The costs are mounting

When I conceived the idea of this trip last fall, I knew there would be some fairly substatial costs involved, in terms of getting together all the gear I will need, but already I'm finding out how quickly all this stuff can add up.

I've tried to be very careful when choosing what to purchase, doing a lot of research online to make informed choices, but sometimes you just have to be lucky too. My first purchase was an Osprey backpack, and so far I am feeling pretty good about that choice. It wears comfortably and I am figuring out how I'm going to attach and carry everything. I also bought a 3 season coat from The North Face, just to be prepared for the mountains, but am wondering if I overspent on that item. At the time, having vents in the outer shell seemed like a very important feature, but after shelling out over $200, it remains to be seen. I guess if I get caught in weather where I need to use it, I will know whether or not it was money well spent.

And then there's the subject of boots. I bought a pair of Red Wings last summer for outdoor wear, and thought they would be great for this trip, but after this week, I don't think they are going to be sufficent after all. Monday of this week I did a 6 mile walk, and when I got home, the soles of my feet were tender...felt like I had been walking on sandpaper. I attributed that to the cotton socks I wore, and the next day I switched to wool hiking socks. By the time those 6 miles were completed, I had several blisters on my little toe and the soles of my feet. I guess I bought that pair of boots too loose, and I don't know if a second pair of socks will remedy the situation.

I also spent some serious dough on some optics for my camera--$600 for a new image stabilized lens! I'll let you be the judge on that...I'm posting a couple of shots here of a red-tailed hawk that I took last week.