Decided to do a good "loaded" shake down ride of the hybrid tourer since my 4 day adventure is just less than a month away. Changed out the XT derailleur to a black Deore LX - man is it ever quiet. The XT had some issues so the swap was made.
I loaded it up with probably 80% of the gear I will be taking (missing a sleeping pad, tablet pc, minor food stuffs, Camelbak - so there will be more weight to add. Definitely a change in mindset - there's no fast riding which is obvious but it's retraining my brain. Spent most of the 20 miles in the 38t ring as it was a fairly flat course. Temps in the mid-80's so while my heart rate was under control I was still sweating a bunch.
The sleeping bag looks enormous:
The bike did fantastic! I'm getting quite psyched to do this four day ride and see how it does for the long haul. The new wheels with Specialized Armadillo 700X28c tires feel like a good combination.