Last minute preparations

We're now less than 48 hours away from leaving for the Smoky Mountains, meaning we are deep into the preparation phase. So far we've made four separate trips to grocery stores and gear shops for food shopping and last minute needs. I thought I would provide a look at how we go about packing for a trip like this.

As much as I wanted to have everything packed last week, I decided it was better to wait until closer to departure, when I could get a more accurate weather forecast. Let's just say that I"m glad I made this decision! In our previous trips to the south we've been greeted by blooming wildflowers and warm temperatures in the 70's and 80's. In fact, I've grown accustomed to packing shorts, t-shirts and even a swimsuit in the past! Last year I was able to swim in an outdoor hotel pool in Gatlinburg the day after our backpack ended. It''s looking like there won't be any need for shorts this year.

The region was hammered with a rare spring snow storm the past three days. I've been habitually checking the weather for the mountains on my Weather Channel i-phone app. The forecast has included such gems as "winter storm warning," "heavy, blowing and drifting snow," "over a foot of snow in high elevations," and "dangerous and unsafe conditions for travel." Just what everyone imagines for their spring break! The good news is that the storm had ended by last night and the forecast calls for drier and warmer conditions in the next ten days. The bad news, is that the various hiking blogs I follow online have indicated that as much as 18 inches of snow have fallen in the highest elevations, and that heavy winds have created snow drifts of over three feet! This has lead us to make a few gear decisions: zero degree winter bags (instead of our thirty degree rated, two person Big Agnes Bag we prefer), Yack Trax, wool base layers, winter hats and gloves and gaiters to assist us with breaking deep powder on the trail. The Yack Trax are metal wires with barbs that fit onto the bottom of our boots to increase our traction on snow and ice. We've used them on winter hikes before in the White Mountains and in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but never on a backpacking trip. I'm beginning to think this is going to be one heck of an experience for us.

Knowing that the temperatures are likely to dip below freezing at night, we have decided to pack more and higher calorie foods for this trip. Digestion raises body temperature, meaning eating can be one of the most important things you do in cold weather hiking. Our meal plan looks like something like this:

-Tortilla Wraps with Cruncy Peanut Butter and Honey, Cliff Bars (high in protein), Almonds, Dried Fruit, Trail Mix (assembled from the bulk bins at the organic food store in town), and Babybel Cheese (waxed cheese can last for days not refrigerated) for lunches and snacks along the trail. This needs to be the highest calorie part of our diet,as we burn most of our energy while hiking each day.

-Instant Oatmeal with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries for breakfast, along with Starbucks Coffee. We use a drip filter to make coffee each morning. Neither of us could survive without our coffee. Considering the cold temps, we are packing extra coffee so we can have some with dinner each night if needed.

-Dehydrated Meals for dinner each night. These are very light weight and easy to prepare. They only pack a couple hundred calories, but will give us that full feeling before bed each night, plus hot food is comforting after a long day on the trail. We also packed a couple of 65% cacoa chocolate bars for desert. These bars are great because they don't melt, even in warm temperatures, and you only need a couple of squares to feel satisfied.

Our backpacks are packed (at least for now) and we are eagerly counting down the hours until we leave. We'll likely unpack and repack several times in pursuit of the best arrangement of gear. At the point at which everything is scattered throughout the house it's always hard to believe that it will all fit into two backpacks, but somehow, it always does. There is something so satisfying about being able to put everything needed to survive a week in the wild onto your back and be completely self-reliant. In our plugged-in world we are all interdependent. I often can't make it to my work in the mornings without needing to stop to purchase coffee. I'm quite looking forward to unplugging after too many months of society. It may be cold. It might snow or rain. The wind might blow. Our gear might get wet. But at least we'll be outside, listening to the sound of the wind through the trees. In the words of Bilbo "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!"

The Ides of March

The signs are all around. When I leave for work in the morning, there is light in the eastern sky and my walk to the car is accompanied by an increasing number of bird songs everyday. Oh, sure, to the untrained eye winter still has us firmly in its grasp. A hard icy crust covers the earth, sculpted from the repeated process of melting and refreezing the past month. The skies are still mostly gray, the forecast still bleak. To the observant, optimistic outdoorsman, though, spring is coming, more and more everyday. Yesterday I watched four Sandhill Cranes fly over my house. The day before that brought a couple of vultures circling in the sky. The squirrels in my backyard now have to compete with a chipmunk while foraging for food. All are signs that the natural word knows winter is fading, and the world is waking up.

Inside my house, the signs are no less conspicuous. Maps and guidebooks cover every available counter and table space. The outdoor season is upon us, and everything is possible! Eventually, the constraints of time and money will whittle the possible into the practical. March, though, is for dreaming big. Taking the entire summer to drive to the Pacific Northwest? Why not? Kayaking the inside passage in Alaska? Backpacking El Camino de Santiago across Europe? No idea is un-worthy of study and consideration in the planning phases of the 2013 season. Soon we'll be hauling the backpacks out of storage, organizing the dehydrated meals, cleaning the water filter, waterproofing gear and deciding what items need to be replaced.

Our season will start in a familiar location, with a backpacking trip south to the Smoky Mountains for spring break. Weekend trips in the spring will take us to the Manistee River, the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore, Whitefish Point, and Pictured Rocks. I'll be blogging through all of it, so those of you not up for a hike, or not able to get away right now can come along with us in spirit. The goal is to welcome spring with open arms and greet the waking of the earth personally. From the first wildflowers and raging creeks of the Smoky Mountains to the icy cold and crystal clear waters of the Great Lakes as they thaw, we'll follow spring's slow and steady march north.

Our grand plans for the summer remain in the planning phase, but all of our coming spring trips are listed at the top of the page. I'll blog about the planning and preparation process over the next three weeks before we begin with our trip to the Smoky Mountains. Feel free to use the comment feature below to share any of the ways you'll be welcoming spring, whether it is a multi-day backpack, or just a walk through a neighborhood park guided by songbirds beginning their courtship rituals. It won't be long before we are all infected by spring fever!