Weather.com said it was 82 here today. That feels very hot when you are hiking in mostly sun and it’s humid. Whew, I cannot imagine doing a Camino in summer. This one about did me in today. Yesterday and today all the hiking was a bit inland and much more hilly.
Just about when I was thinking “we don’t have enough water” and “man, I wonder what happens when you get heat stroke” we came across a Camino angel rest area. Cold drinks in tubs, hot coffee (no way!), fruit, etc. And a place to drop some coins for what you take. Charlie and I had two bottles of cold water. Heavenly. And we had a nice rest in the shade.
We have one more hot day tomorrow (not quite as hot as today) and then many days of rain in the forecast. I’ll probably be the only one not complaining about that.
If it makes you feel any better the temperature today in Albuquerque is also around 80, but, of course, it isn’t humid.
Also, when I hike in the Sandias I drink on average one water bottle (the kind bicyclists use) every hour. And I don’t hike in the heat if I can avoid it.
I’m not looking forward to summer! Charlie and I like to hike 2 or 3 times a week in the Sandia foothills. During the summer, we try to get out there by 5:00 or 5:30 am to avoid the heat. But, of course, then I’m worrying about mountain lions.
In all my years of hiking in the Sandias I have never seen a mountain lion. One bear at about the 5 mile mark on the La Luz trail. Occasional rattlesnakes.
Yes, I think the mountain lions like to stay out of sight. I remember reading a story in the Santa Fe newspaper about a mountain lion stalking a hiker on Aspen Vista Trail above Santa Fe. That story always stayed with me. Wow, Henry, was the bear close to you on La Luz?
No, he was down in a gully and wasn’t aware of me.
What a great thing those rest areas are!
YES! And this one was a life saver. I’m exaggerating a bit, I’m sure we would have survived, but it sure helped.
I would have just flat out collapsed. Impressed by your stamina!
Thanks for those kind words, Grubb. I’m sure you would have made it just fine!