Backpacking Training
We have been talking about backpacking the Grand Canyon for years. We realized that we are not getting any younger, so we finally decided that we would plan on doing it next fall. Our plan is to hike from north rim to south rim in five days and four nights. We are hoping to do it in September 2019, but we cannot apply for the permits until April and there is no guarantee that the permit request will be accepted. Left Buddy took the Colorado Mountain Club's Backpacking School class a few years ago, but I have never been backpacking, so this should be interesting.
So a week ago Sunday, Left Buddy and I discussed that we had better start training and laid out a plan to start the next day. At the time, it was 50 degrees F and we had not looked at the weather forecast. But this is Colorado and the weather can change quickly. A winter storm blew in Sunday night, so it only got up to 13 degrees on Monday with blowing snow and a windchill of -1 degree. But we were good to our word, bundled up in our long underwear, loaded twelve pounds into our packs and went out into the cold for a five mile walk around Broomfield Commons Park near our house. I am glad to report that neither one of us got frostbite and we still had smiles on our faces when we finished. There is something rewarding about feeling you conquered adversity!
Our plan is to walk, hike or snowshoe three times a week, going five miles for two of those times and about ten miles the third time. We plan to gradually increase the weight in our packs until we are carrying all of our backpacking gear plus the equivalent weight of food and water that we'll need on the trail. At this point, our best guess at total weight is around thirty pounds per person.
We went on our second hike on Wednesday around Metzger Farm Open Space and Big Dry Creek Trail, also near our house. What a difference 48 hours makes! The sun was shining and the temperature was in the forties. Hopefully, our training will continue smoothly. Watch this space to follow our progress. We hope to hike a variety of places around Colorado and will share our adventures with you. If you have any suggestions on where to hike, we would love to hear from you in comments on our Facebook page!
(RB)