Too Hot To Hike

[Wise Old Owl]

I am a Texan and it is very hot. It is always over 100 for weeks and weeks in the summer, sometimes over 105 or 110. But down here, we have enough sense to drink enough water and stay indoors during the afternoon and early evening. If you watch the news, it seems that it is Yankees that are dropping dead in less heat than we have here. I hear that they aren't used to the heat or Yankees don't have proper air conditioning or they don't have enough ventilation. Well, why can't they just learn to drink water and stay indoors or in the shade like we do down here? And with modern times, why is there not enough air conditioning and so forth. I see where people here think 89 degrees is hot or where 95 degrees is hot. Really??? That is a cool front down here! I tend all the livestock on my farm in the Texas summers and I am a older woman and it is fine by me. I'm sorry, but this topic really gets to me. Pardon my rant.

Yea you are pardoned....

Wow! am I glad you are here to dis-spell the myth about Texans who never need to drink water... They just hydrate at night. - Southerners......



Oh and before you post about me being a Yankee you would be mistaken. - I just live here.

[Wise Old Owl]

Its so hot that there isn't any children playing outside.

Panzer

They weren't playing outside to begin with..

Here were the options - Wii, Xbox, Playstation, or Angry Birds on the smart phone.... More fun than a trail video and a treadmill - Yea I know....

[Panzer1]

Yea, I see the kids come outside but they run right over to their friends house and go inside to play where it is air conditioned. There arn't any kids outside right now. Its 101 on our back deck in the full sun right now at 10:20 am.

Panzer

[Pedaling Fool]

Yea, I see the kids come outside but they run right over to their friends house and go inside to play where it is air conditioned. There arn't any kids outside right now. Its 101 on our back deck in the full sun right now at 10:20 am.

Panzer

Everyone thinks of evolution as something that happened in the past, but that's wrong it's always happening. Everyone is running from the heat and the cold and many other discomforts we use to have to survive through.

It really makes one wonder how this will affect our evolution. We are getting to a point where we don't need such a robust body any longer.

[TheRaven]

I am a Texan and it is very hot. It is always over 100 for weeks and weeks in the summer, sometimes over 105 or 110. But down here, we have enough sense to drink enough water and stay indoors during the afternoon and early evening. If you watch the news, it seems that it is yankees that are dropping dead in less heat than we have here. I hear that they aren't used to the heat or yankees don't have proper air condishioning or they don't have enough ventilation. Well, why can't they just learn to drink water and stay indoors or in the shade like we do down here? And with modern times, why is there not enough air condishioning and so forth. I see where people here think 89 degrees is hot or where 95 degrees is hot. Really??? That is a cool front down here! I tend all the livestock on my farm in the Texas summers and I am a older woman and it is fine by me. I'm sorry, but this topic really gets to me. Pardon my rant.

Oh get over yourself, I live in a yurt in Maine..read NO AC. Yes it's hot, I wear light clothes, move slow and drink a lot. God damn blanket statements. If you want one of those I could say that anyone south of the Mason Dixon Line can't drive for crap in any sort of snow. It flurries and they are in the median. Let see them drive in the 1-2 average feet per week of snow we get in Maine.........

[WingedMonkey]

It's 95 now at 2:20 pm. Heat index of 107. A normal July day in South Florida. Gonna shower (I can handle sweat as long as it's clean sweat) and bike to the store and then the park to get some miles in.
It's the same as hiking in many ways. My important stuff will be in ziplocks because if I'm lucky it will rain and cool me off. But just like hiking after the rain the humidity will just be worst.
The good part is I will be able to bike my 20 miles in loops around the park because none of the apartment living dog owners will be taking up the path, neither will the stroller pushing cell phone talking deaf people. (they must be deaf, they never seem to see or hear me coming).
Do I like the heat? Hell no. But It's there and I got things to do.
I can feel empathy for those in areas not use to it. On my 95 hike I even drank out of the spring above Lehigh Gap "Metallica Spring" ignoring the EPA warning posted next to it. Hey how much heavy metal can one man drink?

Heat on the trail in Pennsylvania just ain't like normal heat.

[paistes5]

I went for a 7 mile day hike last week and about killed myself with the heat. I drank 6 liters of water and still didn't have enough in my body.

Yeah, for me it was too hot to hike. Gonna go out tomorrow morning for another hike since it will only be 90.

[Chubbs4U]

Wanted to go hiking tonight through the weekend but a heat index of 114 will stop me. Not sure I can carry enough to hike.

