SIOUX CITY -- A crisis led Dr. Mike Jones to hike 230 miles in 15 days across some of the most remote parts of the Sierras in California.

Crisis?

"I'm turning 65," said Jones with a smile. "Call it a late-life crisis."

Jones, an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) who has practiced for three decades in Sioux City, completed the John Muir Trail, a rigorous and dangerous hike solo three years ago. He wondered if he'd ever do it again.

Why? "Because it beats the hell out of you," he said.

Jones began Aug. 30 at Yosemite Valley, a spot at 4,000 feet that gave him a chance to acclimate his body before climbing some 43,000 feet during the following two weeks. Many people opt out early along the John Muir Trail, a trail often considered the crown jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail.

"There are bail out points along the trail, but not after the sixth day," he says. "I had to cover 140 miles without resupply in the last nine days."

He did it. One reason: He packed lightly. Very lightly. In this kind of challenge, ounces count.

"My base weight, which is all the stuff I had, not counting the food, was 11 pounds," said Jones, who also carried a 2.5-pound bear canister to store food. He also lugged along a 2-pound video camera to shoot 10 hours of high definition video of some of the best vistas in the world.

He ate homemade trail mix consisting of almonds, cranberry raisins and more. He made beef jerky from flank steak (the belly of a cow) and purchased Bear Valley Pemmican bars. Pemmican, he notes, is a mix of Alaskan walrus fat and berries. It's high in fat, stuffed with calories; like an energy bar with 400 calories in 4 ounces.

"I ate protein all day, but was never hungry," says Jones, who burned nearly 4,000 calories daily and lost 13 pounds in those 15 days.

Bear canisters are required by all in national forest areas. Were he without one, Jones could have faced a $5,000 fine. Or, worse? An attack by a bear.

"I saw one black bear who ran across the trail just ahead of me," he said. "Was I scared? Heck yes, I was scared. I had a Swiss army knife on me."

Bears, he said, can smell what's inside a sealed can hundreds if not thousands of yards away. One woman at a stop along the trail had left a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich inside the trunk of her car. A bear broke out a back window and tore the trunk apart from the back seat in order to reach and devour the sandwich.

Jones' backpack weighed 10 ounces. His shoes weighed 14.5 ounces, a big difference over the 20-ounce half-marathon shoes he had considered wearing.

What's the big deal selecting 14.5-ounce shoes over 20-ounce shoes? "It's a big deal when you're going 230 miles at those elevations," he said. "I was told I saved my body about 100 tons over the course of the hike just by choosing the lighter shoe."

Jones' shoes were size 12 for the hike, a couple of sizes larger than he normally wears. He selected larger shoes as they allowed room for proper foot car. The Sioux City native wound New Zealand merino wool around his feet and toes each day. He sported two pairs of socks daily.

"As you walk this wool forms a cast around your feet," he said.

Even two months after his hike, Jones cannot fit back into his size 10 shoes. His feet, like a weight-lifter's biceps, expanded with muscle under the constant grind.

To guard against dehydration, Jones drank 6.5 quarts of water daily, water that came through a 7-ounce MSR water filter that fit into the neck of his 1.5-ounce Sam's Club water bottle.

Even Jones' mode of communication was lighter this time around. In 2006, he carried a 13-ounce phone. This year, he checked in daily with wife Susie Jones in Sioux City through a 6.5-ounce satellite phone.

Jones applied sun protective cream only once, at the start of his hike. After that point, his skin was protected by a thin layer of grime. He kept mosquitoes at bay by covering himself with his 2.2-pound quilt and a 2.1-pound tarp. He also had gloves, mosquito netting and a homemade hat.

Along the way, Jones met four women who were hiking alone. He met several men doing the same. He also came across a couple of U.S. Navy SEALS who conducted a training session along the John Muir Trail. The SEALS completed in four days what Jones did in 15. The SEALS also carried 50-pound packs.

There were other rules, such as no fires can be built over 10,000 feet. And, those hiking, are not to discard anything. Jones was self-contained and kept everything on his person. That's another reason he weighed everything.

To cleanse himself, he carried a 1-ounce container of Betadene and 1 ounce of Dawn dishwashing liquid.

"It's a love-hate deal," said Jones, an adventurous type who rides on RAGBRAI and took up motorcycling a decade ago. "You do forget the pain after a while and remember the good stuff. The High Sierra Wilderness has some of the prettiest spots in the U.S., but you can't see them unless you're there."

Forester's Pass rates as his favorite site. It is two days from any sign of civilization.

Completing the John Muir Trail a second time was cause for celebration, Jones said. After being picked up by a relative, the surgeon asked to be taken to McDonalds.

"I had an Angus burger, the biggest fries and the biggest malt they had," he said. "It took me a few minutes to eat it."

Ninety minutes later the car passed a Wendy's Restaurant. Jones had his driver pull in.

"I had to have some chicken nuggets," he said.

That night, he relaxed and thought of the high points of his trek while enjoying the benefits of a two-hour sports massage.

BREAKOUT

Like to hear about the John Muir Trail? See www.mikejones.us and see what this Sioux City surgeon experienced. For a photo gallery, see www.siouxcityjournal.com