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DrRic's Hiking Excursions 2022 - Bryce Canyon National Park Utah

DrRic Hiking Excursions 2022 April Bryce Canyon Group

1-Itinerary:
-fly into Las Vegas Airport morning of April 21st. Ideally wait for group to arrive before 11am. If renting your own car then we just meet at Bryce Best Western Plus at 5pm on the 21st in the lobby as our basecamp. Meet up to preferentially make sure you pick a buddy to be watching over each other. If a non-hiker is coming with you, ok to attend meetings and meal time or picture times.
My flight is United 203 at 717am with arrival at 916 am
I have reserved a standard car and can fit 4 people with 4 check-ins’.
(My outbound flight is United 1583 departing Las Vegas April 25th at 645pm arriving Ohare at 1207am (both direct flights)
I would suggest stopping in Vegas at the Whole Foods Market 6689 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas Nevada 89119 to purchase basic nutrition for the days nutrition. Most likely we will hang together to eat dinner and celebrate our Summits for the day. I am investigating options for night hikes just outside the park. At any time if not interested in meet up -ok to be on your own. 
As a disclaimer, DrRic Hiking Excursions is all volunteer and Dr Saguil assumes no responsibility for injuries, occurrences, flight cancellations, inclement weather and emotional/physical hardships that may occur while on the trip. 
As a sports medicine trained primary care physician, first aid will be offered under the Good Samaritan Act. Patients enrolled with his Herbal411 Warrior Membership may get more personalized care within the scope of any treatment that can be administered on the trip.
Also all pictures taken by doctor are going to be published on DrRic’s social media to inspire his subscribers/friends to also make healthy lifestyle changes. (For future bucket list events…Grand Canyon summer!)
The plan is to meet up before dinner-time at “base camp” to discuss hiking strategies for next day. Basecamp default will be the lobby of Best Western Plus hotel Bryce Canyon (times to be approximately 1.5 hours after sunset)
Day hikes will be determined end of March as we watch the pandemic, weather and the performance of the group during training hikes. Thus all participants are required to attend the monthly mandatory hikes. The reason for having a designated buddy would be if a hiker is slower than the average group speed, it is only fair to allow the group to move onward and allow the slower participants to enjoy the Canyon at a comfortable pace with the designated buddy. Most moderate trails are 3-6miles, but the group will be combining 2 trails daily to see more park vistas.  The longest strenuous trail is the Fairyland Loop at 8miles and it is suggested to take 4-5 hours to finish the loop. 
Even for those just visiting the park for pictures at the rim sunrise or sunset, all points in the park are breathtaking.
2-Safety
I cannot ask anyone to share their medical history (that is not part of my herbal411 clinic), however for those sharing a car, you should be comfortable with using an N95 mask while in the car as the potential for covid (although low) still exists (on the plane and in the car).

I anticipate also visiting Zion National Park as it is on the way to Bryce for the overlook trail (the picture I use for the landing page of DrRic Hiking Excursions on Facebook!) Also depending on how fast the group tackles the day hikes, visiting Zion again is possible as the trails/vistas at Zion are also breathtaking and only 1.5 hours from Bryce Canyon. 

Hikers wanting to get to Bryce earlier/later within our stay (April 21st to 25th) are welcome to just join up any day as long as you attend the prior evening meet up. We will need a head count and declaration of your “hiking buddy” to make sure we can depart from the morning/evening rally point on time. Most hikes will begin before sunrise as Bryce Canyon is know to glow and the color change of the hoodoos (rock formations within the canyon) are a spiritual event)

Evening hikes will be more informal as darkness and starlight changes the landscape and for safety reasons we should only be doing short hikes for the night sky experience (again depending on the weather)

The temperatures in Bryce during April are averages of 20’s to 50’s and snow storms in April are still possible. See https://wildlandtrekking.com/bryce-canyon-visitor-guide/visiting-bryce-canyon-in-april/

Bryce Canyon is at an elevation of 9,100ft.

