Well, it is now January 2003 and it is cold out side. Time to start planning for the Spring. I got a new backpack and stove for Christmas. I decided on an MSR Pocket Rocket Stove. My old Peak I is about 30 years old, heavy and cranky so I decided to upgrade to a new stove. This one is light and had some good recommendations. I guess time will tell. I also decided on a Kelty Super Tioga external frame pack. I like to be able to have things organized and the external frame was the way to go. It is a little big for just a weekend but I just don't have to fill it up either.

I found it funny going into the camping stores. Everyone tried to sell me an internal pack frame like they are the best thing since little green apples. I imagine that the interanl frame packs are very good for their own purpose but I could just see myself looking for something and it always being on the bottom.

It is now January 2004 and only made it on one three dayer and one day trip in 2003. It seemed to either rain or was too hot for the puppster and I. We did the Old Logger Path and the North half of the Pinchot Trail system. I guess we planned the OLP trip for about 6 or 7 weeks runnning and by the time the weekends arrived, it was raining. We did the Pinchot Trail in the fall and it rained on the second day we have planned. The south half of that trail is no place to hike after it rains.

Well, we've made to the end of April. Went up to the cabin the weekend of April 16th to open it up and get an extimate on the roof. Got that done on Friday so Sophie and I could finish the lower loop of the Pinchot Trail System. We are planning a four-dayer starting on May 8th. Heading out to the Lost Trukey and John P. Saylor Trails.