We have very little time left before we hit the Chilkoot Trail. I'm very excited to be sans family for about a week and a half. Don't get me wrong, I will miss them, but the lure of Girl Time and the outdoors is just too great. I've been craving any sort of excuse to get away (though I suppose it is my fault for not taking advantage of a babysitter or living closer to family).
Anyway. My friend Amanda has written up a hiking schedule for us. We're meeting twice a week until T-Day ("Trail Day"). So far we've been on a couple of hikes, both up on Murphy Dome. Sunday we climbed up a ginormous hill (about 400 feet change in elevation, according to Loda's GPS) with our packs. I don't know exactly how much my pack weighs because we don't have a bathroom scale at home, but I am certain that it weighs more than Balin, who is about 21 pounds.
The hill was a killer. We stopped to rest for short periods of time during our ascent, with one long break near the top. It was good practice, though, for the Golden Staircase, which is supposed to be one of the hardest parts of the trail.
Look at those flushed, red faces. I wish I could blame the heat for that color.
Even though I still feel mildly out of shape, I'm glad that I actually did some training this winter. Granted, walking at the Big Dipper isn't the best training for the Chilkoot, but I was carrying a substitute pack on my back (a 20-lb baby) and I was walking at a good pace for an hour (about 2.5-3 miles) for two days a week. In addition to any other exercise I happened to get when the weather was nice (which wasn't much).
I hope to lose the rest of my baby weight by the end of this summer. I've been doing a pretty good job watching what I eat, but being active has always been more of a challenge for me. I never played sports in high school or college and I probably would never exercise unless I was with other people. So, here's hoping, folks.
Blessed be.
Anyway. My friend Amanda has written up a hiking schedule for us. We're meeting twice a week until T-Day ("Trail Day"). So far we've been on a couple of hikes, both up on Murphy Dome. Sunday we climbed up a ginormous hill (about 400 feet change in elevation, according to Loda's GPS) with our packs. I don't know exactly how much my pack weighs because we don't have a bathroom scale at home, but I am certain that it weighs more than Balin, who is about 21 pounds.
The hill was a killer. We stopped to rest for short periods of time during our ascent, with one long break near the top. It was good practice, though, for the Golden Staircase, which is supposed to be one of the hardest parts of the trail.Look at those flushed, red faces. I wish I could blame the heat for that color.
Even though I still feel mildly out of shape, I'm glad that I actually did some training this winter. Granted, walking at the Big Dipper isn't the best training for the Chilkoot, but I was carrying a substitute pack on my back (a 20-lb baby) and I was walking at a good pace for an hour (about 2.5-3 miles) for two days a week. In addition to any other exercise I happened to get when the weather was nice (which wasn't much).
I hope to lose the rest of my baby weight by the end of this summer. I've been doing a pretty good job watching what I eat, but being active has always been more of a challenge for me. I never played sports in high school or college and I probably would never exercise unless I was with other people. So, here's hoping, folks.
Blessed be.
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