My Next Great Adventure

My next great adventure is coming up in a week. This is going to be my biggest adventure since I drove to Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina in 2010 to attend a two week pottery class. I hope the trip this time is less eventful than that trip. I ended up with a flat tire on I-65 just south of Indianapolis and thought I had AAA coverage, but when I called for help they told me I didn't have any kind of coverage. I spent two hours on the side of the interstate while my parents talked to AAA and got me a second policy so someone would come help me. Not to mention the three or four police cars that went by and never stopped to see if I was ok. I also really REALLY needed the bathroom by the time I was done with the ordeal.

Anyways, this time I am going to Colorado to visit some friends who moved out there and to go hiking and backpacking. I also hope the hiking and backpacking go better than my last attempt. (Read about that trip here.) I am planning two days to travel since I will be going alone and don't want to drive through the night, and then because I have lived at 1670 feet above sea level my entire life, we will be spending a couple days taking it easy so I can adjust to 4980 feet above sea level. One day-hike to see what the terrain is like without a full pack, and then, hopefully, 4 days and 3 nights backpacking at one of my friend's favorite hiking trails. There are several intersecting trails, so if it is too much for either one of us, we will have the option to take a shorter route.

I have my pack, a different one than the pack I originally bought, which ended up being just a bit too big, so I called the store, went back and got a smaller torso size which they thankfully had just gotten in. This one is a silver-grey color with lilac accents, instead of the forest green of the other one that I was afraid I would lose if I set it down in the woods or grass. I will probably still tie a brightly colored bandanna to this one just to be safe. Now I have to worry about losing it in the snow if I ever take up winter camping or hiking.

I filled my pack and took it on a walk to make sure it fit right, then I unloaded it and sorted through my gear to try and get rid of some weight. By switching out my knife, water bottle, and cutting out extra supplies from my first aid kit, I still feel fully prepared but with almost 1.5 pounds less gear. I am sure there are still things I can cut out, but I will do that with time when I get more confident or realize I don't need certain items. I figured out with my pack filled as it is now and with my water containers filled and my food bag, I should still be below 40 pounds. Ultimately I'd like to be at or below 30 pounds, and I may get there, eventually.