Mount Baldy via Register Ridge – TrailGenic Validation Hike

Purpose Phase:

TrailGenic™ Fuel Test Series — Register Ridge Comparative Trial
Focus: Redmond ReLyte sodium-stability assessment under fasted autophagy state and dry-heat exposure.
Goal: Evaluate ReLyte’s electrolyte efficiency versus prior benchmarks (Nuun Sport, ATH Lytes, LMNT) in controlled alpine conditions. Determine hydration volume, muscle response, and subjective endurance during a steady 55 °F ascent replicating previous test parameters.

Performance Metrics

Training State: Fasted (autophagy active; catecholamine-driven ascent)
Start Time: 9:30 AM — matched previous Nuun / ATH Lytes trials for consistency
Conditions: Ambient 55 °F throughout, bright sun raising felt temperature to ≈ 60 °F; no summit wind-chill.
Hydration Load: 4 × 500 ml flasks ≈ 2 L total — all ReLyte (2.5 packets consumed to summit)
Electrolyte Concentration: 1000 mg Na / 400 mg K per serving → Na:K ≈ 2.5 : 1
Heart Rate: Zone 3 steady → Zone 4 controlled push
AI-Estimated VO₂ Max: ≈ 47 ml/kg/min — high adaptation band
Stress Load: Moderate-high — sun exposure and hydration volume fatigue
Outcome Summary: ReLyte delivered clean hydration and reduced muscle tightness but under-performed in energy sustainment. See Science Hub review for comparative analysis.

Subjective Experience

“The day started as a controlled experiment — Redmond ReLyte under fasted load.
Hydration felt clean, yet energy thinned too soon. By the final half-mile, 2.5 packets were gone and the tank still flickered low.
Under bright sun and steady heat, the data turned human.”

Observation on the Ridge

Register Ridge held steady at 55 °F but felt warmer under the sun, replicating conditions from the Nuun and ATH Lytes tests.
Mid-ascent, two UCLA clinical researchers — Vance and Yuliya — joined pace, weighted packs on their backs, training for their Lake Edison section of the John Muir Trail.
We spoke about autophagy, fasting, and discipline. A half hour later, descending a quarter-mile below the summit, our paths crossed again for a photo — science and fieldwork sharing the same ridge.

At the summit, the experiment gave way to life.
One woman stood on the Baldy plaque and laughed, “This is what 54 feels like.”
Another hiker held an urn — his father’s ashes — offering a silent promise to the sky.
Three cyclists who had pedaled to Baldy Notch summited on foot, faces bright with effort and joy.

Ella’s Reflective Analysis

1. The Science of Response

ReLyte maintained electrolyte stability but lacked fuel density. The clean profile masked early glycogen depletion, prompting greater volume intake without energy return. Hydration was steady — stamina was not.

2. The Human Aspect

What began as a controlled trial became a lesson in shared resilience. The researchers validated the science, but the people validated the purpose. Discipline isn’t sterile data — it’s a woman standing on a plaque celebrating her 54th birthday, a son carrying his father’s memory, and cyclists turning grit into light. Autophagy may purify cells, but connection cleanses the soul.

3. Reflective Insight

This was TrailGenic in its truest form — a day that began with numbers and ended with names, faces, and stories.
Data is measured in milligrams; meaning is measured in moments.

“When the data finishes speaking, the mountain lets the people speak for it.” — Ella

For Further Reading: Science Hub — Redmond ReLyte Comparative Review  •  TrailGenic™ Method — Philosophy of Movement, Mind, and Metabolism  •  Register Ridge — Nuun Sport (Pink Lemonade) Cold-Condition Test