It's Here!!!

No post in a while but that doesn't mean that I haven't been hiking...!!!

It was a tough May with the off hours training, increased work load at work, plain ole stress and our weekend training hikes at Dinosaur Valley State Park (7 hours), Ft. Worth Nature Center (2 weekends 8 and 5 hours respectively) and a return to Cedar Ridge last weekend (3 hours). Our Grand Canyon team put on a fabulous food FEAST!! Thanks Debbie, Gaby, Barbara and everyone else who pitched in for the grub. It was fantastic!!

But - It's finally the big weekend!! I am so excited about the payoff we all have been working for.

I'm here in Ft. Stockton at the Day's Inn looking forward to tomorrow's drive into Big Bend. Our itinerary is set...and it looks like the weather will be on our side...Saturday's high's are forecast for the low to mid 90's...tomorrow and Friday the high's are expected to be in mid to upper 80's...you can't tell me God doesn't exist...

Thursday we hike the Window Trail (~4.5 miles round trip) in the evening to watch the sun set at the Window...The Window is the drainage point for the Chisos Basin and is supposed to have great views west and southwest. Should be drop dead beautiful.

Friday, the team will go rafting down the Rio Grande and I plan to hike the Emory Peak trail (9.5 miles round trip). I didn't sign up to raft because my bride and I were planning to hike around the Chisos basin that day. Instead she stayed home with the dogs since we couldn't bring them to the hotel with us. I'm probably too picky about who takes care of the dogs but they're such a big part of our family that I just can't let someone whose not a "family" member take care of them. Anyhow, I'm pumped about the solo hike to Emory Peak. I know that I'm taking a slight risk by hiking solo but I think I need to do this one for my dad.

I know that I haven't said much about him other than he died from CML 16 years ago this past February and that he was an avid outdoorsman. But I hope the Friday solo hike will help put to bed that last bit of grieving I haven't let go of yet.

The anger. I've been angry these past 16 years at both his passing and the disease that took him. And I think it's finally time to put it down.

You see, he died when his 5 grandsons were only 7, 4, and 2 years old. The years they all needed each other the most. He had so much to teach them (and me, his lifelong learner!). We had grown closer too. We butted heads often as fathers and sons do when I was growing up. But I was finally seeing him as the rich source of wisdom that fathers are. And he was finally seeing me as a man in my own right. It was sweet.

But then life played the cruel cards it sometimes does and, ironically, the one that got him was the one that kept him indoors and close to home...oh, he found things to do outside, but he couldn't fish or hunt or camp because of the chemo and the fatigue.

All of my fondest memories of my dad were those times I spent outdoors with him. About 2 years before his diagnosis we took our last hunting trip together. We went to Saratoga, Wyoming for the end of antelope season and the beginning of mule deer season. We went with my father-in-law Gus, his son Gus and my good friend Rusty and his father. It was an unforgettable trip. The one where I still remember just about every detail. We both took our antelope towards the end of the hunt.

A very short two years after that we watched as dad slowly withered away from the cancer. He had a chance to enter drug trials for a new drug but was declined due to his quadruple bypass about 10 years earlier. It was hard to watch him die the way he did. I think that he'd finally grown tired of fighting it too. I was angry about that the most though. I'd never known him to tire of fighting anything.

In the end though he died at home with my mom and my youngest sister at his side and was interred at Houston National Cemetery.

But that's the way it was and still is.

So Friday is the day. Friday I plan challenge myself and fulfill a promise to all of my donors. To do something I've never done for those who can't.

Sorry 'bout the downer story, but this is what the hike is all about for me and I just realized that it's now the way I'll go about fighting Leukemia for those who can't. One trail at a time.

Saturday, we hike the Lost Mine Trail which is just east of the lodge we're all staying at...that one is about a 5.5 mile round trip and will definitely be a challenge for me because of the Friday hike. I can't wait!!

I think that we're also going to Alpine and Terlingua on either Friday or Saturday night as well.

You can check out Google Earth for virtual tours of the trails I mentioned.

I'll be incommunicado until Sunday...I'll keep notes and update when I'm back at the casa...

Thanks again for all of your support!!

DQ

Back on the trail...

First off -

Another BIG GIGANTIC THANK YOU! to everyone who has donated to my fundraising goals for the hike...as of today, Sunday, April 19th, all of you have helped to raise just over $2,500. I only need $2,900 to reach the hike and I've already committed to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society that I will meet this goal.

I am so humbled by everyone who has donated so generously to the LLS so far, especially those of you I've never met before who are friends of my friends. Thank you too for your support.

Most of you never met my dad and, when I've asked you to help me towards honoring his memory on this hike, all of you have answered so positively and with such warmth that it renews my belief that when we all do something together we can truly change things.

