awcopeland
FNG
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2022
- Messages
- 94
My 2024 Death Hike Recap
For a couple of years now I’ve listened to the Exo guys talk about their death hikes. I’ve tried to convince friends and coworkers to complete one with me, but nobody was interested in self punishment or could justify taking their precious time off of work to do something of the sort just for “fun” (I don’t blame them, I’m fortunate to get more paid time off than most).
My original plan, one that my wife was okay with, was a multi-day trek through the Gila Wilderness. I was looking to do nearly 70 miles over the course of 3-4 days. However with a toddler and a pregnant wife being away from home without the potential to fill the freezer is a hard sell. So, my plan had to be reworked.
I wanted something that was going to be challenging but capable of being done in a single day, even if it was a long day.
I live in the Sacramento Mountains of Southern New Mexico so trails are easy to come by. I ultimately decided to hike from a place known as Oliver Lee State Park up to the Sunspot Solar Observatory and then into the town of Cloudcroft.
The route ended up being a touch over 32 miles and took me 13 hours, 4 minutes (10hrs 35min moving). I started at an elevation of 4400’ MSL and topped out at 9550’ MSL with a total elevation gain of 8806’.
Life and family obligations didn’t allow me to start the route until 9:30 when it was already 90+ degrees in the low country. Thankfully, once I got on top of the mountain, the outflows of storms that had been building brought in cool air, which greatly helped me keep a decent pace.
There is a 50k race that follows this exact route that is run in October where guys are knocking this out in sub 6 hours. No, I won’t be doing that. https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=108582
I guess my only reason to post this thread is to maybe encourage someone else to do something challenging.
For a couple of years now I’ve listened to the Exo guys talk about their death hikes. I’ve tried to convince friends and coworkers to complete one with me, but nobody was interested in self punishment or could justify taking their precious time off of work to do something of the sort just for “fun” (I don’t blame them, I’m fortunate to get more paid time off than most).
My original plan, one that my wife was okay with, was a multi-day trek through the Gila Wilderness. I was looking to do nearly 70 miles over the course of 3-4 days. However with a toddler and a pregnant wife being away from home without the potential to fill the freezer is a hard sell. So, my plan had to be reworked.
I wanted something that was going to be challenging but capable of being done in a single day, even if it was a long day.
I live in the Sacramento Mountains of Southern New Mexico so trails are easy to come by. I ultimately decided to hike from a place known as Oliver Lee State Park up to the Sunspot Solar Observatory and then into the town of Cloudcroft.
The route ended up being a touch over 32 miles and took me 13 hours, 4 minutes (10hrs 35min moving). I started at an elevation of 4400’ MSL and topped out at 9550’ MSL with a total elevation gain of 8806’.
Life and family obligations didn’t allow me to start the route until 9:30 when it was already 90+ degrees in the low country. Thankfully, once I got on top of the mountain, the outflows of storms that had been building brought in cool air, which greatly helped me keep a decent pace.
There is a 50k race that follows this exact route that is run in October where guys are knocking this out in sub 6 hours. No, I won’t be doing that. https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=108582
I guess my only reason to post this thread is to maybe encourage someone else to do something challenging.
