Ryan Waters stopped by today to help divide up some of the group gear for our Denali Climb. He took the new Sierra Designs Mountain Meteor tent, some Terramar long underwear (definitely not group gear), LEKI poles and a few other odds and ends.

I like this part of expedition planning and preparation. Gearing up. Believe it or not, I rarely make lists for my personal items. Food, logistics, route planning - that's different and is carefully written and checked. But for whatever reason, I seem to work the details of my own gear selection better in my head.

After countless expeditions, I've developed a fairly basic routine: lay everything out where I can see it and take a mental inventory. Two pairs Terramar long underwear, SD soft shell, SD hard shell and pants, SD down coat, Scarpa boots, LEKI trekking poles, Stanley Thermos, ACR Personal Locator Beacon, Superfeet Insoles, Granite Gear back pack, MSR stove, snowshoes and pots, Therm a Rest sleeping pad... It's all there to be carefully packed. First, in duffels for the flight, then my all too familiar pack.

This is what I know. Its nice to get lost in the quiet movements of assembling gear and packing. But experience has also taught me that this will be the last quiet moment I have in a long, long time.

On Sunday, I fly to Alaska. Monday, drive to Talkeetna. Then a short flight to Basce Camp on the glacier. After that, its work. Even rest days can be work on an expedition. Don't get me wrong, I love being on big expeditions and outside, but its important to realize that its no vacation. More often than not, its just plain hard work.

Its work that I wouldn't trade for the world!