wrap-up

Three weeks later, we're mostly caught up on sleep deprivation and hygiene, every photo we've ever taken is on Facebook, we ordered prints of the good ones, Aaron got himself a job (!!), and today we finally put away the clean clothes from the trip and unpacked the rest of it. Like champs.

Gear:
Aaron has a High Sierra hydration pack; I borrowed a Deuter 28L daypack. It was more than enough space for what we needed for quick round-trip hikes. I don't want to give the Deuter back! Aaron carried the bulk of the immediate survival (water, bear spray, compass, knives) and I carried the extra clothes/rain gear, first aid kit, trail mix, phones/wallets/etc. It wasn't more than 10 pounds fully loaded, and we were really nicely balanced. As evidenced by how fast we booked it back down the Jenny Lake trail.

The tent, sleeping bag, lantern, and stove were all Coleman and like, 20 years old. Props to Coleman for having serviceable gear that is 20 years old. However, we gave it all away in Utah and Idaho. It's really heavy and bulky, and that is not okay for long trips or backpacking (which we'd like to eventually work up to). Modern camping gear is much more durable, smaller, and lighter.

Garmin Nuvi was a little drunk sometimes, but more or less got us where we needed to go. We confused her a lot in the mountains and desert. She tried to run us up the middle of nowhere on some dark, wet mountain in Colorado only once.

Rand McNally 2015 large-print road atlas was probably our biggest and most valuable navigational aid. We had state road maps for every state, but that atlas was just excellent. I think we used it more than the GPS in some parts.

America the Beautiful Access Pass was $80 and got us into every park free, no matter how many times we went in and out. Given our two entrances into Yellowstone and Grand Teton at $30 plus RMNP, it more than paid for itself. And somehow, while it's not technically supposed to, it also got us half off on all of our camping sites. More than paid for itself. Great little card. It's good for a year!

Darn Tough wool socks deserve every bit of praise anyone's ever sung about them. My feet were warm and dry no matter what I did to them, from Yellowstone steam to Rocky Mountain muddy tundra in the rain. We freaking love them. Go get some. They have a lifetime warranty!

My Merrell hiking shoes were badass and after a first hike to correct my pronation issues (thanks, sprained ankle), felt fantastic. No blisters, no soreness. They gripped their way up Ensign Peak and they even picked up trash on concrete. Aaron had Gander Mountain brand shoes, and he liked them about as much. Good shoes.

Clothing: WOOL CAPS were the best and we wore them almost constantly in Colorado. Ballcaps to keep rain off glasses. Water-resistant outer clothing. Leggings/compression shorts. Dri-fit inner clothing. And a big hoodie for coziness's sake.

Phones: T-Mobile and Sprint get absolute shit non-existent coverage past the Mississippi River. Screw that; we're switching to Verizon as soon as Aaron's contract expires in the next 30 days. Verizon gets much better service.


Lists:

Stuff We Forgot

1. Aaron's clip-on sunglasses (but it rained the whole time, so moot point)
2. Napkins (rectified at next fast food stop)
3. Coozies
4. Clips for closing snack food bags
5. Laundry bag (got one from his mom) 
6. Batteries for the big lantern

Stuff We Want For Next Time

1. Canopy for over the picnic table/grill
2. Better bedding in general 
3. Good-quality lanterns
4. Microfiber towels

Lessons Learned

1. Aaron learned how to gear shift on mountains in an automatic transmission!
2. TEST YOUR STUFF BEFORE YOU LEAVE
3. The crap on the Grand Teton website about campsite reservations is a lie. Check Xanterra for reservations. Or sleep in Jackson, because there aren't a lot of woods for sleepin' in. Somehow.
4. We actually function really, really, really well at about 6000-7000 feet ASL. We were rolling.
5. Yellowstone is just Disney World and Old Faithful is Mickey Mouse.
6. Idaho wants you to die and DOES get tornadoes.
7. The campground at Craters of the Moon is open again!
8. Paracord makes for a great laundry line when your stuff is soaked.
9. Do not sleep in Kia Souls.
10. Don't go out west during a strong El Nino.

License Plates We DIDN'T See

1. Connecticut
2. Hawaii
3. Rhode Island
4. Vermont

Bonus Plates

1. Ontario
2. Saskatchewan
3. Alberta
4. British Columbia

Animals Seen

1. Elk, male and female
2. Marmot
3. Rabbit
4. Squirrel
5. Moose (female)
6. Pika
7. Bison (deeeefinitely male)
8. Beaver
9. Fox
10. Enormous raven
11. Owls
12. Northern harrier
13. Osprey
14. Bald eagle

Rain-Canceled Plans 

1. Great Smoky Mountain National Park hike (too wet for the scramble)
2. Bridal Veil Falls (RMNP)
3. Fairy Falls (YNP)
4. Death Canyon (GTNP)
5. Snowy Range scenic drive (Wyoming; it was under a mudslide and flash flood advisory)
6. Craters of the Moon hike (ID)
7. City of Rocks climbing (ID)

Bonus story: that time that a janitor at the Missouri welcome center asked if I would participate in the naked bike race, because I really should.


So with all that done... it's time to start working on 2016! :D We have to replace some gear over the year. Since El Nino will, in all likelihood, still be going by spring 2016, we are probably, most likely, going northeast, to Shenandoah NP and up the Appalachian Trail, basically. Niagara, upstate NY, New Hampshire and Vermont, and Acadia NP in Maine. Plan B is the Pacific Northwest to Montana, but that is a little harder logistically and a lot more expensive.

Whee! Thanks for reading!