The Final Preparations

I am officially in my two and a half-week taper to the Cascade Pass-Stehekin run! It's time to start taking care of the things I've been putting aside for now. Here are the things I need to do before August 1:

• Schedule a chiropractor appointment and massage appointment the Friday before the run for last-minute tune-ups. (Done!)
• Adjust my training plan. I have a 17-mile run down for Saturday after two weekends in a row with 38 miles and I am not sure why. And should I continue to train up to Cascade Pass-Stehekin run and then taper? Or taper now? (Done! I decided to continue to train right up to Cascade Pass-Stehekin. Because I have chosen mid-week for both big runs, I have to shift my training to running long mid-week instead of weekend. Thus, this weekend's easy runs became the mid-week build up of a hard week. I ran 10 miles Saturday, six today, and will run four tomorrow. Tuesday will be a rest day, and then Wednesday, I plan to run 15 miles north from Snoqualmie Pass and back.)
• Prepare bags of Tailwind and Perpetuem for the long run.
• Practice using the water filter bottle and squirting it into my bladder.
• Plan the food and clothing to take with me for the run. 
• Prep a small first aid kit for my vest.
• Treat running clothes with Permethrin (bug stuff).
• Sew bug netting scraps to my running hat.
• Practice with John's GoPro Hero.
• Test the Spot. Again.
• Check in with Dana and Jill, my Stehekin to Chelan support!

Between now and the PCT Fastpack:

• Use alcohol stove to determine how much fuel it takes to boil the water needed for my freeze-dried meal. Add additional fuel for boiling time at a higher elevation. (Done. It took nine and a half minutes for the water to reach a slight boil; I let it go for 12 minutes. One ounce of fuel will burn for 16 minutes. I figure I'll need one ounce for each meal.)
• Make a windshield for my stove with a Fosters larger beer can. 
• Stealth camp with John to try out my tivy. (Maybe Wednesday on the PCT, where I won't have to stealth camp?)
• Find a place to stay as close to Steven's Pass for the 20th. (Found a place on Airbnb in Skykomish about 15 minutes from the pass. I haven't booked it yet, as they have a cancellation policy that doesn't favor sudden changes in weather. I'll wait until a day or two before to book it. It didn't look super popular, and I did have a second choice that was 25 minutes from the pass.)
• Prepare bags of Tailwind and Perpetuem.
• Study the map. Know by heart the tricky junctions, camp site location, and water fill ups. Check in with Kem about campsites.
• Add more items to this list as I think of them!