Bittersweet Turtle Adventure- Maah Daah Hey thru hike- prehike report- May 2011

The Maah Daah Hey trail is a 100 mile point to point hike in western North Dakota. It runs roughly between Watford City and Medora North Dakota. It is part National Park, State Park and BLM land. This trail has been the property of Christine Hoyer and myself since we discovered it almost 8 years ago. We have hiked several sections of this trail over the years and even attempted a thru hike in January 2008. http://mustexplore.blogspot.com/2008/01/turtle-in-deep-freeze.html.
It has always been our plan to do this hike together, but due to changes in mine and Christine's jobs, she is not able to travel due to her higher position at GSMNP and I am concentrating more on Illinois and Wisconsin.
I have named this trip the Bittersweet Turtle Adventure.

The Adventure will start Saturday May 7th and while I have budgeted 9 days, I hope to be walking out on the 7th day.(Saturday to Friday)

My pack is set at 18 pounds including Food and Water- water is 1 liter carried
 The food is packaged for each day

Each day:
Dinner (various Hawks Vittles)  @ 600 Calories
Creme of wheat @ 130 calories
Welch's Fruit snack @ 90 calories
Gatorade energy drink @ 100 calories
Peanut Butter Crackers @ 180 calories
Pringles 1.5 oz @ 225 calories
Starbucks Via instant coffee @ 100 calories
Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bar @ 180 calories
Hot Chocolate Mix 8 oz @ 120 calories

Total Daily Calories   1725 calories
This should run about a 3000 calorie per day deficit- roughly 1.25 pounds per day weight loss.

Weather:
As I type this on May 1st it is snowing in western North Dakota with blizzard warnings!
The long term forcast shows rainier days with higher temperatures, but the temperature range looks like it could do anything at any moment, making clothing selection very difficult, especially to try and keep the weight down. My shelter will be the MLD Duomid tarp, which can withstand strong winds and rain. The bugs should not be a problem yet, but I will be taking the BPL bivy just in case. My cooking will be done with my UL tri-tri stove and pot from Antigravity Gear. I could cook on alcohol or wood, with wood probably being difficult to come by on the prairie.

First 4 days of the trip on the long term forcast
Sat
May 7

Showers

62°
41°

30%

62°F

Sun
May 8

Showers

62°
40°

60%

62°F

Mon
May 9

Showers

61°
43°

60%

61°F

Tue
May 10

Showers

56°
38°

60%

I have looked at this forecast 3 times now and each time it has changed.