you're in. Change the gear and you change the distance traveled per crank, yet you can still pedal at the same speed (cadence). Lose the bike and apply the same principle to your feet, and you'll be able to travel farther with fewer rests. Stay with your cadence and shorten your steps when on an increasing angle of climb. Lengthen your stride as the angle backs off, but stay with your same step-to-step cadence. Over distance, this technique can save time and energy.

We've all hiked with people who charge ahead on easy terrain but can't sustain that speed on the steeps. This method steals energy from the over-all effort because the hiker is hitting the gas on the easy stuff when he should be walking at the same pace that would get him up the next hill. Hikers who control their cadence will inevitably catch up with the sprinter because they maintained a more stable expenditure of energy, need fewer rests, and recover faster.

Regulate your breathing. If you're sucking air you're being inefficient and should drop your cadence down a notch. Much like interval training at the gym, an oscillating heart-rate and respiratory effort, while cardiovascularly good for you, is a huge drain on the amount of energy you have available over the long haul. Remember, the goal is to get to where you're going, have the energy to enjoy the journey, and not be dead on arrival.

A word on foot placement. Be aware of where you put your feet. Well-placed steps save alot of energy over the course of a day. Conversely, poor foot-work stresses the joints and accessory muscles that keep you upright and stable, can lead to slips and sprains, and generally wastes energy. Think like a ninja when it comes to your feet.

2.) Calories: Hiking of any sort requires energy (calories). Start thinking of your body as a car. A car needs two things, fuel and air, to run the engine, the electrical systems, the transmission, etc... A car can't go unless it has a reliable, steady stream of fuel. We're no different. Now think about what we use to fuel our own engine.

Everybody seems to have a different idea about what makes good "trail food". Most people's solutions to what and when to eat while hiking don't work for me. Indulge me while I explain what works for me and why I think that is.

I start the morning of all my hikes lean, maybe 400 calories. I go for black coffee (caffeine has been shown to improve athletic performance by as much as 35%), fruit, and/or a bar of some sort (Clif Bar, Power Bar, Pure Protein). The trick is that I take in calories that are easily and quickly converted to energy. I avoid fats, salt, and cheap sugars. If the goal is to start the morning feeling lean and mean then skip the McDonald's.

A hiker on a moderately steep trail will burn at least 500 calories per hour. I replace about 100-200 of those calories hourly. Mostly I use GU maltodextrine gels and my own blend of Gatoraid/Creatine/Whey Isolate. These foods are liquid based, absorbed quickly, and provide a sustained release of energy. I don't think about trail food in terms of "meals", I identify food as "calories to get me there". Sure, I eat what I want when I've arrived at my destination for the day, but I think very differently about the calories that will most efficiently get me to that point. To my way of thinking, if you want to be light and fast, then eat light and fast. Stay on top of your intake of calories and don't wait until you're about to bonk before replacing them. Caloric replacement should be more like a small but steady stream, less like a bucket-full every four hours.

3.) Drink Water: Water is the stuff of life and we don't perform well at all without it. The human body can absorb only about a liter per hour. That's just about what you're likely to lose in an hour of hard hiking. The body loses actual muscle strength and endurance as the body loses water. Joints and muscles become weaker, sloppier, when deprived of water. Fatigue is more pronounced and debilitating without water. Start out the day hydrated and stay that way. Monitor yourself during the day, nag yourself to drink water, and have an all around better day on the trail. Simple.

4.) Pick the right gear for success: Yvonne Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) once said that most of what we bring with us into the outdoors is "superfluous". I don't buy into that idea much. I use the gear that will either improve the quality of my experience or provide a margin of error for unforeseen difficulties. For example, I always carry a first-aid/repair kit, a mylar emergency blanket, extra calories, a multi-tool, compass, and clothing that will get me through the worst weather I could expect to encounter should I become disabled. I'm an Eagle Scout and the "preparedness factor" has paid me big dividends. I suggest that you consider everything that goes on you and into your pack in terms of: Will I use this item today, or will I need it in a emergency? If you're unlikely to use it, or need it, don't bring it.

5.) Mission: What is your goal, how can you accomplish it, and how can you best enjoy the process? Tailor your thinking about a day in the outdoors to these three questions and you'll have a better experience. Utilizing the first four of the points I made will make the day faster, more efficient, and more fun. Selecting a firm goal for the day makes it happen.

Knowing what to bring, how to get there, and how much time and energy it will take comes with experience, but these are all part of a process (or system) that gets you to where you want to go, shows you what you want to see. These points I've mentioned are all factors in forming the bigger picture, which is to see/do/experience the outdoors. The outdoors is not the Stair Master or a treadmill, it is an environment full of ever changing influences, populated with life and scenery, rejuvenating for mind and body. In order to see the things other people miss, one must have their eyes and mind open. This state is nearly impossible to achieve if one is uncomfortable, poorly equipped, or flogging themselves up some steep hill. Greater efficiency in the basic steps of a day outdoors improves the ability to enjoy the experience more. Think smarter, hike smarter, enjoy the experience more.

As always, I welcome your comments. I would enjoy reading your own stories of what

works for you in the mountains.

