[pct-l] Chantix, smoking and hiking.

[cvano at tmail.com]

All of my hikes so far have been at relatively low altituded.  I do 
cough a lot, am a slower hiker than most, and have to stop often to 
catch my breath.  That's the main reason that I usually hike alone.  All 
that aside, when I hike frequently, I get somewhat accustomed to it and 
while those problems don't go away, they are less of a hinderance.

I am concerened about the effects of altitude on the JMT.  The last time 
I was at that altitude was on Wolf Creak Pass in CO while driving a 
truck.  I got out to check and adjust my breaks before starting down.  
That was nearly 20 years ago, I was smoking quite heavely then and not 
excersising.  I did experience tightness of chest, shortness of breath 
and a silver taste in my mouth during that short stop.  So I had another 
smoke.

Funny thing, when all my tobacco and papers got wet on Snoqualmie (even 
the factory sealed pouch) my cravings were nill most of the time, until 
I put some in the fry pan to dry out over the stove.  All my clothes 
were wet, my hands were wet, the rolling machine was wet, and there was 
nothing dry to dry off with.  I'd get the glops of papers dry in the 
frying pan but couldn't seperate then, being glued together, with wet 
fingers.  I did manage to roll 2 or 3 with portions of 6 or 8 papers 
each, but they wouldn't draw.  So I really didn't smoke at all for 3 
days but there was so much going on, mentally and physically, that I 
really didn't crave.

Just sitting in the tent after food and when warm, I did have mild 
cravings from time to time, but when nearing the trailhead and my truck, 
where a new pouch was, I had especially bad cravings.  I threw my 
trekking poles in the back of the truck, pealed off two or three layers 
on top, dried my hands on the seat and rolled a smoke.  The paramedics 
and sheriff were calling me and I still had on snowshoes and all my 
clothes on the bottom.  I sat in the truck, feet outside on the ground 
and took my first drag.  Of course this produced my violent cough and 
the paramedics came running.  They already knew about my BP.  I had to 
wave them off and I sat there and smoked.  I was recovering from mild 
hypothermia, couldn't feel my feet up to the ankle bone, was dehydrated 
and running on a severe calorie deficit, BP was up, I was sweating on 
the bottom, still strapped into the snowshoes and 5 layers, and freezing 
on top with only 2 wet layers, but by God I had me a smoke.  Sick isn't 
it...

I was triaged, refused treatment, and went out and had another.  Cameron 
came over and begged me to go with the ambulance.  I finished my smoke 
first.  So you see, this addiction is stronger even than my will to 
live.  No, the time for me to quit was in 1963, before I started but 
thanks to cigarette machines everywhere, friends parents that we could 
steal from, and kindly liquor store and gas station cashiers, that 
didn't happen.

Now, 45 years later, I doubt if there is but one cure.  Chantix is over 
a hundred bucks, and insurance won't cover even a portion of it.  I can 
buy 2 cartons at the store or 6 on line with that money, and I can't 
afford both.  Guess which one I choose.

It's not the Mountain that we conquer,
but Ourselves.  Anon.

Ol' Three Toes aka Chris
S/V Drifter ~~~_/)~~~
Anacortes, WA.