OK....

I was up last week with my daughter.  A base camp type trip.....not too bad.

On the drive up, I started feeling kind of bad.  By the time we went into the park I was really feeling poorly.......Not the flu or anything like that.....no temp, but just feeling like CRAP.

We had 1 nice day, and then 2 days of CRAP.......35 degree overnights, and 50 degree daytime temps with 20mph winds.

SO......you're sick, COLD, WET......and windbound.

Do you stay a couple more days and see if it passes.  THE weather, the sickness, the wind......or PUNT.

MadNat and I had a 5 or 6 hour break in the weather, so we packed up, and paddled out.

A good decision, I think.........the weather was still crappy, and I guess it rained all that day, but cleared up the next.  

I drove 2000 thousand miles......2 days up 2 days back, and spent 3 nights, 4 days in the park......

What would you do?

Later,

Geo

That's a tough one.  I live in MN and we're only 300 miles, so it's hard for me to say given your situation.

My wife an I were in a similar scenario a few years ago.  Neither of us were ill, but we had weather as bad (if not worse) than you describe.  We even had snow one morning (this was around May 25th).  In addition, there was a burning ban on so no campfire.

We departed early in that case and went to my parent's house (which is only 90 miles from Ely).

But a 2,000 mile trip?  Dunno.  My initial thought is why stay when you're miserable?

You had to make a tough decision, and with the daughter, probably made the right one.  

I've recently discovered a pattern...on the first or second day of trips I often have had headaches and some feeling of nausea.  I've concluded I am suffering from dehydration.  The excitement of the trip, the intitial flurry of activity getting ready and launching...all cause me to forget to drink.  After reading my past journals I discovered the trend, and now plan to drink at least two liters of water the first day.  
I'm told dehydration can easily occur during wet cold days...you don't feel like drinking even though you should and you continue to lose fluids.  So, my suggestion: consider forcing yourself to drink lots of water and see how things go in the future.  

Other symptoms of dehydration: fast heart beat and dizziness.  

I've learned it's one of the most common causes of ailments in the bush.

For what it's worth...

prouboy

Prouboy makes an excellent point. Don't know if that was GeoFisher's problem, but I bet it effects people more than they realize.
 Assuming your not on meds, certain vitamins, the easiest way too see if your dehydrated is by the color of your urine.
 PEE clear, means your well hydrated, when it starts too turn yellow/dark yellow, it's concentrated, and your dehydrated.
 A good habit too get into, is drinking a big helping of water FIRST thing in the morning, before you have your caffeinated beverage. Caffeine is a diuretic, if your already borderline dehydrated first thing in morning, drinking caffeine alone, just adds too he problem.
If your drinking adult beverages in the evening, the alcohol helps dehydrate you as well. Some people drink little in the evening because they don't want to make a bathroom trip. That's a mistake as well. Being dehydrated can effect your sleep and how warm you stay. Bring a P-Bottle with you if you rather not wander out in the bush.
 I think you made the right call with the the responsibility of your daughter, her welfare comes first. If I were alone, and drove all that way, I would probably try and stick it out, but that's easy too say from here.

I don't believe I was dehydrated........I'm REALLY good about that...........and usually drink at least 3-4 nalgene bottles full of water a day..........sometimes more..........   :)   :)  

I actually think I was sick from NOT sleeping the day before, driving 15 hours, driving another 5 hours, and then paddling 1/2 day.......

I think I just burned myself out.

It sucks though......because I was REALLY looking forward to this trip.

Later,

Geo

Given the importance of hydration, and you are sure you were well hydrated, then you may be right that you were simply exhausted.  Sometimes we just underestimate the importance of SLEEP.  We think we can keep going and keep going and never give our bodies the chance to rejuvenate.  And we get up to the canoe country expecting it to do that for us, but we are already running on empty.  

OR. . . you may actually have had a "bug" of some kind and have been ill.  

Either way, it sounds like you made the correct decision, albeit it a very disappointing one.

There is always another year.  Stay well and try again.

Sorry to hear about your experience, though.  That's a bummer.  

tough call, especially with a kid along.

Your only options were to stay and hope you got better (maybe just spend a day in your sleeping bag, or sitting around a big fire), or leave.

One thing that you might have tried was to simply go out to town and get a motel room for a couple of nights, and see if you felt better, and if so, attempt to get a new entry permit and resume your trip.  Gives you a third option.

A friend of my brother's came out to Colorado to Elk hunt with us one year - he caught some kind of flu bug or whatever, and felt miserable (it snowed off and on) - we took him out to town and he stayed in a motel for 3 days, and when we went to check on him, he felt a lot better and rejoined us and at least got in 3 days of hunting.  

I could have done that...............actually wish I had...........

Here is a video link to my trip

  (You need to Login or Register

Geo,

It doesn't happen all that often, but sometimes the mountain wins.

I'm sorry to hear of your sickness.  All too often I burn both ends of the candle (and even the middle) when we're getting ready for vacation.  Sounds like you did the same, and your body let you know it.  I would say that you made a wise, albeit tough decision to come out early, before the situation became much worse.

Mad_Mat's suggestion of staying in town a night or 2 to see if you get better is a good thought, if you have the time.  I'm thinking a nice sauna and a few hours of sleep might put a spring back in my step.

GF,

We spoke by cell on the way up and CT and I endured 7 days of what yoiu went thru and it was tough.  I remember waking up in a shiver and putting on my fleece jacket, wool socks, under armour bottoms and top and a toboggan and then zipped my down bag over my head.  It was 34 degrees and I just about froze my ass off.  CT persuaded me to leave my gore-tex Danner boots home in favor of my wet shoes.  By the time I did the Bottle portage I was cussing him.  None the less we had a good trip and cought some fish when we could fish.  All in all it was a brutal trip weatherwise.

I sent DB some photos for POD maybe he'll post them.