Backpacker update...
Greg and I went out weekend before last and logged a few miles. 33 miles to be precise with 21 on Saturday alone. Ouch. We decided that is tough mileage to make when you train as infrequently as we do. But the weather was great and we tried out some ultra-lite gear options for the big hike. Some worked great (a hand-made bivy sack made of Tyvek) and some did not (a 1 mil painters tarp for a hammock shelter). We even returned home with all electronic equipment we started with, but only by sheer luck.
We are planning to head out again on Friday the 13th (is that a bad idea?) if anyone is interested.