Backpacking Bliss (ter)

Took a Friday off and went on an adventure! A 3 day, 17.3 mile, backpacking trip at Mt. Sterling to be exact. I could not of picked a more perfect weekend. Rain was in the forecast, but I didn't see a drop or even a cloud for that matter. The weather was nice, low 70's/day and high 30's/evening. The trip itself was 5.4 miles with a 1,500 ft. elevation gain on the first day, 5.8 miles with 3,000 ft. elevation gain the second day, and 6.1 miles and 4,500 descend for the last day. I learned that carrying a 35 lb pack can be very exhausting for just 6 mile of trail. I learned that I shouldn't carry 4 liters of water for 6 miles of trail, especially if there was a water source at each campsite. That shaved an extra 7 lbs off my pack! I learned that a bag of bagels can feel like 20 lbs and that I should of thought to bring crackers instead. I learned that dehydrated spaghetti and meat sauce is pretty damn good after a big elevation gain day. And I learned that the trick with these trips is to take several breaks, take my pack off, eat a snack, and drink plenty of fluids. After all, I have all day to do the mileage, so I took it easy and enjoyed being outdoors. My only regret, is not putting foot powder on my feet the last day. I got a tiny blister on my pinky toe. Other than that, the exertion was great and the views were incredible, and I can't wait to do this trip again.
Trek Poles: I am now a big proponent of them. I've never thought I needed them, didn't want the additional weight, didn't want them getting in my way when I needed to grab onto a tree limb to steady my balance, and certainly didn't want to drag them behind my on the trail. But boy did they come in handy this weekend. I was able to balance myself better, especially going down hill.