Uncontrollable Factors in an Adventure

Jeff Garmire

On any human powered adventure there are controllable factors and those that simply need to be dealt with. Food, gear, supplies, and a schedule can be modified but weather, terrain, and wildlife are simply troubles to overcome. The adversity of uncontrollable challenges is what adds to a trip. It takes an adventure from the planning stage to real life. They are the factors that can’t be inserted into a spreadsheet and must be solved and combatted on the fly. They make the adventure.

San Juans. Photo by @elisabethtizekker

The Colorado Trail Unsupported Record was full of challenges that were outside of my control. The weather constantly changed but the limited resources in my pack never did. As the time went on I had to get more creative while staying efficient and on a 50 mile per day pace. It was the longest unsupported challenge I have ever attempted, and the mindset was drastically different than previous records,

The Colorado Trail Fastest Known Time attempt. The goal was to beat the current record of 9 days, 12 hours, 32 minutes.

Here are some of the uncontrollable challenges I faced and how I dealt with them…

Weather

On the first day it rained off and on, but my gear was fresh, my attitude was perfect, and the precipitation felt more like a break from the heat. On day two everything changed. To maximize the daylight hours I was up early, hiking in the dark and enjoying the freedom of night hiking but then it began to rain. It was cold but the perfect temperature to keep me alert. But, when the rain began to fall it quickly made me shiver. I put on my ultralight rain jacket and fastened my thin skirt around my shorts and continued to hike. The rain grew heavier and I grew colder. At a fork in the trail I tried to use my phone to confirm I was hiking the right way. My fingers were useless. Their white complexion did little to wake up the device containing my GPS data. For two hours I trudged through the heavy rain and vowed to keep my hands warmer moving forward. 

It was a lesson learned in the changing weather. Luckily I had the perfect solution already in my pack. At the last minute I had put nylon overmitts in my backpack. Waterproof, they would keep heat in and rain out. The trouble during this first storm is that they were not stowed in an accessible area of my pack to access during the rain. I transferred them to the pocket of my rain jacket and now had everything to combat precipitation together. On day 4 when it snowed while I was walking the true Continental Divide, I had everything needed to be comfortable despite the weather.

Fog and rain near Monarch Pass.

Terrain

My first day was fueled by adrenaline and desire. My second day was more difficult and lacked those two ingredients. It was a day with 15,000 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles. The climbs would all be long and demoralizing. Before each one I would lose all the elevation I had worked so hard to gain, descending to an altitude and restart the ascending process. The climb up to join the true Continental Divide from the Weminuche Wilderness was the crux of the climbing. The progress was slow, hot, full of avalanche debris and steep. Despite an amazing pace to begin the day I quickly fell behind on the climb. The higher I got the more difficult it was to eat and drink at a sustainable level. I gutted out this climb, but after throwing up most of the food I consumed for the day at the top, I had to strategize for future climbs.

Avalanche debris blocking the trail.

The magic number seemed to be 12,000 feet. Below that number I could eat, but above it I could only eat the simplest of things like crackers and pretzels. Therefore, I followed what my body would allow. I tried to consume most of my calories between 10,000 and 11,000 feet for the rest of the trail and was able to maintain a constant flow of energy and calories.

San Juans.

Wildlife

On the Colorado Trail wildlife was simply a break from the continuous physical push. There were moose, goats, marmot, deer, elk, and an endless supply of people. They were what would break up a long section. Coming up on Kenosha Pass my mind was only thinking about the future, but upon seeing a large moose next to the trail I was brought back to the present. These unexpected sightings were the perfect recipe to keep myself in the moment.

Moose near Kenosha Pass.

Goats near Waterton Canyon.

Unexpected factors are the genesis of a great story later. They are the frosting on top of an adventure that is perfectly planned, providing the spontaneous events that are discussed for years. They are the reason I crave adventure and putting myself through difficult challenges, environments and weather!

50 feet from the finish!

Photo by @elisabethtizekker

The finish and a new record!

Photo by @elisabethtizekker