Packing for the month-long road trip should get easier every year, right? This will be year five that I will have taken a pick-up truck around the Rockies. I ski, sightsee, visit friends and family. How much stuff does a person need for that?

The Gear

I have vowed to travel lighter, but as I look at the growing pile of clothes and gear, I am afraid I will be overpacking again. I pack two of almost everything—helmets, gloves, goggles, poles. I have a larger and smaller Camelback backpack so I can hydrate during the day and carry an extra vest or gaiter if needed.

I have a GoPro camera with two batteries. I’ve only used it a couple of years, and not very much each of those seasons. I’ve had fun learning how to use the camera and plan to use it even more this season.

Then there are the skis. I have a quiver of three sets of skis, a carving pair that were new two years ago made by Crossen skis out of Seattle. I’m not even sure the company is still in business—their website is out of date—but the skis still carve better than I do. The 78 indicates the width of the ski underfoot—78 mm wide. That’s narrow for a ski. I used these a lot the first year I got them as snow levels were low that year, and I focused on learning how to carve. I have Look Pivot bindings and my Full Tilt boots (originally Raichle boots back in the 70s and 80s) I look pretty retro. Both the Pivot bindings and the Full Tilt (now bought out by K2 I think) were popular back then and are having a resurgence now.

This year I have a new pair of 160 cm long J Ski All Plays, 92 mm underfoot and artwork by David Hale. These will be my all mountain skis, and the past few outings I have had to get used to the new skis and my new hip. Both are improving more every time I am out there.

Finally I have my beautiful Hiroshige Great Wave J Skis. 98 mm underfoot, these serve as my powder skis. They’re functional everywhere on the mountain, and my off piste (off groomed trails) days are probably over (for now), so these skis look good but may not get much action.

Too many skis, but some would argue that you can never have too many skis.

The Clothes

I definitely have too many clothes. Five snowpants. Three jackets. Base layers. Mid layers. Down sweaters. Down vests. Heated vest. Ten pair of underwear. Heavy socks. Gaiters. Stocking caps. Caps. Light leather gloves. Heavy leather gloves. Scarves.

I know I have overpacked, but I don’t know where to cut. Everything is so near and dear to me, and I hate being cold. I should do some Marie Kondo-ing, but… I just can’t!

The Food

I have a bin of food that I take. Lots of staples like peanut butter, jelly, Nutella, paper plates, napkins, plasticware, gin, wine, oil, salad dressing… snacks like nuts and M&Ms. Plastic bags. Some go into a box that I take into my condos or hotel rooms, some are in an ice chest. I’d love to take my sous vide cooker, but now I really am going over the top.

The Safety

I have a big bin of safety stuff that I lug around. Tire chains, shovel, small tarp, down blanket, jumper cables, air compressor, bungee cords, truck bed netting. I have only used the shovel once, I don’t recall ever using the other stuff, but I guess you never know.

I also carry pepper spray on the console and a first aid kit with flashlight, crank radio and bandages under the back seat.

This year for the first time I put my itinerary into a spreadsheet and am sending it to my kids and a few close friends. One thing I will say, I don’t necessarily live by my itinerary. The weather in the Rockies is unpredictable, and I have driven in some blinding snow and it is no fun and really unsafe. I use a couple weather apps: Open Snow, AccuWeather, RadarWeather. I also use an app called Highway Weather year-round that tells you what the weather is like along the route. I use that faithfully. I also use 511 apps. Most states have a 511 app now which shows Department of Transportation road reports and the cameras along the way. It’s great.

The Fun

My computer is never far from me, and my goal is to write or post on social media five days a week, even if it is painfully short. (I have already shot wide of that goal…) I keep a diary that I write in every night. I’d never remember anything without my diaries. I kept diaries most of my youth, then didn’t through most of the 32 years I was married. That’s when I really should have kept a diary—those years raising kids and running a business were hair-raising and hellraising. Maybe that’s why I didn’t keep a diary.

I look forward to road time so I can read/listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Autio is an app I just found that is triggered by GPS and tells stories about areas as you drive through. I’m looking forward to trying this out.

That’s it for now, For those who have followed me to this point, thank you to the moon and back! For those who haven’t, I hope you find some compelling reason to read my wanderings.