In the current times we live in that should be a lesson we can all take to heart. It's said that all of us are connected to each other by only 6 other people. If that's the case then there isn't anything we can't change nor anyone we can't help. Please ask your friends to donate to find a cure for Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Hodgkin's Disease.

Also, the LLS wants to ensure that everyone who donates knows where their donations go. So I started a section for the LLS Links in the green box to your right.

Secondly, an update on my training...

Last time I posted I mentioned that I'd bruised the ball of my right foot and it turned out to pester me for a while longer than I thought. I've been walking along the outside of my right foot since I injured it which makes my right knee hurt....sheesh...getting old is a real pain in the arse!...and the hammy's, and the glutes, and the thighs...

By last Thursday though the pain finally eased off and I was able to hike today. I put in a 2 1/2 hour hike...and after a week or two of being off of my feet my glutes feel like jelly.

I'll need to spend the next several days working hard to try and catch back up to where I was 2 weeks ago...

Talk to y'all soon...

DQ

Busy Busy

Haven't updated in a while...been busy.

Good news is that I've re-committed to the hike and as of today I've reached ~63% of my total of $2,900.

Thanks to all of you who have generously donated to the LLS to help me help others.

Now the hard part begins.

Training has really stepped up in the last several weeks. With few exceptions, I've been keeping to a fairly strict training schedule and I'm glad I have.

The last 3 training hikes I've finished have all been right around 4-6 hours spent in our boots. We started a 3 weeks ago at Cedar Ridge Preserve over off Mountain Creek Parkway near Cedar Hill.

Cedar Ridge Preserve is an EXCELLENT site for hikes. The 600+ acres used to be maintained by the Dallas Audubon Society. And I've got to say that it's one of Dallas' best kept hiking secrets.

With about 10-12 miles of trails, it offers about the best hiking I've seen to date here in this area. Several trails take you to some of Dallas/Ft. Worth's highest elevation points, (I know, that's not saying much for North Texas) but after you've tackle a couple of trails that take you to 600-700 foot elevations, you'll appreciate this little jewel in southern Dallas county.

The following weekend was supposed to spent along the North shore of Grapevine Lake but, again, it was too windy and too cold for me to justify getting my lazy butt out of bed. Sorry team, but you guys are nuts for hiking in a stiff wind that's cold to boot...yikers!!

So the next day, (beautiful with no wind!!) I went back out to Cedar Ridge Preserve and took my Wiem with me...next time I get a wild hair like that, stop me. Please.

With Axel at about 95 pounds, climbing up and down steep inclines is a chore at best, especially when he decides to go after that dove or rabbit he's just seen. Add to that, I have to have him leashed out there. So, I've got a hiking pole in one hand, a leash with a 95 lb dog in the other and about another 20 lbs of stuff in my pack. Needless to say, I had several "Keystone Cops" moments between keeping Axel from chasing the rabbits, keeping myself upright when I'm headed downhill, and talking to other hikers who were intimidated by Axel (boy that's fun) and the folks who want to pet and talk. Ah well...I asked for it!!

Two weeks ago we spent about 5 and 1/2 hours at Cleburne State Park hiking their outer loop. Nice rocky terrain with gently rolling hills (nothing like Cedar Ridge Preserve). This was really the first day I remember where it's actually been a little warm.

We had folks on the trail who were starting to wilt in the moderate heat and towards the end of the hike I was one of them. Which started me to thinking about Big Bend at the end of May...nice and hot...hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...then drink some more water...

This past weekend was a 6 hour hike at the Ft. Worth Nature Preserve but I didn't make this one either...I noticed that last Tuesday my right foot started hurting. Wednesday it was worse and I think I have a low key stone bruise or just a BOB (big ole bruise) directly on the ball of my right foot. So Fri-Sun, I kept my foot elevated and tried to stay off of it as much as possible. Thankfully it's feeling better and the only thing that I can think of is that my boots may have contributed to the bruise. So it's off to a sports outfitters (or maybe the Army Surplus store) for a new pair of boots...not something I really want to do, but I've learned that if you don't have a good pair of boots, you just won't be hiking very far or for very long.

That's all from here for right now...as the training keeps stepping up I'll keep everyone posted.

DQ

Whew!

Hey all!!

Sorry no updates in a while but training is in full swing and work has been picking back up...here's a recap of my progress the last 3 weeks -

Saturday, Feb 28th

I'm supposed to go to Lake Tawakoni and hike with the TNT team but it's just too cold, too windy and too far for me to drive. Instead, I'll go to Cedar Hill State park tomorrow...

Sunday, March 1st

Hiked the Short Loop on the DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bike Association) trails with my dog Axel. One turn around the trail is a moderate hike with some not to big hills - a good novice trail. I felt guilty about missing Saturday's hike though so I decided to do two laps around that short loop to make up for my laziness. .

