31 Days

Thirty-one days from today I will be in the backcountry of Montana. 

Each day is spent focusing on trip preparations, whether that be hiking to build mental and physical resolve, studying maps and evaluating trails, or thoroughly vetting my gear. The amount of time spent considering this trip is pretty monumental and I am enjoying every minute. Dreaming about it is akin to a mini-vacation every day. LOVE IT!

In the last week, I got my Garmin InReach set up, ordered an ultralight sleeping bag, and purchased a new pair of boots. 

First, the Garmin. Overall, it was pretty easy to set up. I suggest sitting outside with a laptop a/o phone so you can get a clear signal for the Garmin. Plan on at least an hour or so for setup. I set up my subscription so that I could test the messaging and the link to FB in case friends or family want to see my progress each day. The FB link required setting up a new page, which led to me testing other new ideas with social media, including adding my blog entries to the page. Very exciting, though I haven't formally invited folks to visit the page as I would like it to be more substantial.  It has been fun to share reflections from my training hikes, including this past weekend when I stopped at Seth's Coffee for a quick espresso and water bladder refill. Hopefully, others will find some entertainment in the blog posts — and maybe some entertainment.

As for the sleeping bag, my current model is about 15 years old. Still in great shape, down-filled, but pretty heavy, and typical in size for most sleeping bags. The advancements in sleeping bags over the past 15 years have been substantial and I wanted to take advantage of that. I purchased a NEMO Ava 30.  Compressed, it promises to be slightly larger than a Nalgene bottle — WOW! Should be here Wednesday.

Finally, the boots. I love my Vasque boots. However,  I've been experiencing post-hike aching in my feet that is beyond the norm. Having hiked enough trails, I know what "normal" is and this pain is not the norm. While casually looking at boots at REI this weekend, I saw a marketing card that explained the difference between hiking boots and backpacking boots. I hadn't really thought of that and realized that though my Vasque's are backpacking boots, they've lost the support I need. I tried a pair of Nucleo La Sportivas. they're Italian-made and they feel about 1/3 the weight of my Vasques. I will be walking around in them for a few days to see if they will work. Not excited about this late switch of footwear so close to my departure, but I had to make sure it wasn't just a conditioning issue (a matter of getting my feet used to the 40# pack). Fortunately, REI allows you a year to return a product if it doesn't work for you. That is very generous. Tonight, am donating blood and the hike is about 4 miles. Sounds ideal for a test run!

A little over 8 miles on Saturday.