Blood, Sweat and Tears-Ross Mountain

[David R]

Some days hiking just doesn't turn out the way you expect it should. I started the day with a bit of a twinge in my right ankle. I could of taken that as a sign that today was going to be difficult. Instead I pushed on and rambled my way up Burnham and Baden-Powell from Dawson Saddle. On the way down to Ross, I began to experience gastric distress but soldiered on as what is a little more discomfort? Finally I reached the peak and wasn't feeling all that bad at that point. True my ankle wasn't feeling great but now I would begin to climb and that would be less discomfort then coming down. Rose has two steps of 1,000 feet each with the last one being the steeper and more loose section. I powered up that step without too much problem but then it happened. My legs started cramping up in a way that I've never had happen on the last 50 feet. At the same time my gastric problems came to a crescendo with me getting hit by waves of nausea. All I could manage was to drink water any other food or drink made me feel like I was going to throw up.

I rested at the forested bench for a bit and then started up the next thousand feet. The cramping continued and then I started to run up of breath every fifty feet or so. I was literally gasping. I rested at one point and watched a bird banging some wood to get out some insects. he looked at me quizzically as if to say "why are you still here?". I was so sure I was going to throw up but somehow I kept everything in my system. I finally managed to make it up to BP and collapsed on the monument and took a 10 minute nap. I got woken up by a dog next to my face and barking at me, really nice.

The way back wasn't too bad other then the cramping until I hit the last 300 feet climb back up to the junction with the Dawson Saddle trail. This section was like a bad joke as far as my capabilities. I must've stopped four times getting up that section of trail and once again the nausea hit with massive force. Finally the climbing was over and I could maneuver my way back to the car. Incredibly the whole hike didn't take a ridiculous amount of time since I only got sick at the end. I got home and I could barely eat and was shivering a bit. I think looking back that I got food poisoning and I only had the pleasure of experiencing the brunt of it during my last section of the hike. I went to bed slept nine hours and woke up with no aches other a slight twinge in my ankle.

[Girl Hiker]

[Sean]

Sounds more like altitude sickness. What did you eat beforehand?

[Tom Kenney]

Aye...what Sean said. I've had it hit me at what seemed like a ridiculously low elevation...~7600', a few hundred feet shy of Mt. Waterman. I almost never have any trouble, even in the High Sierra, but sometimes it sneaks up on me.

[JeffH]

I kind of agree with a reaction to food. The only times I've been affected by altitude the symptoms were nausea and headache. Cramps seem to be lack of fluid, as you said it was difficult to drink. And heading downhill generally helps alleviate altitude ills rather quickly.

[Hikin_Jim]

Dang. Way to tough it out. I'd have been crying for my mommy.

HJ