My oh my...what a hike...you may not think that 5 miles is too long to walk but I gotta tell you that a 5 mile hike is a trial. By the time I finished the first lap, my feet felt like they had concrete blocks attached to them...my ankles, calves, glutes and hams were screaming bloody murder. The second lap was a gut check though...the whole time I was saying to myself, "bail Don bail...step away from the hiking trail". ;-)

But I couldn't do it...I just kept telling myself to go for the top of the next hill, the next curve...and I made it...I did take one break at about mile 3. Axel and I had water and a snack on the beach just off the western part of the Short Loop.

I felt good though when I got back to the house and didn't have too much soreness the next day.

Sunday, March 7 -

Got my mini stair stepper this week...how quickly I forgot that I hated stairs so much!!

Did the hike with the team at Erwin Park in McKinney yesterday. Nice little trail. Since I hadn't hiked with the team in a while I found they've formed into 3 groups - 'Fast', 'Mid' and 'Slow' - so to figure out where I belonged I went with the 'slow' group.

This group has Francis Hauss, our team's Hero who is a survivor of AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia).

And she is a Hero, no doubt about it.

I learned that she was diagnosed a couple of years ago before Christmas and hospitalized right after that and her son has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's.

She recently hiked Yeosomite and is tackling Grand Canyon this year. She also reminded me of something that I'd forgotten from when dad was going through his chemo...when someone goes through chemotherapy it kills brain cells that can't be re-generated ever again.

I wonder if there is any research out there that is investigating another approach to medicines that don't do this kind of collateral damage to the body? Surely there has to be. Leave a comment if you know of something like that.

Anyway, listening to her story and riding her wave of optimism and enthusiasm made the 3 hour hike breeze by. After we all met up at the pavilion we figured out that our group had taken the back end of the trail that was supposed to be the 'bonus' part of the hike for those who wanted to stretch out their time on the trail...oh well...there's a reason for everything that happens in life and we have to just trust that and keep looking forward.

Thanks Francis for sharing your story and all of that enthusiasm and optimism...

I also hiked today with my lovely wife at what I'm now claiming my "home trails" at Cedar Hill State Park. We did the Short Loop once and took both dogs. Which will be the last time we take both dogs... =8-o

We walked counter clockwise on the loop and unfortunately dumped and/or stopped a couple of riders...Oops...Sorry all you gals and guys!!! My bad!!

There was one rider that wrecked out when he looked up and was surprised to see Axel trotting along in the middle of the trail...
...so he hits the brakes and goes right over the handle bars and face plants right in front of me...
...which of course gets Axel all excited, so he starts barking 'cause this has to be a new game...
...which gets Dot (who I've got on leash) excited and she starts trying to pull towards Axel and the bike rider 'cause Axel is all excited at this new game and she wants in on it...
...which is when I realize that not only is Dot tangled up in the leash string but I'm tangled up in the leash as well...(oh boy)...
...and the bike rider is getting up (thank goodness he's all right, he's laughing...whew!) and trying to pick his bike up as well as trying to make friends with Axel...
...and I'm trying to hold Dot back so I don't get tripped and perform my own graceful 'JackAss" worthy version of a pedestrian/canine face plant in front of the bike rider...(wonder what kind of story he's gonna tell?)
...all the while trying to tell Axel to hush, Dot to quit pulling, "Laura, I need some help", "Sir are you all right", "Axel HUSH!", "Are you sure you're all right?", "Dot quit pulling"...
...and, well, you get the picture...

I don't think you could have seen a better show in Las Vegas...

Sunday, March 15th -

We had a choice this weekend to hike Saturday and/or Sunday at the Dogwood Canyon hike/bike trails @Lake Ray Roberts. This looks like a really cool trail with several different options to choose from, the longest being close to 9 miles.

A lot of TNT members were working Saturday's St. Paddy's Day parade on Greenville Ave. so the Sunday hike could accommodate them while those who didn't do the St. Paddy's Day parade could hike on Saturday.

On Friday, DORBA (runs the hiking and biking trails at the lake) notified Joe that the trails would be closed on Saturday due to all of the rain.

And because of the rain this week, I decided to take a break from training and spend some time shopping for day packs online and at REI and Mountain Sports in Arlington.

Training starts back up in earnest next week.

Talk to y'all then!!

DQ

First Training Hike

Well, I haven't updated in a while due to several reasons, the main being that I was sick and missed a couple of hikes and workouts due to severe dehydration... :-(

But I'm back and ready for more humiliation and hard work!!

I did manage to get in one hike last weekend at Cedar Hill State Park. You wouldn't think that there is a lot of hilly terrain in North Texas but this park continues to surprise with it's trails...I've posted a couple of pics of the Talala trail...