As a reference, Denvers International Airport is at 5,430ft,

Las Vegas International Airport is at 2,181ft

My strenuous Colorado hikes are at 14,000ft (and I have had elevation sickness each time but still continued to hike even with pre hike training in Illinois as there is no way to prepare for elevation unless you rent a pressure tent to sleep in nightly the week before the trip.  See https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/do-altitude-tents-work/

3-Training Schedule in Illinois:

Highly Suggested:

January 23rd - 5 miles done St James Farm Forest Preserve

February 20th - To be announced

March 20th - Shamrock Shuffle 2 Mile + “1 More Round” (another loop for distance) https://www.shamrockshuffle.com/

April 21st - The Excursion at Bryce

Bonus Group Hikes:

February 13th - Raceway Woods Forest Preserve Carpentersville (meet at the rt 31 East Parking Lot)

9am

February 27th - to be announced 

March 13th - to be announced 

On your own training:

Accrue your own weekly mileage to be “tolerant “ to 8-10 miles or 5-6 hours of hiking with a 15-20lb back pack 

example-

2/13 5 miles cold weather clothing check

2/20 5 miles cold weather clothing check

2/27 5 miles walking sticks

3/6 5-6 miles walking sticks and equipment break in

3/13 6 miles walking sticks and equipment break in

3/20 6 miles with weighted back pack

3/27 6-8 miles 2-3mph pace with weighted back pack

4/3 7-8 miles 2-3mph pace with weighted back pack

4/10 8-10miles 2-3 mph pace with weighted back pack

Weekly jogging/treadmill/forced march/indoor cycle/ neighborhood (cardio)

Weekly calisthenics (legs core shoulders)

Updates and announcements will be on 

Facebook DrRic -Hiking Excursions 

and 

Herbal411.com DrRic’s Ranting Section

DrRic Hiking Excursions 2022 Bryce Canyon

2022 Restart

Training schedule for 6 mile hikes:

1-January 23rd Sunday

2-February 20th Sunday

3-March 20th Sunday (2mile walk with The Shamrock Shuffle +/- “One More Round” downtown.

4-April 21st-25th Bryce Canyon National Park Utah

Places and time dependent on weekend weather forecast (will post 1 week before on FB and DrRic Rant.

flight out- Ohare to Las Vegas United 203   at 7:15a April 21

flight in  - Las Vegas to Ohare United 1062 at 6:02p April 25

 

Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel

The Covid Clinic

(...if your are not sure what to do or don't have a doctor to guide, click The Covid Clinic link on www.herbal411.com)

Before Exposure:

1-vitamin d3 at least 3000 IU daily (unless a recent blood test has revealed low levels and adjustments have already been made)

2-vitamin C at least 1000mg twice a day

3-zinc 50mg daily (glycinate or elemental)

4-quercetin 250mg daily

5-melatonin 6mg at usual bedtime

6-Nose rinsing with a neti pot or neti med sterile saline +/- povidone 3x daily

Gargling 3x daily

Until the lethality of the Omicron varianti s determined from South Africa's data...avoid large unmasked gatherings, work on co-morbid conditions you may have been dealing with, eat to support your immune system, maintain exercise weekly volume and sleep deep!

After exposure while waiting for PCR results:

1-Fever Sweats Chills - tylenol 500-1000 3x daily

2-Headache - tylenol +/- Motrin (back up pain killer low side effect profile

3-Cough/SOB - NAC, Delsym, Benzonatate, budesonide neb/inhaler, albuterol neb/inhaler

(Xray zpak)

4-Gut - Ondansetron, NUUN, airborne, pellegrino BRAT diet

5-Energy - Steroid burst, NR (daytime) / Melatonin, L theanine, Benadryl, Ambien

My Video on 4 Symptom "Fixes"

Personalized options for non vaccinated or high risk:

