Backpacking

Oh, 2020, you are such a strange year.  And yet in the midst of the craziness, some new adventures have occurred that otherwise would not.  As I have mentioned before, being cooped up at home more than usual has driven us to explore more.  We had a weekend without the kids and decided on a whim (I mean, I don't even recognize myself, this pandemic has definitely changed my mindset) to look into an overnight camping trip without them.  We reserved a tent site on Tuesday, and that Friday night we were tucked away in the woods at Gorges State Park in complete solitude surrounded by the sounds of bullfrogs croaking.

I was nervous about carrying everything we needed on our backs to the site, but figured since it was just one night it would be a small step into the world of backpacking to see how it fits.  We spend the day doing some other hikes without all our gear and, as usual, escaping into the peace and quiet and vastness of nature did not disappoint.  We explored several waterfalls and by the end of the day my watch said I'd taken over 20,000 steps, hiked 6+ miles, and climbed 150+ flights of stairs.  My boots broke and the strap on Matt's old camping backpack that I was carrying nearly frayed but I persevered and was more than ready to collapse in the tent.

I could have sat on this rock enjoying the cool water all day

Conasauga Falls in Tennessee

Do you see me?

The pack is about as big as me

Turtleback Falls in North Carolina

Good bye 15 year old boots, your soles peeled right off during this hike

The only person I would want beside me as I complain of sweat, bugs, and sore shoulders

It was a bit warm when we crawled into our tent Friday evening, but by the time we awoke on Saturday to the complete stillness and silence of nature it had dropped to a comfortable temperature.  Camp coffee after a grueling day of hiking and a mediocre night's sleep made on our tiny camp stove with the french press might have been the best tasting coffee I have ever had.  We had our oatmeal and coffee and being away from cell service completely unplugged from the chaos in the world with my favorite person was a wonderful way to start the day.  

Our cozy campsite

We packed up and hiked back to the car before the day got too hot and will definitely do it again sometime.  I really enjoyed the isolation that hiking into the campsite offered, but it would be harder to do with kids and more gear.  I'm thankful that we had a chance to make another fun quarantine memory to look back on and have found another fun alternative for how we can escape.

Rainbow Falls, North Carolina