Backpacking in NM

Two weekends ago Charlie & Chiara, Charlie's wife, invited Jonathan & I to join them for 3 days of backpacking in the North Carolina mountains. We had to decline as I'm saving all of my vacation days for our wedding and honeymoon. Jonathan was bummed as backpacking is right up his alley. Me, not so much! I would prefer camping to backpacking and a weekend in a spa to camping. LOL If you're not familiar with backpacking you basically have to carry everything you need in, set up and tear down camp each night & most importantly sleep on the ground. Sounds okay until you see what a pack weights!! I swear Jonathan's pack weighted at least 40 lbs. and that was without an air mattress and pump. Not to mention that water for drinking is obtained from filtering water from a stream. REALLY not my idea of a good time. Maybe next year honey! Luckily for Jonathan there was another "guys only" backpacking trip planned for the following weekend in New Mexico. Charlie & Jonathan headed out on Fri. morning (7/17) and arrived safely in Phoenix at Charlies parents' house. Sat. morning they headed out. Last contact was at around 11am. I have strict instructions to call the authorities if I don't hear from Jonathan by tonight. At the airport on Fri. both guys decided to stop shaving until the trip was 100% over. Charlie already had a head start since he didn't shave during his first trip. Here's their before photo! Do they look tough enough to survive the wilderness?? Bear Grylls you've got competition!

This is the backpacking facial hair BEFORE pic :)