Keeping one’s body hydrated, especially when in hot temperatures and participating in an outdoor activity, must be a priority. And I should know better as I live in the desert! But in vacation mode, I was not paying attention to how much water-rich foods or fluids I was ingesting. Also, I was visiting friends living at a higher altitude than my hometown. With my faster breathing in the thinner, dry air and my sweat evaporating from my skin exposed to sun and wind, my body was dehydrating as I hiked.

My backpack carried a full water bladder, yet apparently I soon discover, it was not enough water for this 5 mile hike. Knowing the early symptoms of dehydration, unfortunately because I have had serious dehydration events in my past, I quickly took note of headache and fatigue setting in.

My hiking buddy and I turned back on the trail, stopped in shady spots, and I sipped from her water container a couple of times. We eventually made the decision to cut away from the main trail and hike a social trail to a road. I know the forest service wants everyone to stay on the main trail, but this shortcut would be a half mile less of walking as we returned to our vehicle down the road.

So how did this happen to me? I had water in my backpack and was sipping it while on the trail. Days prior to this hike at a higher altitude than home, I should have been sure to be hydrated then and not wait to the day of the hike to hydrate. Lemonade, milk, water, juices, water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables all would have helped. I soon realized, a colonoscopy and illness the week before probably left me dehydrated. The bottom line was I did a lousy job being hydrated for this hike and I should have known better!

So the moral of the story…stay hydrated every day… carry plenty of water on a hike… know the symptoms for dehydration and return to a safe place to get hydrated. Be ready to hike on another day safely!