Gracie has overseen our packing for many an adventure: the PCT, Grand Canyon, Ptarmigan Traverse, CDT, Chinook, Tanzania, and most weekends here at home. She’s an expert at advising us on trip logistics, food, gear, safety considerations, and route options. And she keeps my pack from weighing too much (Gracie’s weight is my goal base weight).

So when it came to preparing for the Hayduke, Gracie took charge.

Gracie reviewing our GRCA permit.

New Year’s Eve fun this year was applying for a permit for the Grand Canyon and going shopping for about 850 miles worth of trail food. With less than 90 days until the start of the Hayduke – while also maintaining a full work load and preparing for a trip to Tanzania – we needed to optimize trip planning. December 31st, 2016 was spent faxing permits to Flagstaff and filling a grocery cart at Fred Meyer.

Gabriel and the cart halfway through our Fred Meyer expedition.

The food pile in our kitchen on NYE.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Inventory of bars and snacks before starting to pack supply boxes. Gracie highly approves of the EPIC bars.

Readying the boxes for packing. They also make a good agility course.

Studying the beta on the route maps.

We have things to look forward to such as this note on our maps!

Flash forward to March 24, 2017. It’s time for us to head down to Utah and start getting to know the Hayduke.

We have hit the road! Traveling along the Columbia River via I-84. Nearing the windmills of Arlington, OR.