Search and Rescue

The time has come. The time is now! I've been wanting to go backpacking for as long as I can remember - or since about Junior High when I was hiking Flat Top behind my house in Anchorage, Alaska and I saw some particularly grody outdoorsmen emerging from the wild valley just behind the mountain.

Wondering where they came from, I asked around and found out there is a two day trail from Girdwood to Anchorage through the Chugach Range. The names and places aren't important. What is important is the idea that they had to sleep in the woods and carry everything they needed in their packs - like pioneers, without mules.

"Someday," I thought, "Someday I'm going to hike that trail."

Well, I don't know if I'll ever hike that trail, but now I have my sites set on the PCT - Pacific Crest Trail.

With the kids at Grandma B's, backpacks filled and weighed, washing machine emptied into the dryer so I don't come home to moldy clothes (always the last thing I run into the house to do before leaving for the weekend), Ryan and I are ready to go!

And now I'd like to thank those grungy outdoorsmen for the inspiration, Goodwill, my dad, my in-laws, and especially U.S. Outdoor Store for the gear, and God for the venue.

The plan: Out and back on a northbound route from Benson Sno Park off Highway 22. Stay two nights hiking deeper each day. Return on Sunday to teach a class at 4:00.

Your job: Check back here on Sunday evening. If you haven't heard from me by 8:00, CALL SEARCH AND RESCUE.

Have a great weekend. I plan to!

By the way, I'm conducting a protein bar taste testing while on the trail. I'll let you know how it turns out!