[pct-l] Worried About My Knees

[Scott Williams]

Hey Dan,

I have arthritis in both knees too.   Years ago my knees would swell up
like grapefruits after any distance on trail, and especially on hard
surfaces.  I had an ER Dr. friend who one day told me that worse than my
arthritis in the knees was the fact that I had "weak knees".  That totally
floored me as I'd been a backpacker for 30 years at that point and expected
that simple walking would have been enough to toughen my knees.  He said
no, that because of the arthritis, I needed to do specific exercises to
strengthen the muscles above and around the knees.  He started me with
lifting light weights in a seated leg extension machine, not pumping the
weights, but simply holding them up with my legs outstretched.  Squats, as
tough as they were at first were also essential.  That was probably 20
years ago and I religiously start my gym routines by warming up on the leg
extension machine.  I also began using hiking poles at about this time and
took glucosamine for many years to help with cartilage growth and even more
recently, learned how to walk differently so as not to jar my joints.  I
try not to walk with a straight leg heel strike, but slightly bent knee
instead, with the foot fall coming on the side, "fat pad" and ball of the
foot.  This gives you a more forward leaning walk and tremendously lessens
the jamming on the ankle, knee and hip joints.

After years of pain and swelling, building up the muscles that support the
knee, taking glucosamine, using hiking poles and walking differently, I am
now in my 60s and can run down mountains with my full pack weight and
experience no knee pain.  I don't run with a heel toe gait, but with bent
knees and no pounding at all.  I run with a shuffle so there's very little
bone jarring involved.  It's all muscle supported movements.  I'm sure the
arthritis is still there, but it doesn't bother me a bit.

As for hiking the PCT, as an older guy who considers himself injury prone
because of my love of the endorphin rush of really pushing on trail, I
always train much harder than I actually start on a long trail hike.  When
I begin, I try to back off on the miles to 10 to 12 miles per day for the
first week, then 15 to 17 miles per day for the second and finally break 20
on my 3rd week.  Hiking everyday is much harder on the body than 3 or 4
times per week while training.  I'm sure this is not essential for many
strong folks out there, but it sure has helped me get on trail without
receptive injuries in the first week or two, which are typical times for
older folks to have to get off trail and let things heal up from too much
pushing at first.

You may find that your knees improve over the miles if you don't try to do
too much up front.  My good friend Bigfoot, who has done the repetitive
injury class at KO for years give three specifics for anyone who starts
noticing pain that seems to be getting persistent:  1.  Slow down your pace
and see if you can walk slow enough to not feel the pain.  2.  Shorten the
distances hiked each day and,  3.  Lighten your pack.  Many times you will
find that you can hike in this more gentle way with an injury and still
keep going until your body fixes itself.  Then increase the effort slowly.
Of course, if you really think you're doing damage, get off trail and see a
doctor.

Of the 3 great trails, the PCT is by far the easiest in terms of nice
trail.  Mile for mile it's the most beautiful and mile for mile it's got
the best trail surface.  There are some hard spots, but start at Campo and
give it a shot.  Maybe by the time you get to the Golden Staircase, your
knee pain will be a thing of the past.

Us geezers can come back.  After many years of serious knee issues, I have
none now, zero, zip, none.  And that's a miracle of body strengthening and
care, poles, and learning to walk a bit differently.

Have a wonderful summer!

Shroomer

On Sat, Apr 11, 2015 at 4:28 PM, DayLate07 . <dthibaul07 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dan,  out of all the long distance trails the PCT is probably the most knee
> friendly.  That say it may not be for you.  My recommendation would be to
> just go for it and see how you do.  Worst case you will decide you can't do
> it but you will still have a great time on the trail when you can.
>
> I think if you start a Campo you will figure out within a few days if the
> southern part of the trail is for you.  Luckily there are multiple places
> to bail back to civilization in this section.
>
> Go out, start doing whatever you planned (thru?, or long section?) and if
> you make it you had a great trip.  If you have to bail because your knees
> can't take it you still had a great trip - it's all attitude.....  There
> are no bad days out on the trail....
>
> Day-Late
>
>
>
>
>
> > I have arthritis in both knees and am worried about steps (up and down)
> > along the PCT.
> > Smooth trail is fine (even when steep), but lots of steps above a
> standard
> > stair tread height causes lasting swelling/pain.
> > I have read that the PCT does not have many tall steps, but would like to
> > hear from an experienced hiker.
> > I appreciate that damaged areas, blow downs, creek fordings, etc. will be
> > present and pose a challenge.
> > I am mainly concerned with many tall steps (say 50 to >100) in a given
> > days hiking.
> > Please comment on the conditions from the Border to Kennedy Meadows vs.
> > The Sierras and beyond.
> > Thanks, Dan
> >
> >
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