399. “Crawl” up and down Mt Humphrey with a Fever

I must be “cursed” by Mt Humphrey, the highest peak in AZ. Last time I was sick with high altitude (12,633 ft) and “sleepwalked” up the mountain (Post #212). This time was even worse.

I had a stomach ache the day before and still felt my stomach churning in the morning. Since both Libby and Phil were going, I didn’t want to change our plan because of me. As soon as we started hiking, I knew something was wrong. I had low energy. Libby wasn’t in any better shape. With her Vertigo (due to a head injury when she was on duty), she felt dizzy all along the way. Still, neither of us said a word to turn back. We kept going, slowly.

It was very slow. It took us 6 hours to hike 5 miles with 3400ft elevation gain.

I thought coming down would be faster. Well, by then I had no energy left. My whole body ached, and I was chilled. Clearly I had a fever. All I wanted to do was to lie down and fall asleep. Libby wasn’t doing any better. She slipped and fell half a dozen times, fracturing her tailbone.

It took us another 5 hours to hike back. I fell asleep as soon as I was in the car.

The only funny part was, even both Libby and I were in terrible shapes, we perked up whenever we saw mushrooms. We picked 12 pounds, and poor Phil had to carry them.  

The next day I had a fever up to 101.7F, and even after four days’ rest, I still had a fever that comes and goes.

398. Exploring the San Juan Mountains with David (4): Ice Lake

This hike (7 miles round trip, 2,430ft elevation gain) visits two beautiful lake basins, traverses through meadows full of wildflowers, and passes numerous waterfalls along the way.

It was sunny and warm when we started. Half-an-hour later clouds moved in, and it started raining. As we were still hiking up, the rain turned to sleet. Soon the ground was covered by ice pellets.

Both of us were prepared. But even with a wool hat, gloves, jacket, and raincoat, I was freezing cold by the time we reached Ice Lake. Dark clouds hovered above us. Loud thunders boomed around us. We didn’t have any luxury to enjoy the gorgeous lake before heading back. I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture of the lake for fear of ruining my camera.

Half way down the mountain the rain and the sleet stopped. A ray of sunlight peeked through the clouds and lit up the dramatic peaks around the area. What a nice way to conclude the San Juan Mountains adventure!

Thank you, David!

 

397. Exploring the San Juan Mountains with David (3): Paradise Basin and Beyond

Today’s hike turned out to be easier than that of the first day. I still huffed and puffed, and we made it to 12,800ft, but the slope seemed less steep and I didn’t stop “every 30 seconds” as David joked. The view from the top was equally breathtaking, and the experience was no less memorable.

(my car)

396. Exploring the San Juan Mountains with David (2): the Opus Hut

Perched at 11,600ft, the OPUS Hut is an eco-friendly, European style lodge. In the summer, one can drive to within ¼ mile of the hut, but in the winter, the road is closed, and one has to take a 3.5-mile hike to reach it. Breakfast, afternoon soup, and dinner are provided to the guests.

It has solar powered lighting and running water collected from the rain. There are indoor composting toilets, but no shower. A sauna room with a bucket of hot water is a refreshing way to clean up after a sweaty hike.

We indeed took a sweaty hike (5.5 hours). As an experienced rock climber and ice climber, David is like a mountain goat. Although I’m a pretty good hiker, I huffed and puffed and felt my lungs were going to explode at the high altitude (11,000ft-13,000ft). The view from the top was breathtaking. I was so glad he encouraged me to keep going until it was time to get down. 🙂 

The slope was so steep that I simply couldn’t handle it. We had to find a longer, but less scary way for me. And even so, I had to hold his hand in a death grip when we inched across a crumbling ledge hundreds of feet above ground and when we stumbled downhill, racing against the threat of rain. Thunders boomed all around us by then, and drops of rain indeed fell on us. Luckily the heavy downpour held off until we returned to the Hut. If we were five minutes late, we would be drenched. The afternoon soup tasted heavenly.

Sitting amongst the craggy summits, the Hut is a remarkable place to visit. And the adventure I experienced with David will be one of the fondest memories in my life.

395. Exploring the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, with David (1): Ouray

Originally established by miners chasing silver and gold in the surrounding mountains, Ouray is a hiker’s paradise. Miles of trails take one to mountain ridges, lush forests, deep gorges, waterfalls, and old mining sites. Although we had only a few hours, thanks to David’s knowledge of the area, we hiked to some of those beautiful places.

PS. Hot spring is another big attraction to this quaint tourist town. 🙂

394. El Morror National Monument, NM

Located in western New Mexico, El Morro National Monument features a great sandstone promontory with a pool of water at its base. For centuries, travelers have left their mark upon the rock face. The top of the mesa is my favorite.

 

 

 

393. El Malpais National Monument, NM

El Malpais National Monument is located in western New Mexico. Its name means Badlands in Spanish. Barren, volcanic field covers much of the park. La Ventana is one the largest natural arches in New Mexico.