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I'll play...
Route 1, absolutely. If I'm really lost/screwed, I want as many factors in my favor as possible. #1, I should be more familiar with this route. #2, lack of elevation means easier hiking, and better temps should things go awry.

What to take:
Bic lighter, matches and lamp.

All the food we had.

All the water bottles we had, as well as the 5gal collapsible. Ideally, fill that at least half way (40 lbs is a big load of water!), preferably at night after I've stopped moving. Use it to top off the little bottles, as well as re-hydrate at night, and pre-hydrate in teh daytime. I'd leave this bag to one person, and carry the equipment on the second person.

The Tent poles, stakes and fly. If I was really in a bind, light is best. Potentially cut the floor from the tent so I'd have something to keep partially dry.

1 sleeping bag and the blanket. Again a compromise between warmth and weight, but if I was wiht my wife, we could open the sleeping bag, keep it or the fleece on bottom, and spoon for warmth. Plus save carrying 5 lbs.

Both knives - I have one, wife has one. Should be enough deadfall I wouldn't need the hatchet.

Relevant pages from map book.

Well, if my SO and I were out, we'd have used duffels instead of tupperware, but I digress. Typically we'd have at least one day pack and one hiking fanny pack... but if you didn't have those, I'd use the sweatshirts as bags. Tie off the sleeve ends, fill the sweatshirt. Tie the sleeves around my waist and figure a way to cinch the top closed and make some shoulder straps - salvage the seat belts most likely if I didn't have rope. Using the legs of the jeans would work too. My wife could do similar.

With the weight we'd be carrying, about 20lbs for her and maybe 30lbs for me, we'd be able to cover 20 miles a day over relatively graded roads. We're both military, in decent shape, she's done a few marathons and I've hiked the Sierra's as a kid and teenager. It would be a PITA but it would be do-able.

That being said, if something were to come up that stranded us (bad car,etc), chances are much higher that I'd leave when we realized we'd be stuck. Leave her with all the gear, I'd get going with that fleece blanket, some water bottles and a few power bars or something similar. Good chance that with a <10lbs load, I could be back in town in 48 hours or less, which leaves her with a full day of food extra to allow for the "oops" factor. Easy things like jogging on the downhill and walking on the uphill would allow me to make good time. The mild temps would be a blessing.

Now why would I let her stay, and me go? Even though she's done marathons and I haven't, I've got more experience in that sort of environment. She grew up in Wisconsin, me in southern Cali, but I did a LOT more camping as a kid. I feel more comfortable improving.