Another serious hike

Well, we went on a serious hike this Sunday. By serious I mean that it was a 7 mile hike. 7 miles doesn't sound all that impressive if you ask me, but we're atlking about hiking up and downhill for about 5 hours without a break. It was a beautiful hike ( I went with Bobbi) along the PCT just west of the city of Wrightwood where I hope to live. Along the trail you swing by Jackson Flats campground where I hope to hike into and camp soon. Also, I tested some new and old equipment. I used my bladder (for those giggling let me tell you that this is a resorvoir of water in my backpack brought up through a tube to allow you to drink water without stopping) and it was fantastic. The water was cool and refreshing and it's convenience made it great to take a pull right before a climb started. This was also the first time I hiked in Grandpa's Tilley. It's just a great hat.
Now, speaking of hiking, this week is very important because it's the REI Anniversarry Sale. Yes, of course I did some shopping. On Saturday I bought some birthday gifts for Dad and also a headlamp, nylon cord for tent staking, travel-sized roll of duct tape (yes, I could have cut up a full size roll), and some meals
that you simply pour boiling water into the bag to rehydrate and cook. I'll be tasting these later this week. Also, I bought a can of Dermatone. We'll put the Dermatone to the test soon.
Now, not to be outdone by all the other sale shoppers, I spent today researching clothes and bought a fleece vest, hardshell outer layer light jacket, covertible hiking pants, gaiters, and a sanitation trowel. More info on all these soon in my yet to be published Gear List.
I'll get to see Damian this week and talk more about the trail, but it sounds like he won't be able to make the whole hike. I know this is my dream and doesn't necessarily fit everyone else's needs and schedule so I understand, but I admit to being sad about this as well. What I'll need now is a list of lightweight reading material to take with me for any lonely nights.