Preparing for our most recent backpacking trip, I packed as lightly as I could, with the exception of some luxury items. Book, snipping gear, and iPod Shuffle. Every ounce you put in your backpack is going to make your effort just a tiny bit harder.
Here was how I decided which book would make it on the trip.
I put them on the scales to see which weighed less. Though I was really pulling for Kite Runner, The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing won out by about 6 or 8 ounces.
Now, I probably should have not really gone on this trip. My nutritionist has me on a really restricted calorie (but amazingly easy) diet, in which you are supposed to cut back on your exercise for a time. I'm still in that restricted time, but I'm too smart to follow directions, so I didn't. (...rolling my eyes here...)
We drove to Dolly Sods, WV, which is my most favorite spot on the planet, and it took about 3 and a half hours to get there.
We hiked a familiar 3.5 miles to a trail I had been on only once or twice before. Then Mark led us up to the high country to camp. The next mile and a half went up 800 feet in elevation. When I got to the top I was almost heaving from over exhaustion. Not good. My 300 calories eaten for the day just weren't doing it for me. But anyway, I was at the top of the trail and ready to camp.
I barely could eat dinner an hour later because I still felt nauseous. I did sleep like a log that night though.
The next day Mark was ready to do some uber "man hike." I wasn't feeling the love for that, so I stayed in camp.
Right as Mark started walking out of camp, the rain started. It didn't deter him though, and it gave me the excuse to spend the morning inside the tent reading and napping.
When the rain stopped I did venture out to a spot by the water and did some snipping and drawing based on this tree.
At dinner time this visitor came to call. He must have thought that the lid on this water bottle was a flower, as he kept buzzing over to it. I have no idea what on earth he was, but he was creepy looking.
After going to bed that night, multiple storms passed through. Internally and externally. Here was the "tweet" I posted when I got home. ("Tweet" being a short note posted on Twitter.) It tells pretty succinctly about that night.
"Imagine this. 1 a.m. Tent. Thunderstorm. Downpour. Dark, very dark woods. Intestinal emergency."
Yup. It wasn't fun. Enough said about that.
The last morning of the trip, we ate breakfast and packed out. The trip down the mountain was much more pleasant than the trip up. Believe me, it was.
Here's a blurry photo of me at one of the waterfalls on the way out.
I was a much happier camper on the trip out and down than I was on the trip in and up.
As always, a trip into the woods is my favorite kind of trip and I'd head back in a heartbeat.
4 comments:
Wow! I feel like I just went camping with you. I loved this post and getting a glimpse of your weekend. Hanging in the tent napping and reading sounds so cozy and rejuvenating...no phones, laundry,etc. Your trees are so beautiful, both the snip and the sketch. I really loved seeing the photo of you inspiration, too. As usual, your "snipping" blows me away!
Well, that answers my question about why your trip sucked! Uuuughhh. Restricted diet and outside excursions, doesn't sound like a good mix. And apparently it wasn't. But what beautiful scenery, and your tree snip - stunning!! So how was the book, are you recommending it? And the insect on your water bottle. I'm pretty sure it is a hummingbird moth.
Great post! Out of adversity comes great beauty, or something like that, is the moral of this story. Your tree snip, photo, and drawing are amazing! I'd be willing to hike up a mountain (not sure about the restricted calorie part or the intestinal emergency) to get in some reading time. That may be what it takes.
Hmmm- camping in the rain- not much fun! I am continually amazed at the creativity you have with the scissors!
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