Thanks for asking about the trail conditions for this weekend. I checked with the ranger station yesterday and they said the northern loop is still pretty wet from last week's rain, but the southern route should be fine. The forecast looks clear with highs around 68 degrees, so it should be perfect for a morning start. I would recommend bringing extra water since there are not many refill points past the first three miles. Also, the parking lot at the main trailhead fills up early on weekends so arriving before seven would be a good idea. Let me know if you want to carpool since I am planning to drive up anyway.

I also stopped by the outdoor supply store and they have a decent selection of trekking poles on markdown if you need a pair. The ones with cork handles felt really comfortable when I tested them. I might grab an extra set just to have as a backup.

One more thing, the section near the creek crossing might have some muddy patches so waterproof boots would be wise. I will bring an extra pair of socks just in case.

I finally got around to organizing the pantry shelves yesterday and it feels so much better now. Everything is sorted by category and I can actually see what I have on hand. The canning jars are all on the lower shelf and the dry goods are up top in those clear bins I picked up last month. I found a few things that were close to their date so I set those aside to use first.

The new labels I printed made a big difference too. No more guessing which container has the flour versus the powdered sugar. I also moved the baking supplies to the cabinet near the oven which makes more sense for how I work. Next weekend I might tackle the spice drawer because that has gotten a bit chaotic. Let me know if you want any tips on how I set up the labeling system because it was pretty straightforward once I got going.