Hike one, day one... "The Gods too are fond of a good joke!" Aristotle, (384-322 BC).

Up kinda early this AM.  After coffee and a little breakfast I finished loading in the rest of the BP gear including food water and clothing.  With 1-1/2 gallons of water my pack was getting heavy.

M and I drove down the Colorado River  overlook, almost made it all the way  before the "road" just got too rough for our little Suzuki, but we almost made it.

We then drove over to the trail head and had a sandwich for lunch.

Noon,  I started up Elephant Hill and about 10 percent  up I was wondering "What the Hell am I doing."  About 20 percent up I noticed the lens hoodie that M had loaned to me was missing.  Back down half of my archived distance I find it.  The Hiker Gods are having fun at my expense...  just before reaching it I stepped on loose gravel and did a nice butt plant.  Fortunately, I was close enough to reach the hoodie without getting up first. Getting up with full pack is not easy, but I managed some how and was on my way to the top of the hardest hill I have ever climbed due to the weight of the backpack.

It took me forty five minutes to do tthe first one point five miles.  I was surprised I covered it so quickly.  I stopped for a much needed rest and removed my pack.   The Hiker Gods had to get one more laugh in.  My new water bottle that goes with my Steri-Pen was missing.  It must have gotten knocked out of my pack when I fell on Elephant Hill.  I'll never see that again.

As I was getting back into harness two 4x4s came by.  People were nice enough to confirm that I was OK.  There was a major climb there and a spotter got out for the climb.  Talking to rear car driver I ask, with out any hope, if they happened to see a water bottle on Elephant Hill.  They had and had brought it with them.  I guess the gods had laughed enough.

I got to Devils Potholes tent site about 1500.  Rested for a while before setting up the tent.  Inflated the Sleeping pad, got in the tent and rested for over an hour.  The pad felt great, I was laying on my sleeping bag, and that felt good too.  In five o'clock shadow, I got up and walked around.  Took a mile and a half RT to the car camp to make use of their facilities then made dinner and did the journal.  Time to read a little and go to bed..

Drove from Canyon de Chelly to the Needles district of Canyon Lands.  Got settled in just a mile or so from the highway on the Lockhart Basin Road in the Indian Creek Rec area just out side of the park.

We drove in to the visitors center and I got a back country permit to do an overnight hike.  I settled on four and a  half hike to Devils Potholes from Elephant Hill to the tent sight.  Most of that part of the hike is on the Elephant Hill 4x4 road. The next day would be through Chesler Park.  We looked to drive EH road road before but it was just too much for our car.

We got back to the RV and while M was preparing dinner I started packing my BP.  After going to bed I realized that I had left some stuff laying out side and had to get up and bring it in before it blew away...

H

Canyon de Chelly

Got in my hike today.  Hiked into the canyon one and a half miles and ab out six hundred feet elevation loss.  Regained it on the back.  Sure do use different muscles than  on flat land.  Tomorrow will tell.

Walked into the canyon, about an hour and a half round trip.  M was walking around on the rim and slipped and skinned her knee.

On the road agian

Left home yesterday around noon and made it to Holbrooh, AZ. Tday we drove through Pretrified Forest NP, anit aw beautiful. decided to stay one more night here to let a storm go by (it's gone) an get some rest (we did). Will head on up fto Moab tomorrow!

You know you are getting old when....

The day got off to a bad start.  When I make my coffee I put hot water in the mug to heat it up so as not to cool the coffee too quickly.  This morning my brain must have done a reset, and I dumped the coffee out  thinking it was the hot water! Had to start all over...

Did my hike at 0630 so I could be tire all day.

Went to costco to get Ms glasses and, looking for a parking space, I backed up to let someone out, and then just drove past the empty space.  What can I say, I turned 65 today.  M had a good laugh!

We now have a tent!

Got the tent today. Got it set  up in the shed.  Looks big enough for me  and should be light enough.

M got her little books and her glasses come in so we can get them tomorrow an be off to Moab the next day.  The weather is looking great for the next two weeks.

Yes, we have no tents today!

Up at 0530 and decided to do my hike a little early.  I also added another four pounds to the pack.  It did not add much to the time, only a couple of minutes.  I got on the scales be with everything, and then just before showering, and there was a thirty pound difference...  When leaving the garage after taking off the backpack it really felt like walking on air.  The first time I have felt that.

Checked USPS on line and still no word of my tent.  I may have to forward it after all.  We’ll see.

Made a trip to Costco and stopped at the P.O., no package. I did find some “trail food” at World Market that was not half salt.  At Walmart it all had 1200 1300 mg sodium...

While at Walmart, I returned a tent (unopened) that I had ordered online.  I had bought it for practice and trials runs, but, I should have my “real” tent in a couple of days and we have decided to wait until in comes in as M has some new eye glasses coming in also.  We might as well wait for everything.  She is also expecting a book that she had printed of the process that she and her sister went through in making their quilts of photos that M had taken.  Two very beautiful quilts.

