This post is the third installment in a series of posts covering my journey to hike the Superior Hiking Trail with MCAS.
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Table of Contents
Why hike the SHT?
I have MCAS, and I’m always looking for ways to push the limits of my disability. After reading Cheryl Strayed’s book Wild this summer, I decided to do a solo hike in the Minnesota wilderness.
To manage it I had to cut back on some of the supplements and therapeutic practices that I use to manage my MCAS, and in the process I found I could manage with less than I thought.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS often experience significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.
MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.
Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
The Superior Hiking Trail
The SHT is a hiking trail in northern Minnesota comprised of public and private lands that is about 300 miles long.
On day three of my hike I planned to pack up my camp, head south, and do a section of the SHT near Duluth today.
As I drove down Hwy. 61 I was amazed by the huge amount of water pouring down from higher elevations. Beside the highway little waterfalls were gushing down the glacial rocks where there had only been a trickle on my way north a few days ago. I stopped to take videos at the Cross and Temperance Rivers because it was so impressive. There was also evidence of places where Hwy 61 had been closed the night before due to flood waters, and sizable chunks of the shoulder and edge of the road were washed away.
Stay away from the SHT!
I also stopped at the SHT administrative office in Two Harbors to buy a set of paper maps. I have Gaia Maps, Avenza, Strava, and Garmin Explore on my phone, but I just feel so much more secure with a paper map in my hands. I keep trying to get the hang of navigating on my phone, and I’ll keep at it, but having the paper maps just feels like a good backup.
While at the SHT office, the staff said they were urging everyone to stay off the SHT. The recent rain has overwhelmed the trails, which are in serious jeopardy of erosion. I’ve been trying to do my part by staying off the vulnerable parts, but it impressed upon me the need to stay off completely. They recommended I do the Duluth Lakewalk portion of the trail, which is all paved.
Opting to hike on paved trails instead
So, I started at the Rose Garden at Leif Erikson Park in Duluth, which has a nice-sized parking lot, bathrooms, and easy access to the SHT. I love how the SHT is very well marked, and this part in particular was marked with stickers at every turn. Just when I was wondering which way to go I found a little sticker on a lamp post with an arrow guiding my way.
The contrast between this urban section of the SHT with the beach walk I did yesterday was pretty amazing. There were lots of people around, including some homeless folks camped in the park, but there were lots of beautiful views. It made me realize there isn’t much of a leap from being a thru-hiker and homeless. In both cases, you are out in the elements trying to survive, though of course hiking is a huge privilege taken by choice.
Mosquitos and ticks
Some people have asked about bugs on the trail, and this is one area that is a pretty big deal for me. I’ve had chronic Lyme disease for decades, and it took a lot of trauma healing over the last five years for me to get past my fear of ticks and vector-borne illness in general and be able to go out into nature at all. Add to that the multiple chemical sensitivities that are part of my MCAS, and I can’t tolerate chemical bug sprays or sunscreens.
The bugs have been fierce, both mosquitos and black flies. I’ve been wearing long-sleeved and long-legged sun protection clothing and my trusty sun hat. And I have a fine-mesh bug net for my head that has been a godsend. I’m also using two kinds of essential oil-based bug sprays that have worked well for the exposed parts of my skin. I can’t tolerate EOs much, and I’m prone to developing skin sensitivity, so I’m using them sparingly.
An example of the crazy bugginess is that when I parked about ten meters into the woods at the beach walk I was immediately attacked by millions of mosquitos. I quickly put on my bug hat and sprayed my hands, but I still got many bites. I can only imagine how bad the bugs are up in the deep woods.
We’re in it for the long haul
If you’re following along this is going to be a long haul. Part of the challenge of doing the SHT is finding the time away from regular life to spend doing it. I’m heeding the advice of the SHT staff and staying away from the SHT for at least a few weeks to let the trail recover from the heavy rains and will continue to work on the book I’m writing. I’m also sore from the short amount of hiking I’ve done, and I plan to work on my stamina on local hikes near my house before I head back up North in a few weeks. I’ve got two time spans earmarked for July, and then I plan to focus the bulk of my SHT hiking in August and September when it will hopefully be cooler, drier, and less buggy.
So, that’s it for now! Thanks for following along! It’s been fun imagining you all tracking my route and I’ve loved reading your comments. See you next time!
The bucket theory
The bucket theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.
Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but they combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.
Know your typical symptom progression
Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.
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Check out this powerful frequency device
Healy is an individualized specific microcurrent device (ISM) that runs beneficial electrical currents directed by an app on your phone. Healy can be used to magnify your intention and to get the most out of your life. Check out this post for more about Healy. And this post provides some tips and tricks for Healy.
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If you want help getting started with frequency healing sign up for a session with me and we will go over the basics of frequency healing!
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Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment. Always seek advice from your medical doctor.
