Hike #5 Chilkoot Trail (Post 1, Filing a flight plan) (Update: I forgot that Hike #4 was Mt. Juneau)

Below is the email sent to announce my adventure (even though I've been talking about it incessantly since purchasing the permit.

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Amendment: I am officially announcing that Kristin can just take over my life in Juneau. But good luck getting Peter to move here.

Hello,

You are receiving this email because I need to tell someone where I'm going and what I am doing.

My birthday is next week, so for my 30th birthday, I will be hiking the Chilkoot Trail.

Here's an FAQ:

Q: Who are you going with?
A: No one. I am going alone.

Q: Why? That seems like a bad idea to go out in the wilderness alone.
A: The Parks Service issues 50 permits per day to hike the Chilkoot Trail, when I called and reserved mine, there was 1 pass left that would allow me to hike the scales and pass in to Canada on my birthday. There are a lot of people around, it is a well trafficked trail.

Q: When are you going?
A: I will be going to Skagway on Saturday, June 30. I will begin the hike on Sunday, July 1. I will hike to Sheep Camp on the first day, for a total of 12.7 miles. On July 2, I will hike the scales and be at Happy Camp (7.8 miles). I will also be sitting on a mountain peak drinking bourbon and eating Hawaiian chocolate in celebration of a new decade of life. On July 3, I will hike 5.5 miles to Lindemann City, and on July 4, I will hike to Bennett Lake (7 miles). I will catch the train at 3:15 PM on July 4, and return to Skagway that evening. At 8:15 PM, I will depart Skagway on the Ferry and make it home to Juneau at 3 AM on July 5. The grand total will be 33 miles.

Q: There are a lot of bears, you should bring a gun.
A: That is not a questions, and I will not be bringing a gun. I do have bear spray.

Q: Do you have _______?
A: Yes, I do.

Q: What about _______?
A: Yes. I have been planning this for a while and have researched this trail and have asked A LOT of experienced camping friends for advice. I have also gotten advice from other hikers who have done this trip.

Q: That is a long walk, have you been preparing?
A: Yes, and I've been pleasantly surprised with how well I feel I've been doing.

Q: What if you die?
A: There's an "If I Die" file in my office that has all my beneficiaries listed on all the important accounts. It's in the drawer below my snack drawer. And make sure someone re-homes Nicodemus in a home that has an owner that doesn't travel as much, he's a very social cat and needs lots of attention. Actually, just call Hedy, she'll deal with my death.

Q: What about water and food? How much are you bringing?
A: Every site has a water source, food storage area, and an outhouse. Besides the long walk, it seems that this will be pretty nice camping.

Q: What is the weather forecaset?
A: Amazing. 70/80s and sunny. (Don't worry, I'm bringing the thermal stuff in a worst case scenario.)