It is a warm afternoon but my hike is done....

1700...   Hot afternoon.  I tried to nap, but no way.  Napping is just not my style!  I just feel tired...

1900

Rib eye and baked potato for dinner... life is good.

More gear arrived

Got my backpack, sleeping bag, and pad yesterday afternoon. The tent left Fresno, CA sometime during the night. May get by tomorrow, maybe!

Both pack and pad look and work great! The bag, I don't know. Not used to a sleeping bag, so for now I feel like a beach walrus when I'm in it. Hope that gets better! Guess I can learn to sleep in it as long as it keeps me warm on those cold nights!

Out for delivery...

Well, the backpack, sleeping bag, and pad, any way.

 Keep getting excuses for the Ebay tent seller.  Grandmother died, just got home, will get it in the mail tomorrow.  Two days later, just got home, not like me to be late, will get it in the mail before going to bed.  Like the post office is open til midnight!  Finally got a tracking number this AM. Checked on line, the PO only has electronic data entered, not the package.  Planning to leave town on Saturday and PO is not open here on Saturday.  Will most likely have to have it forwarded to Moab, where we will be for a couple of weeks.  Am hoping to get in some good practice over-nite hikes.  I need the practice.  But first, I need my tent!

Friday April, 13 

This is an attempt to enter data using voice recognition.  If I could take this on the trail with me I could keep my journal up to date in real time and it would go so much easier.  If I could use this on my kindle keyboard I could dictate as I Hike.

H

Saturday, April 14, 2012

I bought a retractable USB 2.0 kit which contained four USB connectors and one retractable USB extension cord.  I am hoping this will fill all my connection needs.  The USB charging cable I ordered for the phone did not work so I make one using the phone end of an old 12 volt adapter and the computer end of a USB cable, cutting and soldering them together, and have an eight inch USB adapter for my phone that works great.  I may redo it and make it 3 or 4 inches shorter and weigh a few grams less.

I picked up a package of Starbucks Via coffee yesterday at Costco and thought I would try it today.  Guess what! It tastes just like instant coffee!  Of course, I have never really been a fan of Starbucks, anyway!  But this may just work on the trail.

I am doing four miles hikes, every three days, with about 20 pounds worth of backpack.  I have four of those in and ready to kick it up another mile or so, whatever the next leg of the road is.

This morning I was shopping on the Internet for a sleeping bag that could go to 15°.  I found a TNF (the north face) cat’s meow synthetic fiber that weighed in at 1 pound 8 ounces.  I was thinking of a warmer bag, but, if I leave in February, I may need a “warmer” bag.

H.


Sunday, April 15, 2012
Yesterday, or was it the day before, I took all of the hiking gear and supplies to the shed and weighed and photographed them.  I’m up to 33 pounds already, allowing 8.6 pounds for base gear not purchased yet.  Such as:

Base Gear
Tent/Tarp	1	40.00	40.0
Sleeping Bag	1	40.00	40.0
SB liner	1	5.00	5.0
Foot print	1	10	10.0
Back pack	1	40.00	40.0
AL Tent Stake	8	0.3	2.4

 My goal is to stay under 30 pounds total pack weight and I have more things to add.  Not much room left! Weights are listed in ounces.  Would love to come in under weight, but I don’t know If I can afford that!

…Fast forward a few hours…

OK, after I did a four and a half mile hike today, I ordered the base gear, finally!  This is what it looks like.  Individual weights are listed in ounces and the total in pounds. The tent weight includes allowances for stakes and tie lines.   So coming in at 9.2 pounds isn’t too bad, I guess!  Pack weight is looking to be around 31.2 pounds total pack weight with food and water.  Add another five pounds for clothing that I will be wearing, shoes, and hiking poles and the total comes to 36.6 so far.  I would like for that number to be under 35 pounds.

Base Gear				Lbs
Tent/Tarp	1	42.00	42.0
Sleeping Bag	1	44.00	44.0
SB liner	1	5.00	5.0
Foot print	1	10	10.0
Back pack	1	34.00	34.0
AL Tent Stake	0	0.3	0.0
Nite IZE Tent lines	0	0.5	0.0
Sleeping Pad	1	12.00	12.0
				9.2

 I found the tent on Ebay for $279, $90 off list, which is the best price I have seen.  The others I ordered from BaseGear.com.  The sleeping bag, a Cat’s Meow synthetic weighing in at 44 ounces was on sale for $150, down (no pun intended) from $200.  The backpack is a Granite Gear Crown V.C. at 34 ounces, for $160, after a 20% off (of $200) for first order. The sleeping pad is a Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite listed at $160, but I got the 20% discount for it also, bring it to $128.  Adding in $48.79 for faster shipping brought the damage for the day to $765, after rounding.  So the waiting begins!







 

This week we plan to take off for Moab, UT for a few weeks.   I will give me a chance to get in some real trail miles and hopefully some overnight time in the tent and sleeping bag.  Here’s to hoping it goes well! 

H.