1-Monoclonal infusions (but institutions like Northwestern Medicine have paused all infusions for the time being)

2-Longer higher dosing for “After exposure”

-prednisone daily with taper

-budesonide steroid inhaled treatment

-stronger pain meds if imaging tests are normal (ct brain, chest ct, abdominal ct)

-IV hydration in an ER

-antibiotics if considering secondary bacterial infection (sinus chest throat bronchus)

3-repurposed drugs:

-Ivermectin from a Compounding pharmacy 0.4mg/kg/d x 5d

-Fluvoxamine from regular pharmacy 50-100mg 1-2xd x 14d

-Spironolactone 100mg 2xd

-Nitazoxanide 600mg 2xd x 5d

-vasepa

-famotidine

-atorvastatin

-cholchicine

-enoxaparin

-cyproheptadine

Long Hauler Syndrome / Post Covid Syndrome:

1-Immediate day to day improvement of “activities of daily living” 

2-Reset of sleep wake cycle

3-Re-plan nutritional daily tolerance

4-Re-start activity tolerance

5-Re-entry into work force

6-Back to planing lifestyle change for future co-morbid conditions  (Go to www.herbal411.com New Patient Consult)

Quarantine Guidance from the CDC:

Quarantine:

Quarantine if you have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19, unless you have been fully vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after contact with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 5-7 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

What to do:

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.
• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
• If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

After quarantine:

• Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
• If you have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your local public health authority or healthcare provider.

You may be able to shorten your quarantine:

Your local public health authorities make the final decisions about how long quarantine should last, based on local conditions and needs. Follow the recommendations of your local public health department if you need to quarantine. Options they will consider include stopping quarantine

• After day 10 without testing
• After day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later)

In areas using options to reduce quarantine times, people who are asymptomatic can use a negative test result collected on day five (5) after exposure to exit quarantine on day seven (7), with additional self-monitoring. The day of exposure is considered day zero (0).

Isolation:

Isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected.

People who are in isolation should stay home until it’s safe for them to be around others. At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use a separate bathroom (if available). 

To calculate your 10 full day isolation period, day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.

If you test positive for COVID-19 and never develop symptoms, day 0 is the day of your positive viral test (based on the date you were tested) and day 1 is the first full day after your positive test. If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 10-day isolation period must start over. Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.

What to do:

• Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
• Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible.
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
• Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets.
• Don’t share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
• Wear a mask when around other people if able.

Learn more about what to do if you are sick and how to notify your contacts.

Someone who tested positive for COVID-19 with a viral test within the previous 90 days and has subsequently recovered and remains without COVID-19 symptoms does not need to quarantine. However, close contacts with prior COVID-19 infection in the previous 90 days should:

• Wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days after exposure.
• Monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and isolate immediately if symptoms develop.
• Consult with a healthcare professional for testing recommendations if new symptoms develop.

I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms:

You can be around others after:

• 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
• 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*

*Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation​

Note that these recommendations do not apply to people with severe COVID-19 or with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised).

I tested positive for COVID-19 but had no symptoms:

If you continue to have no symptoms, you can be with others after 10 days have passed since you had a positive viral test for COVID-19 (based on the date you were tested).

If you develop symptoms after testing positive, your 10-day isolation period must start over.   Day 1 is your first day of symptoms. Follow the guidance above for “I think or know I had COVID-19, and I had symptoms.”

I was severely ill with COVID-19 or have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) caused by a health condition or medication:

People who are severely ill with COVID-19 might need to stay home longer than 10 days and up to 20 days after symptoms first appeared. People with weakened immune systems may require testing to determine when they can be around others. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information. Your healthcare provider will let you know if you can resume being around other people based on the results of your testing.

People who are immunocompromised should be counseled about the potential for reduced immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines and the need to continue to follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others they don’t live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) to protect themselves against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider. Close contacts of immunocompromised people should also be encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect these people.

Muscle is Key to Anti-Aging

 Me at 18 and 58

I honor my runner, cyclist and swimmers

BUT

Skeletal muscle serves us in several ways. Locomotion, temp control, defense, proprioception and hormonal.  I’ll speak of the latter as this seems to be where my conversation goes to when debating my resistant-to-resistance exercise clients/patients.  Guys have the luxury of workin out in High school in the weight room as the coach (at least in the 80’s) would be able to cut the animals loose that didnt need extra attention.  (Like a trainer chewing up purchased training time by having client on a bike for 10 minutes!!! Not at The Endorphine Effect!!!) If you didnt learn weight lifting movements with a coach or friend, then the likelihood is you may have picked it up on a youtube video but its not the same!!! Case in point my client last week had a frozen shoulder and the arc of motion movements I was planning for her wouldn’t work so on the fly I had to modify for her to embrace her limitations while empowering her to overcome the restrictions.  One size does not fit all in exercise or food or medicines.

The lowest hanging fruit in designing a lifestyle change for someone is to consider what held them back last time and what resonates with them now. I’m a tough coach though, if something didn't serve before…(wasnt sustainable) then WE WILL NOT EMBARK ON THE SAME TRAIL AGAIN FOR FEAR OF ENDING UP AT THE SAME DESTINATION!  So the catch phrase “I know what to do I just have to do it” doesnt sit well with me as if “IT” is your pre-ordained recipe, then you miraculously would be able to maintain “IT” effortlessly without thinking twice.  

Granted there are other variables that block successful maintenance of ritual lifestyle change like

Physical disability

Illness

Pandemics

Mental mood disruption

Age related disease

Care giver status

BUT that is why a plan should be personally designed by someone who is experienced with constructing templates (and I feel someone who knows disease pathophysiology).  One doesnt have to be a physician but you should know human biology, physiology and behavior. 

So how does this fit into longevity? Cool data exists linking longevity with jumping height and speed of getting up from the ground. The blue zones showed that mobility also was a common thread with the 5 zones of the Earth where higher concentrations of centenarians exist.  Mobility in my opinion translates to independence (in addition to a few other things like intact memory-ALSO RESPONSIVE TO EXERCISE!) So the usual knee jerk reaction for folks going to their wellness exam at 40-50yrs of age is “I better start exercising” then the usual next step is “jogging”. (That word-I always think of Sylvester Stallone running in south philly with converse high tops and grey sweats) which is fine for entry level but a 40-50yr old with extra weight and no experience in cross country or track? ASKING FOR KNEE PAIN! Yes there is a proper way to run and its not innate. (Especially with a BMI > 27)  Again a coach can evaluate gait and make suggestions turn knees out, keep arms low, dont swing to wide, watch heel whip…. So if all these measures are important for something as easy as running….what’s a newbie to do with a multitude of equipment pieces weights bands position machines for the desire to look like “my 20’s”.

1st commit to change

2nd plan to invest time and money (if you say you cant afford it…start calculating sick time wages lost, copays for prescription medicine and just calculate how much you would pay to not feel lousy anymore

3rd have a reliable team to guide you and rescue you (this can be a combination of doctors trainer counselors nutritionist family members teachers you tubers.

4th plan to fail 

5th plan to get back up (I say chunk it up to bite sized “trails” to make it more doable and get smaller but more frequent dopamine rewards by accomplishing smaller goals than 1 huge goal of loosing 1000 lbs in 1month.

Resistance hurts and learning new things is annoying but the endorphine release/serotonin high/dopamine reward are all coming your way! My last client said she felt tingling to her back after we were finished the training session….my doctor hat said I better worry about a pinched nerve.  She said “…no I meant the tingling of an orgasm!!!” This was a 70+ year old and just goes to show you, never too old to get muscle to give you a youthful feel again! 

