It's not all about the fish

In the process of editing footage; sifting through all the poor footage (hear that Mule?) I'm sure though in the end, we'll have some stellar trailers with the possibility of a feature length film. Be patient.

The Bear that messed with us.

Gear List

Tent-   6 man

Sleeping bags                  

Therma-rests

Dry Bags for gear

Toilet seat

Matches/lighters

Fire starter

Fire Logs

Kelty Rain Tarp

Rope

Firearm/shotgun

Ammo

Bear spray 3

First aid kit?

Small shovel / hatchet

Saw

Bunji cords

Seal bombs

Air horns

SPOT (Hans)

Net (Hans)?

Kitchen

Table

Jetboil Fuel

Jetboils

Chairs 3

Cooler (with raft?)

Salt / pepper

Paper towels

spoons

TP

Binoculars

Water jug (collapsible)

Or hanging filter

Bed bag
Thermals/ long garments
Cap 4 top
socks
dry bag for night clothes

Go home clothes
Socks
Shirt
underwear

Personal
Sunscreen
Wet wipes
Bug dope
Towel/Soap/ deodorant/Toothbrush / paste pills/travel sickness
GPS new batt’s
maps
Water purification tablets
Windproof sock hat/O.R. hat/Waders-belt/Liners for waders/Socks 3 pair for wading
Shirts 2 (1 fishing 1 t-shirt)/Underwear 3
Wading Boots/ Wading / Waterproof jacket/Pants (wear)/Gloves, fingerless/Atom / vest
Cap 3
Sunglasses / Headlamp- new Batt’s
Fish equip./backpack / Rods 2, Reels 2 / License- buy online / Water bottle / Headnet
Vid camera, water proof bag reg camera / Tickets, itinerary / Cash, lots
Hand warmers, feet / Neoprene booties?
Pillow / sleeping bag?
Aquaseal for wader repair 2

Food for Thought

The preparations for AK 11 continue.  Today I shipped up the stove fuel.  Last week I bought and shipped up the tent.  Tomorrow I better buy the Bear Fence eh?  I think we should take turns rolling ourselves up in the fence.. that ought to do the trick.  I purchased the rest of the food today, will ship it up soon.  We are going with the basics: Granola bars, Clif bars, Oatmeal, dried fruit, PB&J's, Jerky, Hot Cocoa, and freeze dried dinners.  Still have to buy some licorice, and oh, Snickers.  That's it boys. It took a lot of self control not to over-buy today, probably still did, but I think we're pretty scaled down.  I'm counting on Mikey to make us up some Gorp.  Here's the menu for 8 days.

BK- Oatmeal (with some dried fruit) and a Bagel/Cream Cheese
LN- PB&J, jerky, clif bars or granola
DN- Freeze Dried meal.

Snacks include; Gorp, licorice, snickers. That's it; probably a good weight loss program.

Unbroken Silence

Every hour or so I check for email from the spot device. Was pretty cool to get a point while they were in flight to the lake. Then got a wayward point that had them half way down the river before other points have put them in the same spot for two nights, which is possible. About every half hour I check my watch and subtract 4 hours and wonder if they've gotten any sleep or if it's raining or what Reese thinks about fighting his first 15 pound chum. About every evening I sit down at the computer and edit film for the unguided production of Pongo 2010, which puts me with them, on the river bank setting up the tent, in the moments of boyish frivolity and laughter and the moments of homesickness and wondering why for 11 months you build this up to untouchable expectation when all it is is standing in cold water with little sleep for hour after hour of casting, when even catching a great rainbow doesn't make it worth it. Of course experience has taught you that those empty moments are caused by fatigue so deep you know you could lay down on the tundra in your waders and sleep for hours, and that its all part of the adventure, part of wilderness, part of you. And when your not there, you sure wish you were. Awfully quite in the lower 48 this week.

Rituals

I know. The last trip is barely in the books (a movie not even made yet, a blog not yet written) but here I go.  Slowly beginning pre-trip rituals.  Laying out the gear...  enjoy.