Its been a long week! Iris finally came home which meant a lot of preparation and fun was in store for me. REI has been or 2nd home over the last week. The top left picture is of Iris trying on a backpack the size of the one we'll be carrying on the trail. The weight of the pack (40 lbs) made Iris's arms pull back and her body almost tip over backwards. I ended up getting a very expensive Gregory Diva 85 pack for 320$! I just finished A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson! It's about a guy who decides to hop over the fence in his back yard and hike the 2100 mile Appalacian Trail which runs the length of the East Coast from Georgia to Maine. The book is smart and funnier than a stand up comedy! One of the best I've read in a while!
My crazy sister made sure we got the first round of tickets at REI's used gear sale Saturday morning. We woke p at 4:45 in the morning and were in line by 5:30. Can you believe it.....someone was actually there before us! we cold barely see him because it was still dark outside! Last time I got up that early was to see Bill Gates at Cal! Turns out you can get there at 6:30 and get the first round of tickets. It all ended up paying off. I got a 270$ down sleeping bag for 130$! I also got an 80$ fleece jacket for 30$ and a underwear shirt i had bought earlier that week for 35 for only 9.50 at the sale. REI is like Nordstrom. They return anything. Almost all of the stuff was barely used at all. REI can't resale those items people return so it all goes into these monthly used gear sales!!!!!!! If yo ever need a sleeping bag, bike, fleece, hiking shoes, bagpack or whatever...go to this amazing sale!!! We made the best of our time waiting for REI to open by playing a little soccer in the parking lot with our new found "first in line" friend from Santa Rosa.
During the week we also got a chance to see the SF Symphony at Stern Grove. In the pic you can see my mom and Iris rounding the corner as they make their way up the hill. Like Ariane said...these free concerts are awesome!! We got seats in the woods so far up the hill my fear of heights actually began to set in. haha...
Okay guys, I've been thinking of you and am sending wonderful happy healthy loving vibrations your way! I'll be back August first to give you the full update on the John Muir Trail. Can yo believe it, we are doing Half Dome as part of the first day of our hike on Wednesday....I couldn't be more scared!!!
