New Gear and Chilly Nights

A black lab barked it's greeting as Hansel and Gretel rolled into their shelter at 8:30pm tonight.  They spent the day resupplying and refreshing in town.  For $2 they were able to wash their clothes and another $2 bought them a shower.  They also were able to upgrade some of their gear.  Both have been lining their sleeping bags with what is called a "mummy sack."  It's just a thin liner that helps keep their sleeping bags cleaner.  When Gretel pulled her mummy sack out of the drier, it was pretty clear that mom and dad's old moth-eaten, whole-ridden sleeping bag liner need to be replaced.  They also purchased a new filter for their water.  On the trail, water often comes from creeks and streams, so it is important to filter it properly so as not to ingest bacteria and other germs that might be floating around in the water. Their old fiter was extremely slow, so even though this new filter coast a pretty penny, it's nice to finish the job a bit quicker.

Before heading back to camp, Hansel and Gretel squeezed in another savory meal.  Hansel had the Boat House Burger and Gretel, a vegan burger.  After their last mistake of inhaling their meal at the all-you-can-eat-buffet, they practiced pacing themselves and coaching each other through the meal so as not to destroy their bellies yet again.  

"Ok, put down the burger.  Take a sip of water.  Chat.  Pick up the burger.  Chew."  It took will power and team work, but this new consumption strategy was so effective, they even had enough room to split a home made blackberry cobbler desert!  

As the night was coming to a close, Gretel said she was hoping for a warmer night tonight.  Yesterday the temperature dropped down to 15 degrees and when they woke up, there was snow on the ground!  Tomorrow will be a very steep hike.  10 miles straight up hill.  Good luck! 

Sleep well and happy trails!

First attempt at hitch hiking lead to a successful trip to the grocery store!

Most ladies carry a smaller purse to the store.