Over the
last few weeks the good weather has meant I have had the chance to get a lot of
dives in for training. I usually go out diving a few times a week for a couple
of hours, which gives me enough time to get a good workout and a meal of
seafood – typically crayfish (nz rock lobster),
butterfish, and paua (nz abalone). The Pacific Ocean will be a long way away
come May so I am making the most of it now.
I went up
the Hapuku River the other day for a quick overnight hike and tried out my new
Cactus Ski Patrol Pack. I like the pack as it is durable (important for me as I
am very hard on gear), has a good internal volume (45L), and a breathable,
lightly padded mesh back. Once I make a few modifications to the external
straps and pockets to give me easier access to water and camera gear, I think
it will be perfect for the CDT.
My planning
is getting into the final stages and I have selected my routes for the New
Mexico portion. I will wait until I get on trial until I decide my final route
choices for the last ¾ of the trail. I am sorting out my resupply points and
will buy food in towns as much as possible, sending food to myself only when I
need it. I lost 25kgs in the first 1000miles last year, and a lot of it was due
to a poor diet. With help from fellow hikers, I found a system that works and didn’t
lose any weight over the last 1500 miles . I will try to stick to grains,
nuts, and olive oil as the base of my calorie intake. For dinners, I will have
a starchy dehydrated meal with vegetables. Once I get on trail I think I will
send myself ahead partial resupplies to supplement what I buy in towns - but
that will be depend on what foods I start to crave and what I get sick of.
I heading
out tomorrow to do a section of the Te Araroa trail, and with just under 1
month before I fly to the USA it’s about time I step up me training a little
bit. It’ll be a good test for my new gear as and a good way to settle my itchy
feet.
Tag :// CDT
