Welcome to episode 148 of the first 40 miles.

If you're new to backpacking or if you're hopelessly in love with someone who wants you to love backpacking,

then this podcast is for you will talk about the

essentials how to lighten your load and how to make the most of your time on the

trail I'm your host Heather Legler and I'm Josh Legler and this is the first 40 miles.

Today on the first 40 miles is it okay to skip a planned backpacking trip without also taking yourself on a scenic guilt trip?

Yep. And we'll share some reasons why skipping a trip is okay. Then we'll share a new twist on the classic

carabiner and if you had a chance to experience the total solar eclipse in

August we'll also hook you up with even more heavenly wonders.

All this and that's about it.

Today on the first 40 miles.

It's time for our annual backpacking trip with friends next week.

Our friend Steve puts this trip together every fall.

In fact, this trip that Steve puts together every year is what started the whole

thing here the first 40 miles that first trip that I went on was the trip around the Timberline Trail, which is a 40-mile trail.

So this group gets together every year and does a different trip.

This year...

We're going to the Willawas in Northeast Oregon. We planned to go there two years ago but we got snowed out and smoked out.

Last year the group went there, but the two of us didn't.

They had a great time last year, and they decided this year,

we're going back to the same exact place.

And that's great.

...