All systems are - STARTLING

The initial phases of this trip were great, imagining myself cruising up the Pacific Coast Highway, sleeping on a beautiful cliff overlooking giant boulders and dunes with the most glorious sunset I've seen since Semester at Sea. Being inspired to make a movie about - something. But it is something nonetheless, and I want my creative juices to flow this summer, and I want to be happy, to continue being happy. However, those were the days, now it's all just planning and preparing and looking over maps. And already getting scared of the 3250 foot climb between my first and second day biking. That's been tough to chew, let alone swallow, but at least I know that it'll be the biggest one I have to face. I am taking both my snowboard and bike on the plane and I need to pack everything I'll need for a month. It's getting pretty daunting packing for this trip - to be honest I've never done anything quite like this. I have had a hectic time getting everything ready, and here I thought I had most everything I needed. I guess a whisperlite and an 11oz fuel bottle, a 3 man tent, and a cyclocross bike wasn't enough. Actually, forget the tent, I am going hammock with a make-shift rainfly. It was lighter, and cheaper. If it holds me now, I don't think I'll be gaining any more weight from now on to make it break. But makeshift more than anything else will be my panniers, those glorious deli-cat plastic containers so elegantly attached to the rear rack. I am almost ready though, my cameras are pretty much set, and hopefully I can get everything to fit.