ET's Info-Stew

14:03: I decided to start writing for my log a little early. I usually tend to get so excited before my trips that I write down my thoughts beforehand. The trip is in less than a week, and I am very excited.

The trip is going to be an overnight hike to Rancheria Falls around Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. Last year we went to Lake Eleanor in May and July. The July trip was very uncomfortable because of the pokey weeds that would accumulate in my boots and socks. Hopefully this trip won't have any of that.

I was hoping it was going to be a waxing moon for our trip so that the sky would be dark and the stars bright. But we're getting a full moon instead. I look forward to enjoying the scenery during the daytime too. The second set of falls on the trail is currently so full that the water is covering the bridge across!

The biggest gear change from last year involves my water filtering system. I'm dropping the Camelbak and switching everything over to the much lighter Platypus bottles. I've also dropped my MSR Miniworks water filter in favor of an inline filter from Seychelle. I'm going to use it as a gravity filter. But I just realized that I'm missing a filter to prevent big chunks of stuff getting into the filter. I guess I could figure out how to use my handkerchief to strain the stuff out when filling the 4 liter water tank that will hold the unfiltered water.

Another change of significance is the sun block. I've upgraded to 40 SPF Aloe Gator sun block, which supposedly lasts through eight hours of activity. Last year's sunburn was not fun, so hopefully this change makes a difference.

My pack will weigh about 33 pounds, so the load will be easier to handle. More importantly, I've dropped nearly 20 pounds since last year, and I can tell the difference when I do physical activities. I hope that the effort of backpacking will help me get over my current weight-loss plateau. I should burn far more calories than I will be taking in.