2.17.03

Wow! One and a half months in the Parkland ER and I have already begun to show signs of wear. 12 hours on and 12 hours off for 20 shifts a month gets old pretty quick. Everyone says that because it’s shift work that it’s easier, but I have learned that there is no incentive to work hard because the harder you work, the harder you work. I am currently counting down the days till my vacation starts. T-minus 10 days and counting. I am going backpacking in Utah with a good friend of mine from college. The plan is to fly into Albuquerque and rent a car to drive up to Needles. If we leave Albuquerque early enough we should have time the pick up our permits and hike the five or so mile in to our first campsite at elephant creek. The park ranger said that there should be plenty of water in both elephant creek and salt creek this time of year. I will be responsible for purifying the water and Matt is responsible for getting all the food. This may be a bit of a problem as last time we went backpacking he was trying to loose weight for mountain biking racing and had me eating soy protein, oats, and hot sauce for a week. I have spent the last several weeks gathering up the necessary gear for the trip and hope all goes well.

2.27.03
The past few days have gone by pretty quick. Dallas has gotten several inches of snow and the city is a mess. The weather in southern Utah aint too good either. The average highs for Needles in March are in the 50’s and the lows in the 30’s. Currently the highs are in the low 30’s. I talked to Matt today and we both are having reservations about the trip. How much cold induced misery are we up for? Will the creek be frozen? How long can our fuel for the stove last? After some discussion we decide that we will give backpacking a try and then head to Durango where Matt has some friends for skiing if things get too bad.