Dad and son: To the woods?

So I took my son camping for the first time this weekend. We had a GREAT time!!! We had a new tent that we are now using for family camping, and I wanted to try it out before we took off as a family to get in some bag nights. So my son and I went to the in-laws farm and spent the night.

I think taking my kids and introducing them to the outdoors (even the safe kind at the farm) is really important. Hopefully as the grow up they will develop an appreciation for the outdoors (in what ever form that takes, albeit I would like for them to hike and backpack... but then again I'm biased on that idea).

Just my opinion: to many kids, and adults for that matter, only see the outside in so far as walking to the car or to the mailbox. They never experience the outdoors or the woods. The hardest, and most rewarding, part of being on the AT or backcountry is the solitude. I have hiked in places where I havn't seen anyone in days, with the only sound being the wind moving the leaves on the trees or small animals as they race away from the path when you pass through. This trip with my son, he and I sat in the tent and watched as lightening flashed far out on the horizon (don't worry, I called my wife and checked to see where the storm was: a little over 30 minutes driving time away). That's one of those life moments that you don't want to pass up. As my son grows, I hope that these times he will cherish and as we grow older, our relationship will deepen.

Anyways...

Supper was hotdogs and trail food: Ramen noodles and hickory smoked tuna (from a sealed pouched). Not bad...not great, but filling.

We still had LOTS of fun!!! He slept all night and keeps asking when are we going camping again. Here's hoping...

Bad Trip to the AT

The first blog should be an introduction to the blog and at least tell a good story. This one won't be! This trip had been in the works for, ummm, three days before I left. I was originally going to the Pine Mountain Trail, but had a change of plans at the last minute which opened up the opportunity to go to the Appalachian Trail.

I was originally going to hike from Amicalola Falls State Park to the North Carolina/Georgia border and then meet my wife and kids and have a family vacation. Then I was asked to teach a week of summer school for another teacher who would be gone to a week of training. That left me with a little less than two weeks to hike, so I cut the trip distance in half. Still doable, still plenty of time. Then I got a call: training for two days in two weeks. My trip was cut in half again. Ok, I can still hike the same distance, but I would need a shuttle.

The shuttle would be hard to set up. In fact, it wouldn't be set up. I figured then that I would hike in a total of 17.1 miles to Hightower Gap and then turn around and go back to the car at Amicalola. That would make a good 7 day trip, with a total of just over 34 miles hiked plus side trips to waterfalls.

I didn't figure in the heat, in the mid 90's to almost 100 degrees. The approach trail (8.8 miles) from Amicalola to Springer was a lot harder than I thought and silly me hiked it with a 40 pound pack in 4 1/2 hours with only on real rest stop (should have taken closer to 6 1/2 to 7 hours).

Once I had drunk plenty of water and got something to eat, I was feeling good and ready to go at a slower pace. I only had 2.8 miles to go to get to the shelter and it was 1 o'clock. Even at a slow pace that would be easy.

Then my bladder failed (not me personally, the one in my pack). Two liters of water flooded my pack. Luckily a kind individual offered to take me to my car as water dripped out of my now saturated pack, down my legs and onto the ground. I didn't think twice. The trip took two hours to get back to my car (it should have only taked 45 minutes. The GPS sent us the wrong way so we doubled back and went the way the guy driving knew. Fine with me. I had time to sit and be mad!)

I went to my sister's house in Roswell, GA. and got everything dried out and a new hydration bladder. The next morning, with a dry pack I was ready to try again... till I realized I was locked out of her house and my pack inside. Two hours later, after making it through construction, traffic and one way streets in downtown Atlanta, I was back at her house getting my gear. By now it was 11 A.M. Time to head to the mountains.

I got to the trail a little after 2, checked my gear, drank some water, ate some beef jerky, and I was off. I was moving at a slower pace, my car was a day closer to me so I could still make it to Hightower Gap and back in the same time, the temps had dropped to the mid 80's, and there was a boy scout troup just ahead of me. Things were looking good. Then I lost the boy scouts (no one to talk to that night), the bugs came out (they would be the final undoing when I stopped for the night), and I went to the wrong camp site.

I back tracked to the shelter I had passed (Stover Creek Shelter) and got ready for the night. It was a good shelter with plenty of water, a privy, and bear cables. It looked like I had the shelter to myself, a mixed blessing, so I was going to hang my hammock in their for the night. As I was getting supper ready and my hammock hung up, these carniverous bugs came out. I don't know what they were, but I was high on the menu that night. You can read the bible in brail on my legs right now. When one bit me on my ankle, I decided that enough was enough. I wanted to go home.

Now don't get me wrong. I have hiked numerous miles from Glacier National Park to the Boundry Waters in Minnesota and around the Black Hills of South Dakota, to various trails in the Smokies down into Georgia and Florida. I have canoed in the Okefenokee Swamp and down the Sawanee River. I have hiked in Torreya State park and came back with 50+ mosquito bites (I counted each one). I love to hike and don't mind being in the woods alone, but enough is enough. I put everything up, walked out of the woods and at 6:30ish, I left the AT and headed home. 5 and 1/2 hours later I parked in my drive way. I have had tough trips before, but this was just a bad trip.

I am going to section hike it during fall break this year, so I have lots of time to plan and set up shuttles and what not. I might even bribe someone to go with me. But most importantly... maybe I won't be on the menu this time!