WCT Excitement

Well, here it is the end of July and I am in complete disbelief that I get to go on vacation in a couple of days.  This trip to the coast is something I've been looking forward to for so long and right now it's actually happening. In this trip I'm doing something that I have never done before: follow that inner voice to go.  I expected my next trip to be a return to Colorado to scramble some 14,000ers until some urge took over and told me to go west.  And I'm not sure exactly when I first got this idea of going for the West Coast Trail this year (definitly , let alone on my own, but for some reason I feel I have to go. I trust that it'll be a positive reason.

Logisitcs are also falling into place.  My research and planning seems to be paying off as this evening I did my first test pack of the backpack, a MEC Ibex 80 that I borrowed from a friend as I couldn't fit stuff into my North Face Crestone 60.  At first I thought it's quite risky to switch packs this late in the game, but it really fits comfortably and has the biggest side pockets that I stored the rain gear and water filter in there for easy access.  And much to my (happy) surprise, it came in at 41 pounds.  All I need to add is some fresh food (bagels and a couple of apples) plus a fleece, but I am happy that after a couple of days I'll be down to the high 30's.  My ultimate goal was to stay under 35 pounds. I won't have that at the beginning, but I will at the end.  It's even starting to feel like luxury - I'll have my own 2-person tent, comfy puffy sleeping bag, and I'm starting to believe that I have more than enough food. 24,000 calories are packed, which is roughly 2.5 times my usual 1,300 calories/day. So, here's to hoping that I get a standby spot, though Parks Canada says one or two people can usually just walk on the same day.

What will it be like sleeping with the sound of the waves?  What will the first cable car feel like? The ladders? Will Chez Monique's feel like cheating (not hiking the trail fullys elf-sufficient) or will it be a welcome feast?  I suspect the latter.