After several weekends of backpacking partners backing out on me, I decided to take Angelica and my mother-in-law (Virgie) backpacking off the Oirase Gorge trail overnight. Virgie was actually very excited about going and did better than Angelica on the hike. We expected to see some waterfalls and hopefully some wildlife....but alas...we saw none. The trail was badly overgrown and much of the ground was soggy. I was lucky enough to see a fox on a trail run I took in the evening. But, overall, it was a fun chance to get outdoors...finally!
I tested out my minimalist setup and it worked out pretty well. The great thing about this setup is not the actual campsite comfort, but the comfort on your back on the way up. There are some condensation issues I need to work out with the Bivy, but I slept well and didn't wake to a bear licking my face (my worst fear)...so I'm generally happy with it. The interesting thing is that I carried all of this stuff AND the 2-man tent for Angelica and Virgie and it was the most comfortable backpacking load I've ever endured. It really is worth it to get lighweight, quality gear.