The Suffer Machine, Topatopa Bluff, Ojai

*** Author's Note: 4/16/2012. Howdy. It's been a few years since I wrote this post and it's always been one of my most visited entries. I still love this hike and, even though I often link it with other near-by peaks, I still consider the Sisar to Topa hike the original "Suffer Machine". It's still long, steep, and salty. So, please understand that my perspective may have matured, but the bitch didn't get any easier! It is always going to be one of the best walks in our Southern Los Padres.

Crouching above the upper Ojai Valley is a massive escarpment of rock called Topa Topa Peak, or depending on who you talk to, Topa Topa Bluff. This mountain has loomed in the background for much of my life, from my childhood in Santa Paula to the present day. The peak is unmistakable, with red and brown bands of sedimentary sandstone crossing it's face, and enormous bluffs rising vertically from it's steep foothills. Views of the peak are common in the west Ventura county and it is easily seen from the Ventura Harbor and much of Oxnard. The peak recieves annual snowfall due to an elevation of 5,800 ft, which is pretty tall for our coastal mountains, the highest peaks being Hines, Alamo, and Pinos. Unlike those others, Topa Topa can be day-hiked, though it is more a test of will than it is fun.

To day-hike Topa Topa requires a degree of masochism. I call that trail The Suffer Machine. The name is derived from all the elements that combine to make the day agonizing. The trail runs 17.5 miles round trip, and it is almost entirely exposed to direct sun. The trail is mostly uninteresting, and it is unholy steep. Every step on the way up is elevation gain, and it just never ends. In fact, the angle of climb gets steeper the closer you get to the summit. To put it plainly, it sucks.

Why go, you might ask. Two reasons: one, it's a great way to test my overall fitness; two, the view from the top is outstanding. My best time truck>summit>truck stood, until today at 6 hours and 17 minutes with a half hour lunch on the summit,. Today I did it in 06:08 with the same 0.5 hour break on the summit.

The trail starts at the top of Sisar Rd. off the 150 in Ojai. The lower portion of the trail is fire road and sees frequent foot, cycle, and equestrian traffic. The fire road crosses Cesar Creek twice as it climbs out of the valley, and continues steeply upward onto the side of a seemingly endless ridge. As the fire road hangs an abrupt left, continue straight onto a much more pleasant single-track trail that winds its way up to White Ledge Camp and from there steeply up until the main ridge, which becomes fire road again, is gained. The single track trail is known as the Red Reef Trail. Before long the trail leaves the fire road for the last time and starts a seriously steep summit climb. It is the kind of summit trail that takes everything you have left and then, without ceremony, you find yourself on the summit. Nearly dead.

The summit is really nice. There is a kind of bench made from slabs of native sandstone and the summit register is somewhere under the bench. I've signed that thing 9 times now (as of 04/2012: I lost count after about the 30th time), and thumbing through it, I noticed that I've been up there about three times a year since 2003. Today was probably the 15th time I've been to the summit.

An additional note regarding today"s bluebird weather. Usually I would expect to see Ana Capa, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel islands. Today was clear enough to also see San Clemente, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, and Catalina islands. A fantastic weather day.

The descent isn't neccessarily nice. For those of us that have a bad knee it can be just as irritating as going up, and the constant miles of downhill groundpounding put the hurt on your feet. I just got home from another round with The Suffer Machine and I ache. I'll probably be living in the jacuzzi, munching Vitamin A (Advil) for the next few days. Now that I've talked it all up, give Topa Topa a go and tell me if I'm wrong.

Matilija Creek, Ojai, 01/04/09

Good Day! Bad, #!*@!ing expensive day!@#*!!!

Dave Rivas and I busted out a 13 mile day hike up to the three waterfalls on Matillija Creek. It's a great hike which covers a variety of terrain and I always feel worked when I get back to the truck. I hit this trail at least five times a year, usually in the summer months due to the abundance of primo swimming holes. Today was made for speed with cool and clear conditions. Averaging 3.5 mph in a creekbed translates into an excellent workout.

Here's the expensive, jacked-up part. I fell off a boulder, eight feet down into a deep pool, got totally submerged. The tradjedy is that I had Ruth's digital camera in one pocket and my i-pod in another. The camera be dead. It is now an ex-camera. I'm holding out hope for the i-pod. The camera was older and wasn't working right all the time but I wasn't ready to replace it yet, though I already know which camera to buy: the Olympus Stylus. Compact, powerful, shock-resistant, and, best of all waterproof! Okay, I'm over it. Oh shit! I forgot to mention that my sunglasses are somewhere on the bottom of that icy pool! Now I'm over it...sort of. I keep telling myself it is all part of a grander purpose that I wasn't meant to comprehend. Maybe it's like paying your medical deductible for the year, only it's for replaceable material goods. Maybe it's a pricey reminder to pay attention when I'm STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A ROCK OVER A DEEP POOL OF ICE WATER!

Now I'm over it. I've been meaning to expound on the numerous qualities of this trail but I don't have the time right now. I'll blog it later. Tonight I've got to sleep. Ruth and I are leaving at 5AM for a day of snowboarding in Big Bear. We've got to be in good shape by the end of the month when we go to the real stuff in Colorado.