We're off!

The day is finally here. We've been planning for a whole year, anticipating this very moment. It's here...and we're off. We're so very excited, a little bit sad (we'll be gone for 9 days which is a long time to be away from our families), and just a touch nervous. With the exception of Amanda, none of us have really done any backpacking. We've camped, day hiked, fished, and have done all kinds of other activities in the great outdoors. It's going to be quite a learning experience as well as (hopefully) fun.

We keep reminding ourselves that lots of other ladies have done this or will do this. We met several attending the Fairbanks Hiking Club day hikes who were in their 60's and planning on hiking the Chilkoot. This summer, in fact, just a few weeks before us. A friend of Amanda's will be hiking the trail about 3 weeks after we get back.

I gave Arthur a big hug before I left. There were tears in my eyes. As excited as I was to leave, I was also a little sad. I knew the boys were in great hands (Robinson had taken a week off to watch them), but leaving was a little difficult nevertheless. I'm not sure exactly what Arthur was thinking watching me go. Was it as difficult for him?

The car was crammed full with four backpacks full of gear. Whose idea was it to travel without a Sherpa, anyway?

Last Minute Details

1. Charge cameras, cells, other electronics.

2. Double-check gear, food, etc.

3. Print itineraries (don't forget to leave a copy with family!).

4. Get cash, exchange money (if necessary).

5. Pack hotel bag (fresh change of clothes, shampoo, etc.).

6. Waterproof shoes, fix holes, etc.

7. Gather ID, passport, etc.

8. Check oil/fluids in the car, air tires, etc.

Pre-Camp Camping

I feel a little "spacey" looking at this picture. It seems like Loda and I should be on some kind of ship, orbiting the planet. Or quarantined somewhere. It's the blue tones and the silver (in actuality, white) tent flap.

Anyhow, we survived our overnight at the Chena River Recreation area! We made it though setting up a total of three tents, weighing gear, a Midnight Sun Run, and a Jet Boil tutorial.

But does that mean we're ready? Considering we have less than two weeks, I sure hope so!

Here's the weight of the community gear and the gear configurations:
Jet Boil #1: 15 oz
Jet Boil #2: 15 oz
Fuel (4 cans): 12 oz each x 4 = 48 oz total
Bear Spray: 8 oz
First Aid Kit and Breathing Barrier: 8 oz
Red tent (tent only): 5 lbs. 3 oz (83 oz)
Red tent (poles): 1 lb. 1 oz. (17 oz)
Blue tent (tent only): 4 lbs. 3 oz (67 oz)
Blue tent (poles): 1 lb. (16 oz)
Total weight of community gear: 277 oz / 4 = 69.25 oz (approximately 4.5 lbs.)

Person #1:
Red tent only
Total weight: 83 oz

Person #2:
Blue tent only
Total weight: 67 oz

Person #3:
Jet Boil #1
2 Fuel cans
Bear Spray
Red tent poles
Total weight: 64 oz

Person #4:
Jet Boil #2
2 Fuel cans
First Aid Kit and Breathing Barrier
Blue tent poles
Total weight: 63 oz

Obviously Person #1 will be carrying a good amount of extra weight, but if we swap out everyday our weight distribution will be pretty even by the end of the trip. Each of us would have carried different items and would have had a light day (63 oz) and a heavy day (83 oz).

This would be the weight if we took Amanda's blue tent and red tent. If we took different tents, then the weight configurations would be slightly different.

I tried to double-check my math, but if there are any mistakes, I'll correct them and re-post.

Gear Check

As we count down to T-Day, we thought it handy to have a gear check to make sure that everything was in working order, to see what gear everyone had, and to go through a "master list" one more time to make sure we had everything we needed.

In actuality, we didn't really have many community items: tents, jet boils, fuel. Everything else was the responsibility of the individual...and who wants to carry an extra 10 pounds of crap for five days? Not me! (Though I will admit that I am bringing a deck of cards and a journal. And maybe a Patrick McManus book to read around the campfire. So that's an extra pound or so of stuff, but I simply can't resist.)

Amanda's boyfriend Alec had some very sage advice, which Amanda related to us. He said that if you see someone struggling, to help them out. Carry some of their weight. Divide the community items evenly so that no one gets bitter or angry about carrying everything on their own. We're all in this together. He would know. He's been on numerous climbs and has had to work with other people as a team to summit.

I can't believe it's almost here. 

Angel Rock

Blythe was in town for a few days and wanted to hike Angel Rock because every time she's come to visit we've just never had time for it. The visits were always a day too short. We decided to take a Saturday morning and hike Angel Rock with the family. Loda and Dustun, Blythe's boyfriend, joined us.

The views were spectacular and everyone was having a fun time. Arthur was really enjoying himself until a freak storm came through. The wind picked up and the rain came pouring down. He started screaming. That caused Balin to begin screaming. Luckily, Loda spotted a nearby cave and we all crammed into it. She pulled a blanket out of her bag for the boys and after they were plied with snacks, they seemed to do all right as the storm passed. Once it was over, Arthur refused to continue on the trail, so Robinson took him back to the car while the rest of us continued on our way.

We ended up hiking the 3.5 mile loop. The weather on the second half of the hike was much nicer than the first, although the mosquitoes were worse. I thought for sure Balin was going to fall asleep on my back, but he hung on until we were about a half mile away from the car. Of course. When we got there, Arthur and Robinson were waiting for us. Arthur was excited because he had seen some more dogs and because he had gotten to eat a Luna bar Loda gave him.

I asked Blythe if she was ready for the Chilkoot after this hike and she said that she was pretty comfortable with the distance, but that she was still a little worried about the elevation. Loda feels the same. We're fortunate to have a little more time before T-Day, ladies!

GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts)

For a while we wondered about lunches on the Trail. Would we need to break out a stove and boil water and then sit and eat for a while before heading out again? That would work for a few of our days, but for our long haul to Canada and then Happy Camp (a butt-busting total of 8 miles, mostly uphill), it seemed silly.

Amanda's partner Alec suggested granola/power bars and trail mix. Really? For lunch?

But it was confirmed. Others from the Fairbanks Hiking Club, a few who have already hiked the Chilkoot, said that they brought trail mix and granola bars for lunch (and sometimes breakfast).

Wow. Who would have thought? Certainly not me.

Of course, there is dinner to think about, too. We considered getting a bunch of dehydrated meals but once we realized how much room they took up in a pack, we quickly realized we needed to think of something else.

Hiking Club to the rescue!

John suggested taking ramen noodles and a large bag of dehydrated vegetables. He also said that you'd need about a pound of food a day while on the trail. And he expressed the importance of having an extra day's supply, just in case something happened.

I found a site with some good ideas about lunches and dinners, without spending a fortune. You can find it here. For some reason, I am extremely happy they have couscous and veggies on that list!

Wick Dome

Loda and I hiked Wickersham Dome today. It was a bit overcast and a little chilly, but it was really nice not to feel overheated while hiking with a 25-pound pack on my back. The only not-so-nice thing about the hike was the mosquitoes. We stopped a couple of times for water or a snack and the mosquitoes began dive bombing us. It was rather unpleasant to say the least.

Oh, and the mud. I wasn't wearing gaiters. My pants were brown to the knees. Might have been nice to have a pair.

The view from the top was simply gorgeous. I was a little sad that we weren't going to be sticking around for the overnight. The wind kept the mosquitoes away and we got in a little nap after lunch before heading back to the trailhead.

The hike was approximately 7 miles long, with about a 1,000 ft. ascent elevation. I believe Loda will be putting more detailed information in another post on the blog.