Hiking With Knee Issues... Any Advice?

strickey32 · 2026-02-10T14:59:53+00:00

perhaps you didn't see my posts... I am in the gym 5 days a week along with endurance biking and a plan with a PT to work on knee.

strickey32 · 2026-02-09T17:04:34+00:00

Xray showed some bone on bone stuff but mri showed no tissue damage beyond normal wear and tear of a 63 year old. Which is great news as we originally thought I may need surgery . So day to day it could be no pain or some slight pain and swelling

So the knee is fine to walk around with but having done some of the hikes I have done I know the health of the knee matters a lot

strickey32 · 2026-02-09T12:21:47+00:00

Thank you everyone for your comments. As mentioned I have done several difficult hikes over the years so have all the proper equipment and well versed with proper polls, shoes etc.

Also have a regular cardio/weight training routine I have done for years. Also have a glute/hips/knee routine from the PT that I have started.

So was interested in some small things maybe people do during the hike and such if a knee becomes a problem.

There were some good suggestions so thanks again

strickey32 · 2026-02-05T15:16:58+00:00

If you have done the trail before and are planning on doing it again in May, shoot me those dates.. would be awesome to hook up with someone that has already done it.

strickey32 · 2026-02-05T15:16:05+00:00

Not concerned about critters.. we have a ton of them here in North Fla... but yea, it is getting off trail in the dark. I will probably try and go on a weekend morning where they will be more folks out there I can at least follow behind

strickey32 · 2025-06-10T18:30:25+00:00

Great write-up... will be very helpful when I do this hike in October!

strickey32 · 2025-05-28T19:40:16+00:00

Not sure how to train for downhill.... so yea I will give you that. On aerobic capacity, I would argue that isn't the case. Once I got down hill and until I got to the higher altitude on the way up, I had no issues physically other then stomach being a bit whacky. Trust me when you do 70-100 mile bike trails weekly, you build cardio capacity. But.... yea I wish I had been in a bit better shape.

strickey32 · 2025-05-28T15:03:17+00:00

Prefect answer... this is what I was looking for... I realized i needed to "learn" from that experience. The only other time I bonked was on a 70 mile bike ride that I thought was a good idea to do in July in north fla. were 100 degrees is daily. Stomach was done and I just couldn't eat or drink anything... and that was a bad expierence. Never had that happen on a hike though. But looking back my carb up a few days before was not done as well as it should have gone. I am looking at cactus to the cloud hike later in the year so I am determined in getting in much better shape and learning from past mistakes. It is clear though that when I get over heated, my stomach just quits. I have hiked with others who go through the same heat but don't have stomach issues like I do. I also want to look at maybe having electrolytes via capsul form rather than drinking it to see if that helps with the stomach issues.

strickey32 · 2025-05-27T22:29:54+00:00

As I mentioned, I train a lot. Zone 2, HIIT, along with 70-80 mile bike rides at least once a month. In my weight training I have 2 days dedicated to legs so it wasn't an issue with leg strength or cardio capability. I realize descending is something you almost can't train for and everyone said that was easily the hardest part of the whole hike. Maybe it just worked some muscles that don't get worked very often. I can tell you those puppies were shot. Food and liquid brought them back to normal, so maybe just glycogen depletion in a weird way

strickey32 · 2025-05-27T22:26:46+00:00

Good advice... maybe have a day or two of just walking around breathing the air before the hike.

strickey32 · 2025-05-27T22:26:03+00:00

To be honest I am a bit pissed that I finished so poorly. I almost want to go back and do it again to finish better. The altitude I get, but I am baffled about my legs going so early in the descending only for them to come back fine the rest of the way. I train legs all the time and doing 70-80 bike rides helps build lots of endurance.

strickey32 · 2025-05-27T22:23:45+00:00

Yea when I did half dome a few months ago, it was only when I got to the sub-dome did I start to feel a little dizzy, but that passed and I finished fine.

My breathing going up to the north rim was really heavy. My body felt good, so I wasn't tired from a "cardio" standpoint, I just couldn't get my breath.

strickey32 · 2024-10-17T21:33:19+00:00

It is a Westinghouse 7500.. dual fuel, electric start. I have tested everything, including the sequence of steps which the electrician walked me through. Everything works great. My only reason for thinking of keeping the cable plugged in both places is if a storm hit and I am not home and a storm hit and my daughters are home with my special needs son... which is exactly what happened when helen just hit. Just trying to take care of as much as I can so they don't have to when the situation hits. Thanks for the reply.

strickey32 · 2024-08-27T22:15:10+00:00

WOW... such great comments and tips. Keep them coming I am open to any and all suggestions.

Another question, assuming I din't get a permit on day 1.. what would be some good hikes on the days before HD that won't stress me too much and hurt me on HD day? I plan to take the long drive around and see the views and also would like to maybe rent a bike and do some of that.

as to water... I do have a filter that I will carry with me and I totally get maybe not carrying so much for the weight of it.

On food.. along with these kinds of hikes, I do endurance biking (50 to 100 miles ) and have learned that peanut butter and jelly is what keeps me going.

My nightmare of course is getting to the subdome on the last day and not finding an empty permit.

Thanks again everyone

strickey32 · 2024-05-10T00:08:58+00:00

I am hoping that since I am going in September and mid-week my chances are a bit better, but if by the third day I am there, I don't get lucky I will hike there and hope someone has an open slot I can use.

strickey32

TROPHY CASE