Diane's Big Adventures (and News)

Here I go

Time for my annual Thanksgiving backpack trip. (I'd tell you where I'm going but then I'd have to kill you.)

Yep. While others are enjoying turkey and the trimmings, I'll probably having Top Ramen and instant mash potatoes prepared over an Esbit stove and served in a plastic cup with a plastic spoon.

After dinner, instead of football (eew) I'll probably try to watch birds find places to sleep in the trees, or maybe I'll see a star or two come out before I can't take the chill anymore and snuggle in to my down sleeping bag at the late night hour of 6pm.

Sometime in the middle of the night I'll wake up wishing my bladder was bigger. I'll try and try to fall back asleep again, to no avail. I'm gonna have to go out there in the freezing cold.

I'm really worried about the freezing cold this time. Last year we hiked the Sisquoc loop. It's mostly low altitude, so the temperature is more steady and less cold. But we'll be up higher this time around, and I've heard reports of unseasonable cold, and high winds making it feel like 10 below zero. I've never been in 10 below zero before. Yikes!

I've made sure I have NO cotton clothing at all. That should help. Wool, fleece, silk, down and nylon. Lots of layers. I hope that'll do it.

Should be long and hard but fun. When I do return, that turkey is going to be well earned!