Kansas FNG

[psirus7]

Long time lurker from New Mexico (now living just outside of Kansas City). This website & forum has been an great resource for my previous mule deer hunts.

 

[87TT]

Howdy, now you can quit lurking.

 

[elkdog]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[woodson]

Welcome! I'm a KC guy as well, as is AirborneEScouter.

 

[psirus7]

Thanks all. Woodson, what you do you and AirborneEScouter do for acclimation training down here? Next trip will be at 9-10K.

 

[Jayhawkhunter]

Welcome! - another KC guy here (suburbs)

 

[Rmauch20]

Welcome, I am out in western Kansas.

 

[psirus7]

Hi all...have you guys hunted the Elk herd out in the Fort Riley area at all?

 

[woodson]

Thanks all. Woodson, what you do you and AirborneEScouter do for acclimation training down here? Next trip will be at 9-10K.

We both lift weights, run, and I road bike essentially year round for cardiopulmonary fitness. We also always leave on a Friday and leave work early and drive to at least Denver, sometimes Dillon. We usually get a motel and sleep or hang out for 6-8 hours at an altitude of 5-9k feet which is a lot higher than KC and helps start the acclimation. We wake up Saturday and drive to whatever SW or NW Colorado unit we are hunting that year and make the hike in to our base camp nice and easy, which the last time was 12k feet. We take Diamox (acetazolamide) for 1-2 days leading up to the trip and on the first day. We have never had any serious issues with this regimen, and last time our first hike in was 6.5 miles with 1800 feet of elevation gain to a final altitude of 11,600. We then hunted 5-6 good drainages from there.

Other keys: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all the way out and on arrival. Limit alcohol. Have NSAIDs for the inevitable headache.

I learned my lesson through trial and error on ski trips in college and med school, and a lot of the keys to success are behavioral. Knowing the signs of altitude sickness and ascending if need be are also a reality for flatlanders. You can never be in too good shape. If you are overweight or have sleep apnea you have a (literally) uphill battle. Midday naps boost morale.

 

[woodson]

Also good info scattered in here on training:

Physical conditioning

Being a complete rookie, i need to know if my fitness goals are realistic or inadequate. i'm hunting Elk in October from 9K to 11K+ elevation in a fairly rugged area. Primarily backpacking/bivvying but may spend a night or two truck camping if needed. i also understand i cannot be in TOO good of...

www.rokslide.com

 

[psirus7]

Good info and link Woodson. Thank you. I’m a triathlete, but haven’t raced since last season’s 70.3 and have been a lazy over the winter. I plan on incorporating strength training, HIIT and rucks into my weekly regiment (without inducing injury). How awkward would it be to ask my physician for a Diamox prescription?

 

[AirborneEScouter]

^ what the doc said. No way to truly acclimate as 900 feet of elevation just doesn’t afford us the luxury of easy breathing up there, but regular cardio exercise and good fitness goes a long way. I hiked with Woodson with a torn labrum all the way through our adventure and made it fine, with a muley doe in my ruck to boot. No need to overdo it with heavy pack training, good way to get injured but that being said it’s probably a good idea to get used to the feeling of your typical load for a few miles once in a while. I’ve incorporated a lot of stair climbers into my regimen and can probably average an 8 minute mile 5k right now. Been really lifting heavy lately but will gear up the cardio in about another couple months

 

[woodson]

It is not unreasonable to talk to your doc about Diamox. It is indicated for treatment and prevention of altitude sickness. He or she may say no, which is about the worst that can come of the conversation. It is generic and dirt cheap. I take no regular medications, but in this case we are talking 6 pills that may make your trip tolerable. However, it’s a prescription med with potential interactions and side effects. Disclaimer: there are risks, this is not specific medical advice, and you and anyone else reading this should only get medical advice from your doctor.

 

[Jayhawkhunter]

If its awkward, find a new doc...…..I'm a pharmacist and I don't use it, but it does work, the best thing I have found is to get to altitude a day or two before you are actually hitting it hard as was stated above...….other than that - it's all about hydration - most of us are dehydrated and don't even realize it.

 

[RCL]

Welcome to a super forum.

 

[*zap*]

Welcome to the best state in the nation....

 

[psirus7]

Sounds like sage advice gents. I made the mistake of climbing Mt. Shasta after college while living at sea-level (with zero acclimation). I never want to feel that way again!!

 

[psirus7]

KC Amigos, any recommendations for rucking trails in the KC area / suburbs? I’ve ran Wyandotte park (the bridal trail seems pretty good for Kansas) and Shawnee Mission park MTB trails. Both seem ok for rucking, but don’t have a lot of vertical.

 

[*zap*]

Clinton Lake has many miles of good trails. The state park trails are very well maintained by a trail run club, no brush to walk thru = less ticks/chiggers. The corps trails are not as well maintained and get overgrown to a degree so bug spray is advised. Latham trail is 4.5 miles in the woodbrige park corps area on Clinton lake and it has primitive campsites all along it......you can also camp anywhere you want too in woodbrige park. Perry has similar trails, a 30 mile long trail that you can camp on called old military trail, I believe.

The most elevation change on the Clinton trails is on the trails on the south side if the lake. The connector trails go from lake water height to the highest elevation in short distance. there is also a stair/trail at campground 1 south of the rest rooms in Clinton park that has around 100' in a short distance. That's the best your going to get here.

The woodbridge park area at Clinton is a favorite of mine because I can drive there, park, hike in a few miles, on trail or off trail, camp and then get gone in the early am and make it to work the next day. Weekdays it is pretty empty. it is also possible to pack in, camp and the deer hunt nearby at woodbridge and perry but you need to know where the legal hunting areas are. Woodbridge is no hunting. You can also canoe/boat in and camp those spots. There is also free car camping sat woodbridge and douglas county lake. The south end of douglas county lake has some rougher steeper ground but it is mostly bushwhack hiking.

 

[psirus7]

Thanks Zap! That's good info. I've ran around the Bloomington public use area, but I didn't realize that there was good terrain on the South side. I'll definitely check it out (and bring some fishing poles while I'm at it)!