Preparing for the Dolomites

      Last spring, after I had already planned to hike the Alta Via 2 trail in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy with my friend Mike in September, I heard of friends of friends who go to the Dolomites every summer. They train rigorously - 100 miles on their bikes one day, another 100 the next day. 

     Uh-oh, I thought. If I'm going to be able to do this, I had better get ready. I had better start training.

     Mile and I had already hiked along the Oregon coast in April and had done the Boy Scout Tree Trail in the redwoods. We had made an off-trail hike on the flagged route of what will be the East ART in the Applegate. But now we intensified the activity.
    In May we hiked Bald Mountain above the Little Applegate, then the E ART again, and Mule Mountain. The next week we did the Elliott Ridge Trail (see post on 6/19), and in the next three weeks we hiked six trails, culminating in the Cameron Meadows-Frog Pond loop in the Red Buttes, a hike of seven miles up the mountain and down again, and, three days later, a day hike to Oregon Caves and back, up and over Mt. Elijah, a total of about fourteen miles, with a stop in the chalet for a milk shake before the return.

     The next week we climbed Mt. Elijah again, then did five more trails (Clover Lake and the Harriet Lake overlook in Mountain Lakes Wilderness; Grayback Mountain just above my house; Mt. Scott, Cleetwood Cove, and part of the Rim Trail, all at Crater Lake National Park - see posts on August 11 and 4). The last weekend of July we did a three-day backpacking trip to Island Lake in the Siskiyou Wilderness Area, seven and a half steep miles up to Island Lake, and, the next day cross-country to the top of Jeremiah Mountain. In the meantime I had hiked Dolason Prairie Trail in Redwood National Park (posted on July 28) and for three days in the Russian Wilderness with another friend and had gone up Grayback again with out-of-town visitors. 

     By that time I was feeling pretty strong. But there could be no slacking! We did a short hike on the Pacific Crest Trail at Soda Mountain and then four days later the 15-mile Cook and Green/Horse Trail loop, stopping at Echo Lake for a swim on the way down. Three days later we left for the Marble Mountain Wilderness, where we camped at misnamed Paradise Lake, which was so unswimmable I immediately suggested we hike another two or two and a half miles to Bear Lake, which, to Mike's great relief, I pronounced swimmable and in which I had a good long swim. The next day we hiked eight miles to Shadow Lake, which was even better than Bear Lake, and got there at 2:00 so figured we had time to hike four miles to the top of the Marble Rim - and four miles back, of course, for a total of sixteen miles that day, but it was fantastically beautiful to be on the rim, more than a thousand vertical feet above the valley, and in the midst of all that white marble.

     We had scheduled one last hike before leaving for Italy, but by this time I was daring the Dolomites to throw anything they wanted at me. I felt like I could do anything, including hiking six miles in 100 degree heat. Therefore it seemed unnecessary to actually do it, so I suggested we go to a movie instead.

     In fourteen weeks Mike and I had done twenty-two hikes, of varying steepness and length. I feel as prepared as I can possibly be. When I look at YouTube videos of Alta Via 2, I quake a bit at what might lie ahead, but could it be any more difficult than what I've done this summer? If it's steep, I've done it. If it's long, I've done that, too. I've hiked with a pack twice as heavy as the one I'll be carrying in the Dolomites. Standing on the edge of the Marble Rim could not have induced any less vertigo than I'll experience on the Dolomites. 

      When I get to the Dolomites and talk with other hikers at the rifugios, I'll say, "You want some real challenges? Come to the Siskiyous, and see how they test your mettle!"