I changed things up this week! My kettlebells arrived during the week so I switched my strength sessions to kettlebells and boy was that fun!
I got a 26 and a 35 lb Rogue kettlebell and also this book “Simple and Sinister“
I managed to do 100 deadlifts with the 26 lb kettlebell and then a set of 10 swings.
It was a ton of fun working on form and I think I’m going to enjoy this.
The next day, I ended up feeling sore in muscles I didn’t know existed….
Still able to maintain a 60 second plank as well (woohoo!)
For this weekend’s hike, I had planned an overnight backpacking trip. Michael and Junior had a Scout event so Emma and I headed out to the woods.
First thing involved packing a full backpack. It is as a good practice run in organizing different items. I filled a BV500 bear can and even included laundry supplies.
I ended up with a decent weight on the pack. Still don’t have a scale so I am not exactly sure what I was working with but it was definitely heavy and I think would be representative of the load on the JMT.
We did add on some foam pads because the forecast called for 18 F temperatures!
Now, I have this Osprey Eja 55 Pro pack. It’s really light and has a good capacity and quite comfortable for the weight.
I’ve had to add accessories to the shoulder straps to carry my phone and snacks and water bottles more easily.
I brought my foam pad to the pack and realized there was nowhere to attach it to the outside !
The pack has no straps to attach to the bottom like most of the Osprey packs. I ended up improvising by sticking the foam pad under the brain… Can’t say I’m pleased about this but I guess this works.
I also practiced set up and tear down of the tent myself. Michael usually does this part and I do all the bedding but this was really good practice.
The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 isn’t our JMT tent but works very similarly and it was just good to get reps in.
A little bit later, snow really started pelting down on us.
My pants ended up getting drenched while I was setting this up and after changing into my thermals, I was still pretty miserably cold.
Checking the weather, it had turned into a Winter Weather Advisory.
I made the decision to pack up and leave for the night. I wasn’t confident my sleep setup was going to work too well.
I had the REI Magma 15 bag but as I lay there still under daylight, I felt my butt get super cold. This has happened before and I’ve made tweaks including adding a liner and this time I had an air mattress and a foam liner. It looked like I was struggling still to stay warm.
I’m starting to think this sleeping bag may not be for me. It works really well in the summer and fall months but struggles at below freezing temps despite the rating.
We hiked back out to the trailhead for a total mileage of 9 miles today. Still a very decent hike with a full pack and I got a tent practice in!
Emma was such a little trooper too! I’m glad my kids enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.
