My wife and I went on a great hike yesterday, did about seven or eight miles in the hills above the North Fork of the Nooksack. The weather was perfect, and our views of Mt. Baker were phenomenonal. I did scare myself a bit, however. Just as we were reaching our turnaround point to head back to the Jeep, I started to feel a bit weak and had the shakes something fierce. At first I tried to play the tough guy, but I realized that was going to get me, or both of us, into some real trouble. I had us stop for a break and started putting as much water and quick food into myself. Then I went over the procedure for treating someone for dehydration with my wife. That's not a fun conversation to have, by the way. But after a short rest, I was back in the game and we were able to enjoy our hike.
The moral of the story is to stay hydrated. I didn't feel like I was working that hard in the hills, or that I was sweating that much, but I recognized the signs and felt somewhat stupid because I should have known better. It wasn't like I had forgotten to bring water, either. Oh well, lesson learned.
Good advice. I have to remind myself to drink lots of water often. I can't wait to get out for a hike this summer.
ReplyDeleteI lost a friend hiking not too long ago. She took her dog for a hike at an unknown trail and got lost. They found her a week later, and her dog was still with her. I'm glad you at least were prepared and had someone else with you.
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