Michael: Cache

The bleat of the goat
Off in some distant pasture
Is today’s constant.


Sunday, June 7, 2015

We’ve hiked the Western Trail to the top of 11,000 ft. Volcan Baru before and gone down the jeep trail on the other side into Boquete. That trip took us 7 hours and 15 minutes. I’m planning on doing it twice without stopping in 12 hours.

Here’s the plan:

Start in Boquete. This allows me to do the jeep trail, the easier trail to the peak, both early when I’m fresh, and at the end. I’m planning on running in the morning all the way up, and hope I’ll still have enough energy at the end of the day to cautiously jog down. If not, at least I’ll be able to walk without worrying about getting lost in the dark. If I started on the far more treacherous Western Trail, there’s a good chance I’d end up in the dark under the canopy and that would mean very slow going when I’m at my most fatigued.  On the jeep trail, at least if I miss calculate and end up walking in the dark, with a headlamp I should be fine.

Monday - Email B & B in Boquete inquiring about a reliable taxi driver that can drive us to the Ranger Station at the start of the jeep trail at 5a.m.

Wednesday - Hike to the 5K marker at about 9,000 ft and hide two half liter bottles of water and 2 large Snickers bars with almonds.

Sunday - Jog the Quetzal trail into Boquete with a change of clothes. Keep fingers crossed that it’s not raining and we get lucky and a bus is right there waiting for us as soon as we step off the trail and onto the road. 

Eat lunch in Boquete before taking taxi to where ever our B&B is. Enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

Monday - Up at 4 to 4:30 to eat and prep. Make sure taxi’s on the way. Will start with liter and a half of water and two flask of gu.

Start up the jeep trail at 5:30 walking for 15 minutes before beginning to jog. It’s not light here until a little after 6 so may need headlamp for a while.
Calculating it will take about 3 hours to run the 13k to the peak.

Snap picture by the cross at the top then head down Western Trail toward Volcan jogging as much as possible but that won’t be very often.

Reach cache, eat candy bar and load water and away we go.

Figure it should take about 3 hours to reach trailhead sign. That means I should start back up toward the peak on the Western Trail before noon giving me close to 7 hours of light to work with.

Reach cache again, eat candy bar and load water and away we go again.

Reach peak in 4 hours. That should put me there before 4p.m. If I’m really lucky it won’t be raining but no doubt I’ll have already donned my raincoat. I’m really just hoping that there won’t be a lightening storm and I have to abort the trip and scramble back down toward Volcan.

I should be able to jog down the jeep trail in two hours completing my hike before 6p.m. and still in the light.

I’ll call Kimme to let her know I’m done and to send the taxi.

Piece of cake. Make that cheesecake with a swirl of chocolate and an expresso after a delicious and well deserved pizza and salad.