4th of July weekend
A couple weeks ago, I decided it was time to do some I hadn't done since sometime in the mid-90's: go backpacking.
Friday was a late start due to last minute procrastination. Also had to stop by REI to get a tent replacement and some food (in an unrelated note, camping technology has come a LONG way in 10 years). I wanted to be at the trail head by 11 a.m. Yea....
So after arriving at Lake Texahoma around 2:45, it was time to start hiking!
There were some ominous clouds in the distance. Ahead of me coming down the trail, three people were coming at me like their asses were on fire. 45 minutes and two miles later, the rain started coming down as a drizzle. A few minutes after that, it was coming down in horizontal sheets so thick that the lake just 20 feet off the trail was completely invisible. And there I am, with a big ole shit eating grin on my face, loving every minute of it!
The good news is that all the clothes and food stayed dry. The bad news is I think my IPOD Shuffle shorted out. An hour into the hike, and no more music :(
By 7:00, it was clear that I wasn't going to get as far as I hoped. It was also clear that daylight was becoming increasingly scarce (it turns out that trees are amazingly good at blocking the sun). Just up the trail, there appeard this flat meadow right next to the lake's edge. It was the perfect camping spot. While stopping meant that I wouldn't be able to go as far as I wanted, it was also a way to bring day one to a nice conclusion (we're talking the difference between a pleasant evening versus me bitching about having to claw around in the dark to setup the tent).
Camping out in the wilderness is always worth it for the sheer number of stars and the beauty of the night sky. This being the fourth of July, the lake was also full of revelers shooting fireworks from their boats well into the night.
The next morning the sun hit my tent at 6:45 (ugh). There were fresh animal tracks through my campsite and down towards the lake (the idea of animals lurking that close always creeps me out for some reason). The hike back to the car was fairly uneventful.
Overall it was a nice trip, although I only had one pair of socks and they were soaked the entire time (queue the wrath of Wilkinson here). Now that I know what to expect, I think I'll try the trail again soon (mid august perhaps?) This time the IPOD will have a waterproof covering on it.
Friday was a late start due to last minute procrastination. Also had to stop by REI to get a tent replacement and some food (in an unrelated note, camping technology has come a LONG way in 10 years). I wanted to be at the trail head by 11 a.m. Yea....
So after arriving at Lake Texahoma around 2:45, it was time to start hiking!
There were some ominous clouds in the distance. Ahead of me coming down the trail, three people were coming at me like their asses were on fire. 45 minutes and two miles later, the rain started coming down as a drizzle. A few minutes after that, it was coming down in horizontal sheets so thick that the lake just 20 feet off the trail was completely invisible. And there I am, with a big ole shit eating grin on my face, loving every minute of it!
The good news is that all the clothes and food stayed dry. The bad news is I think my IPOD Shuffle shorted out. An hour into the hike, and no more music :(
By 7:00, it was clear that I wasn't going to get as far as I hoped. It was also clear that daylight was becoming increasingly scarce (it turns out that trees are amazingly good at blocking the sun). Just up the trail, there appeard this flat meadow right next to the lake's edge. It was the perfect camping spot. While stopping meant that I wouldn't be able to go as far as I wanted, it was also a way to bring day one to a nice conclusion (we're talking the difference between a pleasant evening versus me bitching about having to claw around in the dark to setup the tent).
Camping out in the wilderness is always worth it for the sheer number of stars and the beauty of the night sky. This being the fourth of July, the lake was also full of revelers shooting fireworks from their boats well into the night.
The next morning the sun hit my tent at 6:45 (ugh). There were fresh animal tracks through my campsite and down towards the lake (the idea of animals lurking that close always creeps me out for some reason). The hike back to the car was fairly uneventful.
Overall it was a nice trip, although I only had one pair of socks and they were soaked the entire time (queue the wrath of Wilkinson here). Now that I know what to expect, I think I'll try the trail again soon (mid august perhaps?) This time the IPOD will have a waterproof covering on it.