Today was an important day.

Today was an important day. First: I bought two backpacks. Second: I piled a bunch of hiking crap in my living room and didn't bother putting it all away in various closets.

The two backpacks: both Ospreys, 65 liters, they can carry 40-ish pounds (REI guy in SF said I shouldn't push it past 40 pounds, REI guy in Concord said I can probably get it up to 50 pounds; I'm not bothered either way since I really, really want to keep the weight at 40-or-under). One is a size medium, and that's the one in my living room. The other's a small that supposedly is a better size for me but I had to order it online. When it gets here, I'll take them both to a third REI store, in Berkeley, and let someone who knows what s/he is doing pick the right size. Backpacking is so complicated!

Except, you know, not really. That's what I keep reminding myself. I've already got an awesome, well-used, perfectly fine backpack that I love, even if it's about eight years old and probably five pounds heavier than I'd like. (It, too, is in the living room pile.) So, I mean, I'm set. I've got some boots (although I plan to return/exchange them this weekend -- REI again!). I've got clothes and a bear canister and a tent and a hat. Thanks to Shizu, I've got a fabulous sleeping bag.

I've got a map and a spreadsheet and a PLAN. And, like, six weeks to go before I start hiking.

That pile in my living room is going to bug the crap out of me, but it's going to keep things interesting too. Can't keep procrastinating with all that gear taunting me.

I've been thinking lately about when I really committed to this trip. It could've been last December, when we were picking out vacation days for 2014 and I blocked out three weeks in August. It could've been mid-February, when I actually got my hiking permit reservation. But actually, it was my birthday, and that awesome, ridiculous cake. I wish I had a picture of it -- Annie? Shizu? Dad? did someone get a photo? Anyway, it was a sheetcake with candy rocks marking a trail and a couple of plastic trees maybe, and honestly, I don't remember it all that well except that it was hilarious and it was more about my hike than my 40th birthday, which I loved. And my very first thought when I saw it was, 'Holy shit, now I've actually got to do this damned hike.'

So there's been no going back since then, which is fine because I haven't second-guessed myself even once. I've procrastinated, sure, and I'm not nearly as well trained at this point as I'd liked/expected. But I've got enough to work with.

Seriously: can someone send me a photo of that cake??