This week's hike will be at Lake Tawakoni, which should be interesting...I've never been to Tawakoni and I'm wondering what the trails out there will like early in the soon to be cold morning...

I'll get an update posted tomorrow evening after I'm back.

Later taters!! - DQ

Learning Curve Time

Leukemia Fact: Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.*

Hey again!

I want to thank those of you who have donated so far or have responded to commit to support my hike for the LLS. It means a lot to see a response to the first set of emails I sent out last Sunday. Thank you.

I wanted to let y'all know a little about the LLS Team In Training Kickoff Event...

In short, it was motivating and moving.

In the motivating category, LLS in Dallas will have a marathon and half marathon teams, a walk team, a triathlon team, a bike team, and the hike team. I'm probably leaving one or two out because of all the participants and their enthusiasm!! Maybe 1/3 of the participants were veterans of the Team in Training program and the rest of us were all rookies. You could tell who we were by the way all our jaws dropped when we heard the cheering, as well as seeing and feeling all of the energy and enthusiasm in the room.

For me personally, the emotional part came when they introduced all of the Heroes who are either fighting or have survived leukemia. In particular was one Hero that survived the type of cancer that my dad succumbed to 16 years ago. It was bittersweet to know that just 16 years later CML is a controllable disease.

Don't get me wrong...I'm thrilled to know that this drug, Gleevic, is finally out on the market to help patients and their families, but I kept coming back to the short time span that had passed to develop and release this drug. Stunning...and bittersweet.

I knew right then and there that I was in the right place at the right time...you know, when you do something that clicks for you? Finding the right mate, the right job, the right church...it was one of those things. God does work in mysterious ways and if you look for it you'll see it all around you as I saw at the kickoff.

And I'm stoked!!

Not only will I be doing this in honor of my dad but I'll also be doing this for

• The 4 or 5 year old Hero who helped to pass out remembrance bracelets
• the ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia) Hero who has been ~15 months in remission
• All of the researchers who are trying to find a cure
• Those families who can't afford chemo treatments or drug therapy
• The folks who get the message out daily to the public that Leukemia can be cured
• The list goes on so I'll stop here!
  

One Hero who was introduced had finished a round of chemo a couple of weeks ago and he was PUMPED for all of the participants...it was very humbling to see someone currently fighting this disease coming out to cheer US on! He must have been very tired. I remember Mom telling me how tired Dad would be after his chemo treatments.

We also got to meet with the other members of our hike team.

There are 60 of us. 30 signed up for the Big Bend Hike and 30 for the Grand Canyon hike. Joe Dann, our coach, and Ryan Minter, LLS lead for the hikers, let us know when our training hikes will be (every Saturday from here on out), gave us a suggested workout plan during the weekdays (huh? weekday workouts?), let us know that there would be weekly voluntary stair climbs (gulp, stair climbs?), and a big thick packet on hiking tips, tricks, and rules of the trail to help us. Joe and Ryan did a great job of laying out all of the preliminaries and answering all of our questions too. Great job guys! Along with all of the hiking info, we also got to meet our mentors who are there to help us fundraise and help us with all of that stuff.

So I've spent the last couple of days going over all of the info in the packet as well as my fundraising page and figuring out how that works...and I'm glad to say it's not been all that bad.

This won't be easy but I know that with your support I'll reach my goals and we'll all be a little farther along with finding a cure.

Our first training hike will be at Arbor Hills in Plano this Saturday and I'll be sure and post some pics when I get to the casa.

Gotta go do some situps, lunges, then walk the dogs...

*LLS Facts 2008-2009

Kick Off to the Big Hike at Big Bend

Hi!

Glad you made it to my Hike for Discovery blog!

If you've just come from my LLS donation page, thanks for coming to check in on my training progress and my hike to either Big Bend or Grand Canyon this coming May.

If you're surfing, thanks for stopping by too!!

Bookmark me and follow the progress of a middle aged amateur hiker about to bite off more than he can chew. And if it strikes your fancy (or whatever!!), consider supporting me and my Hike for Discovery by clicking here and donating whatever you can.

I know that times are tough for everyone but I was reminded today at the Dallas Area Kickoff Event that blood cancers don't recognize what tough economic times are. So even a little will go a long way in helping to support those in need.

From time to time I'll be posting pictures, information about my fundraising progress, Leukemia facts and figures and hopefully you'll learn a little about my father and his struggle with Chronic Myologenous Leukemia (CML) which he lost on February 19, 1993.

It's in his memory that I'm hiking as well as for those currently battling against this disease.

So please support me in reaching my goal of raising $5,000 for the 2009 Big Bend Hike.

See you on the trail...

DQ