Date: 2013-02-19
To: Countdown!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow! Two weeks and two days to go! I have been so busy selling furniture, dropping things off at the Salvation Army, moving things to store and getting rid of junk that I haven't had the chance to get all my hiking gear together. Instead, I have a pretty full backpack in one room along with a box of dog gear and Melkie's pack (he uses his pack more than I use mine right now). In a closet, I have several boxes of potential gear a box full of dog food in ziplock freezer bags and a box of trail food. I decided to add a few mail drops to make things easier (and give me less to worry about) for the first few weeks. I bought oatmeal, a bunch of Knorr sides, the curry pasta, Thai pasta and Mexican rice sides are my favourite. Yes, I had to try them first, I'm using the freezer bag cooking method and everything requires less water than the directions (that's my excuse for trying it out now anyway). Anyone who knows me will realize that I have never needed an excuse to eat! I also picked up Nescaf© 3 in 1 coffee and actually liked it along with a variety of nuts, dried cranberries, yogurt covered raisins and DARK CHOCOLATE COFFEE BEANS to make a good trail mix with. I might save the chocolate coffee beans to help me power up the mountains though. I started to repackage some of the food but seem to get side tracked each time. My breakfasts are ready at least. It is slowly coming together. My last shopping trip to Barrie produced 50 ft of rope another pair of hiking socks, Tuffoot for our feet/pads, two compression sacks (one went back) and a multi USB adapter that I can charge everything from one plug! I also got a Mophie iPhone cover (not the really cool waterproof adventure model) but I'm happy, I seem to be getting three times the battery life with this so my battery pack can be exclusively for the GoPro. Ok, so the Mophie and the GoPro are the "trendy" gear lets talk about the redneck gear! Everyone has been harassing me about taking something to defend myself with. I have heard all kinds of crazy suggestions and honestly don't feel comfortable with any of them. Never in my life have I carried anything strictly to defend myself and and I don't plan on starting now! I don't see the larger animals as a threat and am afraid of the ticks and mosquitoes more than anything else (ok I'm afraid of the cold too and hypothermia is a real threat in the mountains). I realize that I may come across an "unfriendly" person out there but the chances of that are so slim. I have more of a chance of meeting a predator here in town or while at work than I do out in the woods and I don't live in fear now or carry around weapons. However, I have also been thinking about hiking poles and decided to start out with a pair of converted ski poles. I stripped the handles and the bottoms off and essentially have 2 ultralight weight walking sticks. That's when the fun started! There are endless items that you can attach to these poles to turn them into you name it. I tried a LED light on one as a lamp post for my campsite or a marker so I can find my way back from "the bathroom" in the bush. My camera will attach to the pole now as well. Then Michael attached a knife to the end and started swinging it around like he was a caveman and I said NO WAY! But the more I thought about it, the more practical it seemed. If I swap the knife for just a straight blade that stays inside my pole but can slide up, I can make all those people happy that think I need a weapon (and who knows maybe they are right) but more practically I can cut my bear bag down when the inevitable happens and my food bag gets stuck up in a tree. I'm sure it will happen, I might as well plan for it. So along with my redneck knife/ weapon I still have to add my new duct tape handles (the duct tape will come in handy for whatever gear I need to fix or blisters I need to cover). I can just imagine how I will look on a rainy day with my hazmat rain gear and duct tape ski poles! Actually, I can't wait!Right now I'm waiting for my laundry to finish as I type this, I am going to Ottawa tomorrow after work to visit my daughter and say goodbye for 6 months and to have the chocolate pudding baileys shooters she promised to make me (amazing what kids learn while away at school). When I return on the weekend I will pack up the remaining items in my house and finish getting my gear ready. The countdown has begun!Trouble"Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails.Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain