Not a detailed blog today - I'm busy packing for my last trip home and also for moving next weekend. So soon.
But today, is slightly an exciting day.
30 days.
1 month to the day.
My apartment is chaotic right now. I secretly both dread and look forward to moving out my stuff next weekend. Once everything is done, I'll be surrounded by all of my NZ items and a few extras. Fewer distractions.
Tomorrow, road trip.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Watching the planes take off and land
I took a side trip this weekend. Went to Moncton, NB with my brother. Good times. Met up with my parents and uncle Lloyd at the airport, then drove to Sussex, NB to see my Grandmother for her 79th birthday.
Learned a few things.
1) Never pre-program a phone for the partially blind elderly. Within 5 minutes, my grandmother had phoned and then hung up on 911. This leads to RCMP visits to the house, despite the return phone call from the 911 operator and an explanation and apology from my father.
2) My life sometimes really is like a movie. Walking out of a restaurant on Saturday evening, we 'bumped into' a 2nd cousin. (Lloyd would be the only one to know this as he lives in Sussex with my grandmother.) I have never been in a situation in my life where "Hey, meet your second cousin" seems to frequently come out of someone's mouth AND refer to me! Then on a drive through the outskirts of Sussex, my uncle led us into a driveway of a semingly deserted house - and started clearing the driveway of pipes and metal. Out pops a man from inside the house, most likely wondering who is in their yard, and low and behold - another 2nd cousin. I never grew up around my extended family.
3) I miss flying.
Earlton, Ontario. Home of the oversized faux-Buffalo (or Bison) sitting outside the good ol' Earlton Zoo. My hometown from birth through grade 2. This is a town of roughly 1000 people I would say, nothing much really goes on in this town. But I have some very fond memories of my childhood in Earlton. Most of which come from my backyard.
I grew up on the Earlton airport. Literally. The runway was almost our backyard. Kept at a safe distance by a metal link fence that stood no more than a meter tall. My dad is an air traffic controller and used to work at the 'tower' on the airport ('tower' because it was more of a one story house...you could see enough from that place). A hop, skip and a jump away from our house, which was one of three on the airport.
Cessnas were parked all around our property. We loved it. We walked around looking at the planes all the time. We knew the pilots who owned them, and often had the opportunity to go up for a ride. I thought I had the greatest life back then. This constant sense of adventure was abundant all around me. It was thrilling. Watching planes take off and land from our kitchen window or back porch. When a plane left - you never knew where it was going to go. Somewhere new. Somewhere exciting. In my head, it was always a grandiose adventure. I loved it.
As I got older, that feeling never went away. At York University, our residence was below a flight path to the airport. I loved hearing the planes soar overhead and often watched them for as long as I could from my 6th floor window, until they disappeared along the horizon. I always wanted to be one of those passengers on the plane. I would sit and imagine what it would be like to be them and try to figure out who they were, where they were going and why they chose that destination. What drove them? What were they looking for on this trip?
What am I looking for on this trip? My heart aches in a way that is quite difficult to put into words. The ache associated with anticipation, excitement and anxiety all in one perhaps? I have dreamt of this trip for a decade. I have sat watching planes from the tower in North Bay or watching them take off from the 401 hwy in Toronto, always wondering when my moment would come to be that passenger on that plane with some grandiose adventure in the forefront of my mind.
That built up moment of anticipation right before something you have always dreamed of actually becomes a reality. It's quite possibly the best feeling in the world. You want to vomit from the butterflies, scream with excitement, cry because you are overjoyed, and just dance and jump around.
I just want to jump around. The butterflies are beating my insides so hard, I can barely breathe.
33 days.
1 month and 3 days. At this exact moment - we would be in Vancouver waiting for our connection to Auckland.
In 1 month and 3 days - a dream will realize. In a year from now, I'll re-read this post and think back to what I was feeling on those last few days before stepping onto that plane in July. I don't want this feeling to end - but I know it will. I'm trying to capture it all inside before it disappears through the trip.
My feet are still safely planted in Canada right now - I have no idea what I'm up against. But I've never been one to let obstacles get in my way. I think that this may be one of the greatest physical challenges I put my body through.
I just can't wait to get on that plane.
There is something beautiful about flying. Being up in the sky is something else. You are strapped in a seat in a giant aerodynamic metal box that climbs above 40000 feet, for hours you sit and watch the world below you, through breaks in the cloud, the colours of the ground start to punch through. And you realize how beautiful the world looks from this priviledged position in the sky. Patchworks of colour.
Side thought: Gearing up for our landing into Moncton, a thought occured to me at 18390feet. Your personal television (that is inserted into the back of the seat in front of you) showcases a live map of your flight which indicates the speed at which you are travelling as well as the altitude. Watching the altitude drop, it doned on me - Mt. Everest is 29, 035 feet tall. When you're up that high in the sky - you get a better idea of how ginourmous this mountain really is. Incredible. On our return trip to Toronto - I took notice of what the world looked like from 30,000 feet. I wonder sometimes if Brent and I will think about going through Nepal one day to see the Himalayas.
The weekend proved to be a wonderful time. It was nice to get back in a plane...and I'm really happy that I'll be back on one in just over a month's time.
Tick tock my friend.
I move in 2 weeks.
Our next post will focus on our gear update (complete with pictures) as well as some wonderful stories about people who have done incredible things for us. These are the people who remind us how excited we are about this trip - when we realize how much bigger it is than we ever imagined. Little blessings that we are so grateful for.
Learned a few things.
1) Never pre-program a phone for the partially blind elderly. Within 5 minutes, my grandmother had phoned and then hung up on 911. This leads to RCMP visits to the house, despite the return phone call from the 911 operator and an explanation and apology from my father.
2) My life sometimes really is like a movie. Walking out of a restaurant on Saturday evening, we 'bumped into' a 2nd cousin. (Lloyd would be the only one to know this as he lives in Sussex with my grandmother.) I have never been in a situation in my life where "Hey, meet your second cousin" seems to frequently come out of someone's mouth AND refer to me! Then on a drive through the outskirts of Sussex, my uncle led us into a driveway of a semingly deserted house - and started clearing the driveway of pipes and metal. Out pops a man from inside the house, most likely wondering who is in their yard, and low and behold - another 2nd cousin. I never grew up around my extended family.
3) I miss flying.
Earlton, Ontario. Home of the oversized faux-Buffalo (or Bison) sitting outside the good ol' Earlton Zoo. My hometown from birth through grade 2. This is a town of roughly 1000 people I would say, nothing much really goes on in this town. But I have some very fond memories of my childhood in Earlton. Most of which come from my backyard.
I grew up on the Earlton airport. Literally. The runway was almost our backyard. Kept at a safe distance by a metal link fence that stood no more than a meter tall. My dad is an air traffic controller and used to work at the 'tower' on the airport ('tower' because it was more of a one story house...you could see enough from that place). A hop, skip and a jump away from our house, which was one of three on the airport.
Cessnas were parked all around our property. We loved it. We walked around looking at the planes all the time. We knew the pilots who owned them, and often had the opportunity to go up for a ride. I thought I had the greatest life back then. This constant sense of adventure was abundant all around me. It was thrilling. Watching planes take off and land from our kitchen window or back porch. When a plane left - you never knew where it was going to go. Somewhere new. Somewhere exciting. In my head, it was always a grandiose adventure. I loved it.
As I got older, that feeling never went away. At York University, our residence was below a flight path to the airport. I loved hearing the planes soar overhead and often watched them for as long as I could from my 6th floor window, until they disappeared along the horizon. I always wanted to be one of those passengers on the plane. I would sit and imagine what it would be like to be them and try to figure out who they were, where they were going and why they chose that destination. What drove them? What were they looking for on this trip?
What am I looking for on this trip? My heart aches in a way that is quite difficult to put into words. The ache associated with anticipation, excitement and anxiety all in one perhaps? I have dreamt of this trip for a decade. I have sat watching planes from the tower in North Bay or watching them take off from the 401 hwy in Toronto, always wondering when my moment would come to be that passenger on that plane with some grandiose adventure in the forefront of my mind.
That built up moment of anticipation right before something you have always dreamed of actually becomes a reality. It's quite possibly the best feeling in the world. You want to vomit from the butterflies, scream with excitement, cry because you are overjoyed, and just dance and jump around.
I just want to jump around. The butterflies are beating my insides so hard, I can barely breathe.
33 days.
1 month and 3 days. At this exact moment - we would be in Vancouver waiting for our connection to Auckland.
In 1 month and 3 days - a dream will realize. In a year from now, I'll re-read this post and think back to what I was feeling on those last few days before stepping onto that plane in July. I don't want this feeling to end - but I know it will. I'm trying to capture it all inside before it disappears through the trip.
My feet are still safely planted in Canada right now - I have no idea what I'm up against. But I've never been one to let obstacles get in my way. I think that this may be one of the greatest physical challenges I put my body through.
I just can't wait to get on that plane.
There is something beautiful about flying. Being up in the sky is something else. You are strapped in a seat in a giant aerodynamic metal box that climbs above 40000 feet, for hours you sit and watch the world below you, through breaks in the cloud, the colours of the ground start to punch through. And you realize how beautiful the world looks from this priviledged position in the sky. Patchworks of colour.
Side thought: Gearing up for our landing into Moncton, a thought occured to me at 18390feet. Your personal television (that is inserted into the back of the seat in front of you) showcases a live map of your flight which indicates the speed at which you are travelling as well as the altitude. Watching the altitude drop, it doned on me - Mt. Everest is 29, 035 feet tall. When you're up that high in the sky - you get a better idea of how ginourmous this mountain really is. Incredible. On our return trip to Toronto - I took notice of what the world looked like from 30,000 feet. I wonder sometimes if Brent and I will think about going through Nepal one day to see the Himalayas.
The weekend proved to be a wonderful time. It was nice to get back in a plane...and I'm really happy that I'll be back on one in just over a month's time.
Tick tock my friend.
I move in 2 weeks.
Our next post will focus on our gear update (complete with pictures) as well as some wonderful stories about people who have done incredible things for us. These are the people who remind us how excited we are about this trip - when we realize how much bigger it is than we ever imagined. Little blessings that we are so grateful for.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Good bye ol' Red & White. And other stories.
In the mail came my new OHIP card. Ugh. New photo identification. My old red & white card was no more. Actually, it is still with me - awaiting it's destiny (the shredder). He was already tainted when the OHIP woman punched a hole in the corner. That was the end of my OHIP coverage as a Red & White card holder.
I remember years ago, when I went to a hospital for a catscan (my second catscan in life - first was for my eye when I was really young, grade 2ish - this second one for my vertigo) the woman who I signed in with at the front entrance told me that my OHIP card had expired. "Excuse me?" "You're card, it is expired! You need to get a new one. The photo OHIP cards" "Um, this card doesn't expire!? So, I'm going to have to use this one today" She almost didn't let me in. The thing is - the old red & white cards don't expire. But Ontario is phasing them out. And now that I have the new photo ID one, I'm not impressed. Just another photo to take that you will dread every 5 years - and that looks like a gold star mug shot.
When we extended our OHIP - or applied for an extension due to being out of the country for a year - you had to forfeit your old card and suck it up and get the new one. Despite my card being in pretty darn good shape - I let it go. Brent seriously needed the upgrade. His health card wasn't looking so hot.
On that note - we're all clear for acquiring our travel insurance. Maybe we'll get it this week. :)
Yesterday, we were 50 days away. Today, we sit 7 weeks to the day. Actually, as I type this one sentence, we are 49 days, 4 hours and 18 mins away from our scheduled take off. Man, I feel like I'm going to forget something. Everyone I meet up with as the time approaches exclaims their excitement for our great adventure - and that truly helps rekindle the flame for the adventure. We're so busy planning parts of it that we don't necessarily take the time to breathe and enjoy what is about to happen...we just want to make sure everything is ready in time...then we can breathe. And there is so much to do...
Training hikes.
They started again a few weeks ago. I guess we're up to our fourth 'serious' hike. I mean, literally, we walk everywhere we can. I walk to my friend's houses for fun...18kms away. Next weekend, we might walk up to our friend's home who lives 27.8kms away - with our full packs. We're only able to dedicate a good deal of walking time on the weekends - and so far we're only training when the weather cooperates. I am fully aware that we will be walking in the rain in NZ, I don't need to live it every weekend while I'm still here. :) That's what we're thinking. If it rains while we're hiking here, totally fine. If it's thunder & lightening before I step outside my door - I might bow out until a later time.
HIKE 1 - we did a leisure hike. Walked a busy trail in the city of Toronto. I walked without any pack, Brent had his daypack on with I believe a bottle of water and sweater inside. Nothing too exciting to report about that hike. We didn't go for that long either. I can't remember why. We roughly did a 10km hike in a leisurely 2 hours. We also spent some time strolling through Mt. Pleasant cemetary. Quiet and away from the bustle of the traffic.
HIKE 2 - Marked the return of weighted training. We both set out in running shoes with our backpacks loaded in with only our sleeping bags. We didn't weigh our backpacks yet at this point. We walked the first 8.5kms in 1 hour 31mins and 21secs. From my house to Brent's house. Mostly street walking. I remember, it was cold on this day. We took a slightly different route back to my house at 8.2kms in 1 hour 35mins 20secs. The reason there was a delay in our return walk was that we stopped a few times to observe fire works being set off in the parks on the way home and on the streets. It was Victoria day in Canada. I have never seen so many displays of fireworks in this city in one neighbourhood. And not aiming that at each other like weapons (which I have witnessed in the Jane & Finch area and near my old work place near Jane & Sheppard). So we set a more leisurely pace coming home.
HIKE 3 - Was a 17.16kms loop. Street walking. An early Sunday morning. Nice day. Some wind bursts at certain points, but overall pleasant. We walked with the same weight as the previous hike (Brent - 11.4lbs / Alison - 9.4lbs). This walk saw adjustments to the shoulder straps from both our bags. Brent lowered his by one rung, and I rose mine by one rung. We wanted to see what kind of a difference this would make to our walking. Both of us felt in the previous hike that the contents were not sitting right on our bodies. We did the hike in 3hours and 16mins. At the end of the hike, my hips were soar.
HIKE 4 - This hike took place yesterday. We started at 7.30am. Although, I meant for us to start around 4am. The reason for the desired early start is the extreme heat alert the city was sitting in. With the weather in the mid-thirties PLUS humidex soaring into the 40s, there was no reason to try to hike mid-morning or later. NZ does not see this kind of extreme heat, so there is no point to train in it. It was a good hike. We had to start on the streets but ended up crossing through two interconnected parks and then following the road back home. It was a shorter walk at only 11.83kms. We accomplished this in about 2hours 35ish mins. This included a momentary break in one of the parks to try to figure out what to do with a duck that had lost its eye and was being chased by three other ducks, as well as some breaks while enduring the street walking portions. The road was so hot, we were losing fluids very quickly...even at 7.30 in the morning. On our backs - Brent was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sleeping bag liner, wallet, cell phone, 850mL stainless steel bottle of water, 10lbs of weights and 4 x pair of shorts (covering the weights); I was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rain cover, 10lbs of weights, 2 sweaters (covering the weights), digital camera, long sleeve shirt, house/car keys, compression sack, 591mL aquafina vitamin water, lipbalm. Detailed, non? Basically, we increased our pack weight by a great amount. Brent was carrying a load of 25.6 lbs plus the water. I was carrying 26.8 lbs at the beginning, down to 25.6 lbs at the end (after drinking my liquids).
So we didn't want to overdo the distance yesterday, due to the great increase in our weight. I readjusted my straps to its original position and this worked better for me. I feel soar in my hips a bit today, almost like I have invisible bruises. I believe my body has to get used to lugging around the weight. My upper body feels great however, so I know that the bag is doing its thing. Brent removed his bag upon our return and had very red shoulders and mid waist strap lines. He is also feeling the pain in the hips a bit. I'm worried about how red his shoulders were, but he never expressed feeling any discomfort on the hike.
My weight: I fluctuate between 101lbs (highest) and 97 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). At 99.6 lbs (average found over observing the scale) I can safely carry 33.2lbs on our trip. So our training hike yesterday was ALMOST the entire weight that my body should be permitted to carry. Brent fluctuates between 161 lbs (highest) and 157 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). This allows Brent to carry approximately 53lbs on our trip. Technically, he could double the load we were carrying yesterday.
Overall, it was a great walk. It was unfortunate about the weather - but no other complaints. We should have brought more liquids, but we willnext time.
It's great to be back out training again.
Today, we will be going to MEC to talk to them about my boots that came in the mail. I have a concern about the seam at the base of one of the shoes. If I get the all clear, I can go get my orthotics fitted to my boots and start wearing them on our hikes. :) (update - it's about 9 hours later since originally posting this, and I got the all clear from the MEC people about my boots - so orthotics fitting is to be scheduled this week!)
A big thank you to Valerie - who let us borrow her electronic scale until we leave. This is helping us plan/pack according to recommendations. I think it was a bit of a shock yesterday morning when we were packing our bags, trying to figure out how everything is going to fit into what is starting for feel like little bags (well I have a 60L, Brent has a 70L, but once your sleeping bag is in that backpack, 60L/70L can start looking pretty small!!!).
Two big thank yous to post about.
Johnna Dawdy.
A lovely example of human kindness. She works for DaySpring in the USA (http://www.dayspring.com/). This is a simple story about a 28 month planner that found its way into my backpack. We have to be minimalists on our trip. Avoid any unecessary weight and items. So when I was shopping at the Canadian Bible Society store (right around the corner from Brent's house) and found this 28 month planner - I thought it was fantastic. I could have a date book to write down everyone's birthdays that I can bring with us, it's cute, it's compact, it's perfect. Better yet - it was the only planner I had found so far that was so compact while still stretching over a long enough period of time to cover our entire trip. You know how it is when you have been looking for something for a long time and finally see it and it's everything you wanted. So, of course, being brilliant, I didn't buy it then. I was shopping for someone else, and didn't want to make a personal purchase while I was on this mission. Anyway - when I finally had a chance to return to this store to find one to purchase, they were sold out. I tried 3 more stores in the city as well as called the Canadian DaySpring distribution company. Nothing. It was just sold out and they wouldn't be getting any more until next August. Ugh. I tried to find a substitution. Nothing struck me at all. Someone finally suggested I check out the website of the company who makes the calendars (information I received from the Bible Society store). I went online and there they were. Simple little calendars. On sale. $1.50. :) They were originally like $4.50 in Canada - so they were inexpensive. I went through the whole online ordering process and then came the shipping page. To ship to Canada, the only option I had was a $17.00 shipping fee, I believe through UPS. Hmmmm. I decided instead to write to the company and ask to see if it was possible to find an alternate shipping option. I knew how small this calendar was (pocket sized) and was not opposed to paying for shipping - but felt the entire transaction could be done with a mid-sized enveloppe and a 1 maybe 2 stamps. To my surprise, I heard back from Johnna at DaySpring, who just so happened to have the exact calendar I was looking for on her desk. And after months of trying to find this simple little planner, was offered the planner as a gift from the company.
This may seem like such a small thing to anyone else, but it meant so much to me. I just wasn't expecting that. I remember the day I got the email, I was SOOOO happy. It was one more thing I didn't have to worry about - and it was exactly what I was looking for. The calendar is wonderful - the cover lists "Twelve things God wants you to remember". And every day I go through this calendar, I will remember how kind Johnna was to me. We're embarking on a tireless journey, and reading the cover will help bring us strength every morning.
We shared a few emails back and forth, and she might even be reading this post as we speak.
Hi Johnna. :) Again, thank you!
Eric Martinot.
Another person who went above and beyond what was necessary or expected. Whose kindness will not soon be forgotten. In 2003, Eric set out to treck the length of NZ. An incredible journey that took him from October 15th, 2003 through to April 8th, 2004. (You can read about his journey here: http://www.martinot-nz.info/nztrek/main.htm#table). A few years ago, I found his journal entries online, while I was researching walking trips in NZ. I was so excited to read them. His trip entailed walking from the northern most point of NZ's North Island: Cape Regina to the southern tip of the south island in Bluff. There was so much information that I was pulling from his journey. Ideas about how to better plan some areas of this trip and reading about his experiences on certain trails was really helpful. A few months ago, I picked up a printed copy of one section of his trip that I had printed out years earlier. After spending some time researching some of his logs, I decided to simply email him at the address available online to see if: a) he might still be using the posted email address; and b) to see if I would be able to ask him a few questions. I felt that he had a great deal more experience with walking trips and thought he might be the best person to ask for about a few things on my mind. A bit after sending him an email, I received a reply email from Eric telling me he had just tried to call me at my office but I wasn't there. He asked me if there was an early morning time that would work for me to call me on another phone line. So for almost two weeks, I woke up extra early every morning, because I didn't know when he was going to call me. One morning, a call from "private number" rang through. We spoke for about an hour and a half. It was really great to speak with someone who had experienced something similar to what Brent and I are going to be doing. He had some great advice and interesting stories to share. I will use his advice through our trip.
For you Eric, a big thank you for that phone call and your time. It was greatly appreciated!
Gear...the list grows and grows and grows.
First - a little game.
B -- Alison purchases a unique animal tuque from Delux, a company that also makes puppy mittens she sports in the winter, and Brent finds a chique pom tuque that he fashionably accessorizes through the cold months in Canada?
Yeah, so anyway. Without the picture, I'm at a loss of what we have stored in my closet that is trip related yet hasn't been snapped for the blog yet. I'll figure that out this week.
So, a bit of a catch up. Hope you're still reading at this point and not taking a lovely nap. There was a lot to say today.
Thursday - MEC date - big evening shop. Will report soon after.
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION: Which scenario do you believe to be true in the great winter hat quest, conducted by Brent and Alison during the late winter months of 2008?
I remember years ago, when I went to a hospital for a catscan (my second catscan in life - first was for my eye when I was really young, grade 2ish - this second one for my vertigo) the woman who I signed in with at the front entrance told me that my OHIP card had expired. "Excuse me?" "You're card, it is expired! You need to get a new one. The photo OHIP cards" "Um, this card doesn't expire!? So, I'm going to have to use this one today" She almost didn't let me in. The thing is - the old red & white cards don't expire. But Ontario is phasing them out. And now that I have the new photo ID one, I'm not impressed. Just another photo to take that you will dread every 5 years - and that looks like a gold star mug shot.
When we extended our OHIP - or applied for an extension due to being out of the country for a year - you had to forfeit your old card and suck it up and get the new one. Despite my card being in pretty darn good shape - I let it go. Brent seriously needed the upgrade. His health card wasn't looking so hot.
On that note - we're all clear for acquiring our travel insurance. Maybe we'll get it this week. :)
Yesterday, we were 50 days away. Today, we sit 7 weeks to the day. Actually, as I type this one sentence, we are 49 days, 4 hours and 18 mins away from our scheduled take off. Man, I feel like I'm going to forget something. Everyone I meet up with as the time approaches exclaims their excitement for our great adventure - and that truly helps rekindle the flame for the adventure. We're so busy planning parts of it that we don't necessarily take the time to breathe and enjoy what is about to happen...we just want to make sure everything is ready in time...then we can breathe. And there is so much to do...
Training hikes.
They started again a few weeks ago. I guess we're up to our fourth 'serious' hike. I mean, literally, we walk everywhere we can. I walk to my friend's houses for fun...18kms away. Next weekend, we might walk up to our friend's home who lives 27.8kms away - with our full packs. We're only able to dedicate a good deal of walking time on the weekends - and so far we're only training when the weather cooperates. I am fully aware that we will be walking in the rain in NZ, I don't need to live it every weekend while I'm still here. :) That's what we're thinking. If it rains while we're hiking here, totally fine. If it's thunder & lightening before I step outside my door - I might bow out until a later time.
HIKE 1 - we did a leisure hike. Walked a busy trail in the city of Toronto. I walked without any pack, Brent had his daypack on with I believe a bottle of water and sweater inside. Nothing too exciting to report about that hike. We didn't go for that long either. I can't remember why. We roughly did a 10km hike in a leisurely 2 hours. We also spent some time strolling through Mt. Pleasant cemetary. Quiet and away from the bustle of the traffic.
HIKE 2 - Marked the return of weighted training. We both set out in running shoes with our backpacks loaded in with only our sleeping bags. We didn't weigh our backpacks yet at this point. We walked the first 8.5kms in 1 hour 31mins and 21secs. From my house to Brent's house. Mostly street walking. I remember, it was cold on this day. We took a slightly different route back to my house at 8.2kms in 1 hour 35mins 20secs. The reason there was a delay in our return walk was that we stopped a few times to observe fire works being set off in the parks on the way home and on the streets. It was Victoria day in Canada. I have never seen so many displays of fireworks in this city in one neighbourhood. And not aiming that at each other like weapons (which I have witnessed in the Jane & Finch area and near my old work place near Jane & Sheppard). So we set a more leisurely pace coming home.
HIKE 3 - Was a 17.16kms loop. Street walking. An early Sunday morning. Nice day. Some wind bursts at certain points, but overall pleasant. We walked with the same weight as the previous hike (Brent - 11.4lbs / Alison - 9.4lbs). This walk saw adjustments to the shoulder straps from both our bags. Brent lowered his by one rung, and I rose mine by one rung. We wanted to see what kind of a difference this would make to our walking. Both of us felt in the previous hike that the contents were not sitting right on our bodies. We did the hike in 3hours and 16mins. At the end of the hike, my hips were soar.
HIKE 4 - This hike took place yesterday. We started at 7.30am. Although, I meant for us to start around 4am. The reason for the desired early start is the extreme heat alert the city was sitting in. With the weather in the mid-thirties PLUS humidex soaring into the 40s, there was no reason to try to hike mid-morning or later. NZ does not see this kind of extreme heat, so there is no point to train in it. It was a good hike. We had to start on the streets but ended up crossing through two interconnected parks and then following the road back home. It was a shorter walk at only 11.83kms. We accomplished this in about 2hours 35ish mins. This included a momentary break in one of the parks to try to figure out what to do with a duck that had lost its eye and was being chased by three other ducks, as well as some breaks while enduring the street walking portions. The road was so hot, we were losing fluids very quickly...even at 7.30 in the morning. On our backs - Brent was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, sleeping bag liner, wallet, cell phone, 850mL stainless steel bottle of water, 10lbs of weights and 4 x pair of shorts (covering the weights); I was carrying: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, rain cover, 10lbs of weights, 2 sweaters (covering the weights), digital camera, long sleeve shirt, house/car keys, compression sack, 591mL aquafina vitamin water, lipbalm. Detailed, non? Basically, we increased our pack weight by a great amount. Brent was carrying a load of 25.6 lbs plus the water. I was carrying 26.8 lbs at the beginning, down to 25.6 lbs at the end (after drinking my liquids).
So we didn't want to overdo the distance yesterday, due to the great increase in our weight. I readjusted my straps to its original position and this worked better for me. I feel soar in my hips a bit today, almost like I have invisible bruises. I believe my body has to get used to lugging around the weight. My upper body feels great however, so I know that the bag is doing its thing. Brent removed his bag upon our return and had very red shoulders and mid waist strap lines. He is also feeling the pain in the hips a bit. I'm worried about how red his shoulders were, but he never expressed feeling any discomfort on the hike.
My weight: I fluctuate between 101lbs (highest) and 97 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). At 99.6 lbs (average found over observing the scale) I can safely carry 33.2lbs on our trip. So our training hike yesterday was ALMOST the entire weight that my body should be permitted to carry. Brent fluctuates between 161 lbs (highest) and 157 lbs (lowest in the last 2 weeks). This allows Brent to carry approximately 53lbs on our trip. Technically, he could double the load we were carrying yesterday.
Overall, it was a great walk. It was unfortunate about the weather - but no other complaints. We should have brought more liquids, but we willnext time.
It's great to be back out training again.
Today, we will be going to MEC to talk to them about my boots that came in the mail. I have a concern about the seam at the base of one of the shoes. If I get the all clear, I can go get my orthotics fitted to my boots and start wearing them on our hikes. :) (update - it's about 9 hours later since originally posting this, and I got the all clear from the MEC people about my boots - so orthotics fitting is to be scheduled this week!)
A big thank you to Valerie - who let us borrow her electronic scale until we leave. This is helping us plan/pack according to recommendations. I think it was a bit of a shock yesterday morning when we were packing our bags, trying to figure out how everything is going to fit into what is starting for feel like little bags (well I have a 60L, Brent has a 70L, but once your sleeping bag is in that backpack, 60L/70L can start looking pretty small!!!).
Two big thank yous to post about.
Johnna Dawdy.
A lovely example of human kindness. She works for DaySpring in the USA (http://www.dayspring.com/). This is a simple story about a 28 month planner that found its way into my backpack. We have to be minimalists on our trip. Avoid any unecessary weight and items. So when I was shopping at the Canadian Bible Society store (right around the corner from Brent's house) and found this 28 month planner - I thought it was fantastic. I could have a date book to write down everyone's birthdays that I can bring with us, it's cute, it's compact, it's perfect. Better yet - it was the only planner I had found so far that was so compact while still stretching over a long enough period of time to cover our entire trip. You know how it is when you have been looking for something for a long time and finally see it and it's everything you wanted. So, of course, being brilliant, I didn't buy it then. I was shopping for someone else, and didn't want to make a personal purchase while I was on this mission. Anyway - when I finally had a chance to return to this store to find one to purchase, they were sold out. I tried 3 more stores in the city as well as called the Canadian DaySpring distribution company. Nothing. It was just sold out and they wouldn't be getting any more until next August. Ugh. I tried to find a substitution. Nothing struck me at all. Someone finally suggested I check out the website of the company who makes the calendars (information I received from the Bible Society store). I went online and there they were. Simple little calendars. On sale. $1.50. :) They were originally like $4.50 in Canada - so they were inexpensive. I went through the whole online ordering process and then came the shipping page. To ship to Canada, the only option I had was a $17.00 shipping fee, I believe through UPS. Hmmmm. I decided instead to write to the company and ask to see if it was possible to find an alternate shipping option. I knew how small this calendar was (pocket sized) and was not opposed to paying for shipping - but felt the entire transaction could be done with a mid-sized enveloppe and a 1 maybe 2 stamps. To my surprise, I heard back from Johnna at DaySpring, who just so happened to have the exact calendar I was looking for on her desk. And after months of trying to find this simple little planner, was offered the planner as a gift from the company.
This may seem like such a small thing to anyone else, but it meant so much to me. I just wasn't expecting that. I remember the day I got the email, I was SOOOO happy. It was one more thing I didn't have to worry about - and it was exactly what I was looking for. The calendar is wonderful - the cover lists "Twelve things God wants you to remember". And every day I go through this calendar, I will remember how kind Johnna was to me. We're embarking on a tireless journey, and reading the cover will help bring us strength every morning.
We shared a few emails back and forth, and she might even be reading this post as we speak.
Hi Johnna. :) Again, thank you!
Eric Martinot.
Another person who went above and beyond what was necessary or expected. Whose kindness will not soon be forgotten. In 2003, Eric set out to treck the length of NZ. An incredible journey that took him from October 15th, 2003 through to April 8th, 2004. (You can read about his journey here: http://www.martinot-nz.info/nztrek/main.htm#table). A few years ago, I found his journal entries online, while I was researching walking trips in NZ. I was so excited to read them. His trip entailed walking from the northern most point of NZ's North Island: Cape Regina to the southern tip of the south island in Bluff. There was so much information that I was pulling from his journey. Ideas about how to better plan some areas of this trip and reading about his experiences on certain trails was really helpful. A few months ago, I picked up a printed copy of one section of his trip that I had printed out years earlier. After spending some time researching some of his logs, I decided to simply email him at the address available online to see if: a) he might still be using the posted email address; and b) to see if I would be able to ask him a few questions. I felt that he had a great deal more experience with walking trips and thought he might be the best person to ask for about a few things on my mind. A bit after sending him an email, I received a reply email from Eric telling me he had just tried to call me at my office but I wasn't there. He asked me if there was an early morning time that would work for me to call me on another phone line. So for almost two weeks, I woke up extra early every morning, because I didn't know when he was going to call me. One morning, a call from "private number" rang through. We spoke for about an hour and a half. It was really great to speak with someone who had experienced something similar to what Brent and I are going to be doing. He had some great advice and interesting stories to share. I will use his advice through our trip.
For you Eric, a big thank you for that phone call and your time. It was greatly appreciated!
Gear...the list grows and grows and grows.
First - a little game.
Which scenario do you believe to be true in the great winter hat quest, conducted by Brent and Alison during the late winter months of 2008?
A -- Alison purchasing a suave yet compact tuque to keep her noggin' toasty, while Brent settles for a more earthly connection with a hooty tuque?
OR
A -- Alison purchasing a suave yet compact tuque to keep her noggin' toasty, while Brent settles for a more earthly connection with a hooty tuque?
OR
B -- Alison purchases a unique animal tuque from Delux, a company that also makes puppy mittens she sports in the winter, and Brent finds a chique pom tuque that he fashionably accessorizes through the cold months in Canada?
The answer to follow.
We have been busy beavers continuing with our gear research and shopping trips (sometimes we leave stores empty handed - but wiser with more gear information). I think it might almost be best to post a picture to recap where we're at with our collection. At this point in the game, we need to get to NZ - we are total dweebs now. I just sent an email to my parents about an order my dad will be placing at a North Bay sporting store to the company "Sea to Summit" - (my dad's friend works at a store that will gladly order us supplies, which is fantastic!) - and I wrote a ridiculously excited email all about a collapsible bowl called the X-bowl that doubles as a cutting board AND a measuring cup. But it's collapsible!! See - the problem here is that nobody in their right mind would care about these things UNLESS they too were outdoor nerds. So, when we get on the trails in NZ, we'll be better off - telling these seemingly lame stories to other enthusiasts who will be equally as excited.
Sad, just sad. But we've been building a bit of a pile in my apartment of items. SOME clothing - not a lot. I still can't find pants - but one day they will surely come. We both have our boots (phew - that was an expensive one - Brent only has one more big financial hit to come - the jacket, then it's all the little stuff). We had a big shop last weekend for first aid kit gear - all on gift cards that I got by redeeming points via Zellers/the Bay or Petro Points or Air Miles or PC points. Cha-ching! Bought the most expensive items with the cards - more still to come.
A slight recap, I think: we bought extra tent pegs (yes, necessary!), stainless steel water bottles (BILT), airline totes to save our clips and backpacks while they get tossed around on their trip to NZ, winter gear - LOTS of gloves (actually - both of us have fingerless gloves and fingerless mitts (the later made from alpaca wool purchased at the St. Lawrence Market), fleece gloves and wind gloves (they layer) and that's it for gloves - but 4 pairs...each...I'll probably be wearing something every day - my hands are sensitive in an excema kind of way), both have our tuques, my parents bought us a hacky sack - the nice multi-coloured one from MEC, ridiculously priced titanium utensils - cause they were the sexiest ones and saved us 1.8oz each...don't ask...it was a treat for Brent (who became a utensil snob during our gear search), we will be acquiring a sweet Sea to Summit order soon (will post when it arrives), a pot insulator - which will double as a carrying case for our kitchen and is essentially a fuel saver!!, bungy cords, waterproof map case, a ridiculously tiny clothesline, and the list goes on. I actually have to revisit everything we have purchased since I last posted.
Oh - we did get cooling bands from Tilley Endurables - which are small ties you tie around your neck after dunking them in water. There is a gel of some sort inside that expands and keeps your body cool as you walk. I thought it could be useful (and it's tiny).
And of course, while we were at Tilley Endurables, we hooked ourselves up with some gear to train for our Indiana Jones' summer camp:
Sexy, non?
Menacing?
Hard core outdoor enthusiast?
Give me something...
Nothing? Okay, I'll settle with that.
Sad, just sad. But we've been building a bit of a pile in my apartment of items. SOME clothing - not a lot. I still can't find pants - but one day they will surely come. We both have our boots (phew - that was an expensive one - Brent only has one more big financial hit to come - the jacket, then it's all the little stuff). We had a big shop last weekend for first aid kit gear - all on gift cards that I got by redeeming points via Zellers/the Bay or Petro Points or Air Miles or PC points. Cha-ching! Bought the most expensive items with the cards - more still to come.
A slight recap, I think: we bought extra tent pegs (yes, necessary!), stainless steel water bottles (BILT), airline totes to save our clips and backpacks while they get tossed around on their trip to NZ, winter gear - LOTS of gloves (actually - both of us have fingerless gloves and fingerless mitts (the later made from alpaca wool purchased at the St. Lawrence Market), fleece gloves and wind gloves (they layer) and that's it for gloves - but 4 pairs...each...I'll probably be wearing something every day - my hands are sensitive in an excema kind of way), both have our tuques, my parents bought us a hacky sack - the nice multi-coloured one from MEC, ridiculously priced titanium utensils - cause they were the sexiest ones and saved us 1.8oz each...don't ask...it was a treat for Brent (who became a utensil snob during our gear search), we will be acquiring a sweet Sea to Summit order soon (will post when it arrives), a pot insulator - which will double as a carrying case for our kitchen and is essentially a fuel saver!!, bungy cords, waterproof map case, a ridiculously tiny clothesline, and the list goes on. I actually have to revisit everything we have purchased since I last posted.
Oh - we did get cooling bands from Tilley Endurables - which are small ties you tie around your neck after dunking them in water. There is a gel of some sort inside that expands and keeps your body cool as you walk. I thought it could be useful (and it's tiny).
And of course, while we were at Tilley Endurables, we hooked ourselves up with some gear to train for our Indiana Jones' summer camp:
Sexy, non?
Menacing?
Hard core outdoor enthusiast?
Give me something...
Nothing? Okay, I'll settle with that.
Yeah, so anyway. Without the picture, I'm at a loss of what we have stored in my closet that is trip related yet hasn't been snapped for the blog yet. I'll figure that out this week.
So, a bit of a catch up. Hope you're still reading at this point and not taking a lovely nap. There was a lot to say today.
Thursday - MEC date - big evening shop. Will report soon after.
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION: Which scenario do you believe to be true in the great winter hat quest, conducted by Brent and Alison during the late winter months of 2008?
Believe it or not - I was not the one to get the Delux hat. I was the one looking for it - but settled when I feared that I missed the "winter purchase" boat. Rash decision cost me animalia on top of my head. But that's okay. I like my hat - buying my hat helped the environment - I don't remember how, but it's a company that supports the environment that made the hat.
That's a terrible promotion on my behalf.
When Brent bought himself this owl tuque, I also acquired a new found problem - a hooting Brent. I'm not kidding. I have a feeling this tuque may go 'missing' during our trip if hooting Brent makes too many appearances. :)
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