10 days until the Canyon

It's Christmas and I have other things on my mind as well.

I've had a fun time getting ready for the trip.  Let's just say I haven't been completely focused on that goal.  I got my list started.  I didn't achieve a very precision attack but I got the basics figured out.  A place to sleep. Some things to drink. Clothes to stay warm. A place to put your poo, and trash, but food for 12 days that wouldn't bore me to tears or stop me up so I couldn't poo proved the hardest to figure out.  Well, I guess dealing with the (unspeakable) opposite problem from being stopped up might be the most difficult situation I have ever dealt with on a long paddling trip.  But that isn't the point of this article.  The point here is food.  Sorry, I got distracted by reminiscing about Nepal. I never plan food 12 days ahead, so to say that I procrastinated the food buy would represent a serious understatement.

Enough food for 12 days, plus some extra.  Add in all the camping gear and you have a ton of stuff.

I had a few backpacker meals sitting around so I threw those in the pile.  I had tried a Bear Creek insta meal from the grocery store and it turned out pretty good, but I know it's going to bore me to tears if I eat all that just the way it is so I added in a bunch of ingredients, some veggies, and extra pasta, some spices, and other stuff.  I tried out a different style of cooking.  The directions on the bag  said to cook for 15-20 minutes but what I did was bring it to a boil and cook for 5 minutes and then set it aside for 20 minutes.  It turned out well-cooked and it will use a lot less fuel.  The bags make a gallon of soup so I am going to use most of it for dinners and then put the rest in a thermos, heat it in the morning, and have it with lunch the next day.  We'll see if that actually works.

I tried out the food... not bad with some supplementing of ingredients.

I also tried out my new sleeping bag on a cold night to see if it might stand up to the cold temps of the Canyon in January.  I froze my ass off.  I think I am going to have to wear more clothes to bed.

Tried my new sleeping bag on a cold evening. Let's just say that other than big Agnes, I didn't have much on.  

I got it all into my dry bags.

The night before all my gear had to depart for the Canyon I hadn't started.  I hadn't even tried to put anything in the bags.  Fortunately it did fit.  It took until 2 in the morning but it did fit.  Now, I just hope it will all fit in the boat at the put in.  Lee's Ferry: here I come.  I will post a bunch of stories from our exploits in the Canyon.

Now the real trick: I have to get it all in my boat.

I hope everyone has great holidays.
Let's start 2012 in style.
12 days on the Canyon will be a good way to do it.
Cheers
Shane