No Train / No Gain  (no orgasm feeling!? LOL)

=DrRic

 

 DrRic 2021 Hybrid Colorado Training Schedule

Informational meeting June 26th The Endorphine Effect Bartlett 11:00am “How I train to summit 14000 feet”

Suggestions:

-Hiking Boots, Walking Sticks, Backpack, Water Flask, Fuel, Communication, Hiking Buddy

-Training Weekly with inclide acclimation, shoe break-in, weighted back packs, hydration/salt, endurance.

-Nutrition and weight loss for Colorado altitude

-Control/reversal of current medical disease.

Departure Chicago Ohare Int August 26th morning to Denver Int Airport

Departure Denver Int Airport  August 30th afternoon home

Basecamp Dillon Colorado (everyone on your own regarding shelter car rental food/water)

Tentative schedule:

Check-in to Dillon CO (individual accommodations) Aug 26th

Meet up and time/communication sync evening Aug 26th TBA

Trail head launch Mt Evans 6am Aug 27th

Meet up dinner post summit dinner/discussion/pics TBA

Recup day/yoga/dispensary/massage/low altitude hike/on your own

Trail head launch Mt Bierdstadt or Grays Peak or Mt Sherman 8/29 

Celebration evening 8/29

Return 8/30

Participation can be virtual as we will be broadcasting FB live when reception available (during training)

Colorado Trail head launch mandatory however individual Hiking Buddy groups determine altitude goals (at your own speed) with communication always suggested with alpha group.

Announcements will be posted Thurs/Fri on Facebook DrRic Hiking Excursions regarding weekend training.

Suggestions for training:

Weekdays:

-Mon Wed Fri….Resistance HIIT training to develop confidence in perceived exertion, lower blood pressure, slower resting heart rate (both max autonomic control), increase VO2max. 

-Tue Thur Cardio Fitness….Hikers choice cycle, run, swim, distance hiking,

-Weekends….Stairs at Swallow Cliff equal to time spent in CO going up (3 hours) or elevation change going up (3 miles) 

OR

10mile hike with weighted back pack (20-40 lbs) + hiking sticks

Transport, food and accommodations all up to individuals.  Training and all event risks are responsibility of individuals choosing to participate one their own.  

DrRic's 6 Week Weight Loss Program

Class is in Session

July 17th-August 21st!!!

Objective: 

-Educate on nutrition and activity, 
-Implement familiarity with training center use and varied forms of exercise.
-Support current medical challenges (ie, blood pressure, trigger points, exhaustion, diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic pain…) using vitamins, acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness and when necessary- medicines.
-Accelerate gains in strength, endurance, mood, sleep and focus.
-Launch into “next phase” lifestyle planning, goal setting and disease modification.

Schedule:

Initial health screening intake review (+/- pre program blood testing depending on individual insurance annual deductible)
Group expectations presented for 6 weeks
Weekend group meetings with DrRic and shuffling of “Summits”* (specific weekend day TBA)
On-your-own homework during the week (intertwining self exercise with EE classes and trainers)
Sunday walk-and-talk leg training with DrRic Hiking Excursion Group (separate program)
*Summit weeks (to be shuffled depending on group dynamic):

-Insulin Sensitivity week- (caloric restrictions based on resting metabolic rate)
-Resistance week- (concept teaching, trainer engagement Endorphine Effect, machine equipment use, personal design +/- outside rehab depending on conditioning and medical insurance)
-Cardio week- (goal teaching, class engagement Endorphine Effect, independent planning daily)
-Fasting week- (gut and metabolic reset, 5 day vs IF based on Insulin week)
-Hell week- (two-a-days, liberated re-feeding)
-Recovery week- (macro reFeeding, decreased tempo, wean down vitamins/medicines)

-Colorado week- Invitation for graduates 

Place: 

The Endorphine Effect Training Center 

-891 South Illinois Route 59, Bartlett IL 60103

 (847) 416-2000 

Dates: July 17th-August 21st (+ offer to meet up with hiking group August 26-30th in Colorado)