Dehydrated food. Ziplocs. Recipes. Mail orders. Counting. Averaging. Checking. Checking again. Wondering if my Snickers and M&Ms stash would survive a house of teenage boys (hint…they did). Toiletries, sundries, and meds, oh my. And this was just the resupplies.

You wouldn’t think food would take this much effort, but it’s a balancing act. How many days? How many miles? What’s the elevation gain/loss? Are there any hazards which might slow you down? How much nutrition do you need, and is it (kinda sorta) balanced? Do you have enough calories per ounce (100+ is optimal)? Do you have enough variation so that you won’t go bonkers?

And gear. New pack. New hydration setup. An umbrella (yes, an umbrella). Spraying Permethrin on every piece of clothing, in preparation for the notorious Oregon mosquitoes.

I can’t believe it, but it’s getting close. On Wednesday, Steve is dropping me at the train station, and I’ll head to Eugene. My longtime friend Robin is hosting me for the night, and in the morning she’ll drive me up to Willamette Pass. And then…it’s time for a hike.