Chumash Trail, conditioning hike #2

Chumash Trail conditioning hike #2 was just that, a conditioning hike. I had done this before but never took it all the way to the legendary flagpole at the top of Mugu Peak. The elevation change is 1300 feet up a very steep and narrow trail. This hike gave me a good idea of my overall physical condition (poor?) and how well my gear load would work while in Hawaii. The elevation change pushed me quite a bit, the weight of the gear was a non-issue. I had to stop many times to catch my breath and rest. The gear worked well, several year old hiking boots held up, long sleeve shirt as cover from the sun and sticky bushes. Overall, it took just over an hour to go approximately 2 miles up a steep grade to 1300 feet. This was a good experience and is a great conditioning hike. At the top of Mugu Peak, there is a great 360 degree view of the ocean, Laguna Peak, La Jolla valley and the other mountains viewed south. I also got a geocache while up here at the flag pole. Two people came by running this trail, both up and down. Not me.

There is another thing which I hope to (re) learn while hiking, related to conditioning. An answer to the question, how far can I go? The Chumash Trail offers a 1300 foot elevation change which is not gradual. I did not plan to break up the elevation into any increments, just go until I’m tired, then rest. In the future, I don’t think that is the way to handle this. Plan for elevation, plan in rest.