[One-8T]

I'm guessing you will see some hikers with heat stroke by sunday. Becuase today with the temp is 98, tomorrow 101 and saturday at 98.
Thats all it takes. 3 days in a row over 98 degrees. If they are actually hiking 3 full days, someone will get heat stroke.

Its sunny today and tomorrow as well. Hikers that have to cross long open spaces where there is no shade are the most at danger.

Panzer

I definitely agree about the open spaces being incredibly hot. I just got back home about an hour ago after finishing Unicoi Gap to N.O.C over the last 8 days. It was very hot the first 5 days from Unicoi to Winding Stair Gap, but the last 2.5 days from there to N.O.C. over Siler, Wayah and Wesser were just brutal. I was only drinking about 4 liters a day for the first 56 miles, but ended up averaging 8-9 liters a day the last 28 miles. There were a couple of occasions that I started to feel light headed and I just had to sit down by a spring and filter straight into my mouth for 20 to 30 minutes and then rest for a while longer. Very thankful for the great trail guides and spring markings. Not too hot to hike, but damn close.

ONE-8T and Sir Trips-A-Lot (formerly Trippy Einstein)

[Panzer1]

Another freezing "summer" day in Santa Barbara. Fog has rolled in. It's 60 right now. Brr.

We hate you.. lol lol lol

Panzer

[Panzer1]

The heat index at Atlantic City yesterday was 120 degrees. yikes.

Panzer

[Panzer1]

I'm guessing you will see some hikers with heat stroke by sunday. Becuase today with the temp is 98, tomorrow 101 and saturday at 98.
Thats all it takes. 3 days in a row over 98 degrees. If they are actually hiking 3 full days, someone will get heat stroke.

Its sunny today and tomorrow as well. Hikers that have to cross long open spaces where there is no shade are the most at danger.

Panzer

sorry to have to post this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43864697...ave-continues/

18-year-old among dead as heat wave continues

It emerged that an 18-year-old landscaper who died Thursday night, had a temperature of 110, according to a coroner said, and there were claims he was not given medical treatment when he was first taken to a care center.

You can die from heat stroke even at 18.
panzer

our condolances to his family.

[Panzer1]

dozens of new heat records have been set during this heat wave. The heat appears to be backing off by 10 degrees or more this coming week. Good news for hikers.
Atlantic City made it to 105 and Newark 108.
Panzer

[Slo-go'en]

Cooled down considerably here in the Whites overnight, and more importantly, the humidity dropped significantly. Wow, what a relief! I'm tempeted to go out for a little walk this afternoon. Would be a real nice day to be on a summit. We only had to suffer for 2-3 days, I pitty those who have had to deal with it for a month now.

[Carbo]

In this heat a wicking shirt seems to work well when soaked in sweat, plus a wet bandana on the neck. About a half liter of water per hour is the minimum for me. Also, at least one electrolyte/vitamin replacement drink per day does the trick. It took about 10 days to get fully accustomed to the worst of the heat. Common sense, taking it slow, stay hydrated... all by the book will keep you hiking if all else is ok with your body.

BTW- NJ is going a bit chilly today, only 92 right now!

[Teatime]

I had basic training in San Antonio at Lackland AFB. They made us drink several glasses of water at every meal, and there was a guy in our flight who was from the local area that ridiculed drinking the water and ridiculed the rest of us as wimps who couldn't take the heat that he claimed didn't bother him. He figured out some way to avoid chugging all that water. A couple of weeks into training he collapsed and spend a couple of days in the hospital.

Heat can be dangerous and should be taken seriously. Hyperthermia is just as dangerous as hypothermia.

"Road guards in and road guards out" LOL. Yep, I remember HAVING to drink 2 full glasses of water before every meal while at Lackland in 1985. I lost 14 pounds in 6 weeks of basic training.

[vamelungeon]

"Road guards in and road guards out" LOL. Yep, I remember HAVING to drink 2 full glasses of water before every meal while at Lackland in 1985. I lost 14 pounds in 6 weeks of basic training.

I went through in '84. That water would just about make you gag sometimes but it worked. I got to be a "road guard" for a while...LOL

[Panzer1]

OK, heat wave over.. get out there and hike..

Panzer

[WingedMonkey]

OK, heat wave over.. get out there and hike..

Panzer

Still 94 here with a heat index of 106. Wist I was in some mountains.

[Panzer1]

tooHot.gif

6th heat wave of the year.

Panzer