Well, later today really. Tonight, the clocks spring forward, and I will be up at nine to square away the last few things here, with a plan to leave by 1pm.

Current pack weight is 44lbs, including 8 days worth of food. It’ll easily be 50 once I add the water. If I had my rainfly (which is on my hammock, which is with Leighton), I’d consider leaving my tent. I doubt I’ll use it in the Smokeys. It’s not too late to change my mind about it, though, and I’m going to be carrying it later, so I may as well get used to it, and brainstorm other ways to cut weight. Perhaps I could ditch the filter pump and just rely on chemical treatment? I’ll probably end up deciding on the basis of what does and does not get used.

Here’s what I’ll be eating for the next week:

That’s fajitas, bagels, rice stuff, and cheesy pasta stuff. I think I picked stuff so delicious and easy to prepare that I’ll have no trouble convincing myself to eat. The fajitas, for instance, I can make without even getting any dishes dirty.

Just 34 more hours until the adventure begins!