Right smack dab in the middle of hiking season and I am stuck on a ship in the middle of nowhere for 3 months.
I've been putting in some solid inline treadmill runs and a weekly 20 miles for a long day on the ship (that's like 110 laps around the ship).
I figured my attempt of the Tahoe Rim Trail would have to wait another year as there was still too much snow on the ground before I left. Well there's always next year right?
A month later and I am itching to do something. It's driving me crazy on the days I can't work out or run with the op tempo we have. I am not one that likes to give up and say game over. I figured the only way I can get my but in to a high enough gear to get rid of this sheer boardem and loneliness is to go for the Tahoe Rim Trail Record as soon as I get back. This will take all what little spare time I have and make the time go by just that much faster.
Although I may not be one to say that I do not like to give up, I have gone for the Unsupported Record 3 times now, all ending by the end of day 1. Every time I have started at Tahoe City and go counter clockwise and Desolation just wipes me out while pushing through the first 50 miles in about 15 hours.
Regardless of the terrain, it has been other things that actually took me out, but each were not very big things and desolation was the multiplier.
This year I am going to start right after I get home and after about 3 days aclimating. Because of the not wanting to do desolation first I decided to save it for last and start at Echo Lakes going counter clockwise. This will take place at or around Sept 23rd.
Echo to Big Meadow is a horribly marked area to run through at night anyway so this will get me through it quickly. I also obviously know desolation by now as I've hiked it 5 or 6 times now.
Also this being my third time going for the Tahoe Rim Trail Record going unsupported, I have attempted it while there was no record, after a record had been establish and now my best friend Michael Popov has the record. It was a treat seeing him finish last year.
This year there also another challenge as a local BPL'er Brian "Phreak" Turner will be attempting the TRT Unsupported Record for the second time now in the next week, (if he is not out there already).
As a push to make this happen (and being the huge UL Backpacking junky that I am), I have decided to cut some drastic corners in dropping weight this year.
I keep saying this in all my attempts and even hiked the first record attempt of the John Muir Trail going Unsupported without a sleeping bag.
So how do I dare top that?
For starters, the pack.
If you have a small enough pack, then you can't carry anything anyway right?
So I'll be taking a 5 litter pack with me, the Salomon XT Wings 5 Pro Pack.
It has two 20 ounce bottles on the side for easier and faster pit stops.
http://www.argear.com/salomon-xt-wings-5-pro-backpack.html
I'll also have the Inov8 Race Pack 2 on the front.
http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-RacePac-2.html?L=27
So here is the gear list for a 168 mile hiking trip…
Pack(s): Salomon XT Wings 5 Pro Pack & Inov8 Race Pack 2
Clothing worn: Long pants, short sleeve shirt, gloves, injinji socks and shoes.
Clothing in the bag: Long sleeve shirt, TNF 3 ounce wind breaker, buff, light beanie
Food: 2.5 lbs of a Perpetium/Heed mix, 30 gels and or gue’s, 10 bars, some real food to equal 5.25 lbs total food, several assorted pills.
The rest: Map, GPS, Spot, Fenix HL21, extra batteries, Deet, sunglasses and case, TP, 2 litter Platy, lip balm, sunscreen, tape for feet and a needle.
This is it. I still haven't seen what it all weighs, but I do know that it will easily fit in the packs and doesn't feel heavy on the back at all when it's fully loaded.
If anyone hears about how Phreak does out there, please let me know.
