Published: Oct. 17, 2012 Updated: Oct. 18, 2012 10:55 a.m.

Trail trek takes O.C. man 250 miles for 70th birthday

By FRED SWEGLES / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

To celebrate his 70th birthday, all Steve Netherby of San Clemente did was hike California's fabled John Muir Trail.

A former camping editor of Field & Stream magazine, he trekked 29 days – all solo except for the last six days, when Kathleen "Kat" Cobb, a San Clemente resident and fellow board member with the San Onofre Foundation, joined him for the final rugged 50 miles.

In all, Netherby covered about 250 miles, lugging a pack that weighed 44 to 50 pounds. He took on the 211-mile John Muir Trail from Yosemite Valley to the peak of Mount Whitney, the highest summit in the lower 48 states, at 14,505 feet. It was his seventh ascent to Whitney's summit.


http://www.ocregister.com/news/trail-374919-whitney-hike.html

Congratulations to Fred! That is 210 miles continuously on one trip averaging 7.2 miles per day and not several trips on the different sections over time.

I'm less than finger counts from his age and am still in pretty decent shape though am not at all interest in engaging in any hiking or climbing record attempts. And the notion of long distance hikes has never interested me though I respect those who do so. Am certain to continue backpacking and hiking in the Sierra as long as my body is still capable without becoming injured and would be great if I can do so into my 80s. Saw something on one of the PBS shows this year on aging where a small percentage of people seem to have one DNA gene that is an indicator of those that age a lot more slowly than others. Seeing all my peers looking a lot older is making me wonder if I'm one too.

A few years ago Hulda Crook failed to climb Mount Whitney on her 90th birthday after doing so 22 times so then had to hang up the boots.

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