Ten days of wilderness, three of them spent only in the company of my journal. Returning home to a phone, computer, messy kitchen, and nearly empty bank account.
Now that I’ve had a hot shower and a sleep in a bed, I’m ready to go back to the woods.
But the trip was AMAZING!
I’ve been packing and stressing for the past several days, but I think I’m finally as ready as I can be for this backpacking trip. Now I’ll get about four hours of sleep before heading off on a four hour drive, a boat ride, and a bus ride to get to the trail head. Ten days in Stehekin in the North Cascades! I’m extremely nervous and equally excited. Yeyah!
If all goes well and I don’t get eaten by a cougar on my solo, I’ll be back June 2nd.
This is what I’ll be doing for the next ten days! Except with a much more stylin pack and in a much wetter place. I’ll have to be sure I get a classy photo of my back at some point on the trip.
Have you ever noticed that backpackers in these photos are weird headless creatures?
Oatmeal, pancake mix, hot cocoa mix, peanut butter and honey in a tube, tortillas, pita bread, summer sausage, cheese, home-made beef jerky, various dried fruit, GORP of champions, chocolate, a few dehydrated meals, the makings for chili, spices, gatorade mix, and brownie mix for a special campground treat. I wish I had a scale- this bag must weigh about 30 pounds.
STRESSING ME OUT!
As in, I particularly remember taking the twistie tie off the bread bag, cracking the egg, adjusting the stove temperature, etc. But the dream ended before I could actually eat the thing.
What does it mean?
I’ve got a local beef flank steak, a teriyaki marinade, and an oven set to the lowest temp. Here we go!
Other highlights of my camping trip menu are trailside pancakes, chili from home-dehydrated ingredients, peanut butter and jelly in a tube, and perhaps some home-made energy bars. Other than that, it’s going to be a lot of oatmeal, gorp, cheese and chocolate.
But it will be the coolest death ever …
In preparation for my return to life on the Volcano next month.
This evening I attended the monthly meeting of the Bellingham Storyteller’s Guild. (Because I live in an awesomesauce city that has a storyteller’s guild.) I heard beautifully-told stories about gas stations, elves, house flies, dancing ground squirrels, and exploding bottles of ginger beer. Also a lot of really quality puns.
What a lovely way to communicate and connect with others. I want to learn how to be good at doing this!
