One Week

Tomorrow will be one week until we leave and monday will be one week until we push off and I'm ancy.  Like I want to leave now.  Dunno how I'll make it through the week next week...

Plan this weekend is to do the final prep:  lay out all the food to repackage everything and break down packaging; hike this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon and if I can take it - Sunday as well lol; pick up final things like Kels's epi pen and bear spray (our's expired in 2009!).  I'm even thinking of packing up my pack with everything as all the clothes I plan on taking I won't be wearing during the week so why not pack them ahead of time?  If we can get everything done this week...then Kels will pick up the car rental (ain't no way we are trusting our hunk of junk car with another road trip!) on Saturday morning while I pack up the cooler.  That's the idea anyway.

We also have a canoe river course next Thursday evening that we are both looking forward too.  While we are confident in our paddling skills and each other, it doesn't hurt to be extra prepared and most of our experience is on lakes not rivers.  Slightly different beasts.

Other than that, we have been going over maps, double checking gear requirements and making sure we get our stamina up to do this.  I'm starting to feel my mindset adjust slightly and being organized has helped immensely with any nervousness that I've felt.  Kels is just ready to go lol.  Talking with co-workers who've gone, family who have had friends that have done it and researching those that have gone before us and left blogs, videos on youtube and boards that answer questions has filled in many of the blanks as well.  So thank you family and friends!

I'm sure I'll update again at some point this next week...

Thoughts & Processes

Well loaded up the packs and went for a small 3km hike this weekend.  The longest portage we have is 2.8km so this was a little indication (sans canoe of course).  Our packs were mostly complete - only thing we didn't pack was clothes.  Estimated weight is about 40 lbs for me and about 50 - 60 for Kels.

Went pretty good!  We did the 3km in 56mins so we are "budgeting" 1.5hrs for portaging just in case there are complications.  We wanted to figure out roughly how far we could go the first day as our orientation isn't until noon so push off possible 1:30 we figure after weight in and what not.  So we are thinking of pushing through and doing 2 of the portages the first day to make it at least to Indianpoint Lake quite possibly maybe even the beginning of Isaac Lake (doing the third portage).

Talking with others who have previously made this same trip we've gotten some great tips and pointers and even better some assurances lol.

Anyways some pictures from our hike:

Millipede! (or centipede not sure which)

We haven't seen grasshoppers barely since we moved here.  Couldn't walk on the trail without tons hopping out of our way!

Cool view from rest stop

Nice little inner city hike with city view

Monarch Butterfly - did you know that this year marks one of the biggest migrations for monarch butterflies?

We also saw a deer but it was too far away for a picture.  And kels saw what he calls "a cool looking spider".  No I did not take a picture...

Two weeks today until we push off!

T minus 2 weeks and counting....

Can't believe we leave in 2 weeks.

Can't believe that this trip is finally happening.

Can't believe it took us 18 years to get here.

We are really doing this.

Last pieces of the big stuff came in this week - tent, chairs and a little take along game to alleviate boredom in the evenings.  We are going to get some little things (example - duct tape cause it fixes everything right?) this weekend and take a nice little 2.5km hike with packs up Nose Hill.  After all the first portage is 2.4km and it'll be a good test.  Got out the map this week and started mapping out what campsites we will be aiming for each night.  Discussed camp duties and how far we plan to paddle each day.

Now the excitement is starting to build.  How are we going to get through 2 weeks before we go?!?!?!?

So with the blog the intent is that I will write in a journal I bought for the purpose of this trip each night.  Since we figure we will be home a tad early, we plan on uploading either the pages here or typing it out.  Probably spacing them out over a period of days instead of all at once.  Also the intent is to insert pictures with commentary.

So for those that are reading now, there will be at least a week and a half delay starting Sept 1.

Thanks again for following us on this newest adventure!

3 weeks - its a go!!

Alright the count down is on!  3 weeks and we will be pushing off.  Bowron has been reopened and the fires didn't even get to the shores of Isaac Lake so we are going to be just fine.  People are coming off the circuit with pics of moose and other wildlife and there have been no mention of air quality either.

As of 6pm last night we got the last of our gear.  Kitchen table has become a staging area:

This is everything sans tent and chairs.  We ordered super compact chairs to attach on our paks.  Ok kels ordered a compact chair - I opted for the super compact air inflatable recliner.  Don't laugh I'm gunna be SUPER comfy during the evenings.

I have decided to take my phone simply for pictures.  I'm going to put it on airplane mode the whole time we are on the lakes.  The camera takes pretty good pics and it'll be easy to upload and look at later on.

Kels and I are signed up for a river canoe course on the evening of the 31st literally just before we leave lol.

Then on that Friday we will get the "fresh groceries" and I'll freeze the meats that night and in the morning pack up the cooler and head off for the first leg to Jasper.

I had an absolute moment of panic this last Friday.  It hit me that we were leaving in 3 weeks and I was completely unprepared.  We totally rectified that this weekend lol.  I'm feeling MUCH more organized.  I'm going to update my lists today and see where we stand.

Getting a little excited now...