I had an external frame pack on my first trip also. I used a fanny pack to keep all the stuff I wanted handy.

My first backingpacking trip also was on IR and I was 44 overwieght smoker with two teenagers so you should do just fine. I'd suggest Lane Cove. It was my favorite on that first trip.

Glacier. Driving the Going to the Sun road was amazing and scrary. The water in the river was the brightest blue I've ever seen. I loved showing my kids the mountions.

The only thing I can add to all of theses messages is that on my first trip the line from a song kept running through my head. " Coming home to a place he'd never been before." It just felt right!