Originally posted by Jeff D. Holchin: You have about 6 months to get ready; better drive a few hours west and hit the Appalachian Trail a few times with a loaded backpacks with your daughter. Good opportunity to test your backpacking equipment, camping skills and most importantly your body's reaction to hiking with loaded backpack in difficult terrain. Hint: your body won't like it. And when you get out to CO, the altitude is going to kill you for the first several days. Better allow as much time as possible; a week is not enough.