On the 13th of this month, Dr. Don, his three boys, and myself went on a camping trip up to the mountains. I had promised them a camping trip several months back and the start of school was near. So, we headed up the winding roads with camping gear and food.
I made the campsite arrangements over the phone. I asked the kind lady to give us a riverside site close to the trail entrance. I knew we’d be carrying a lot of gear up the rocky trail and wanted to make it as easy as possible on the lads.
We arrived and geared up. I carried 80lbs. worth of supplies in my backpack along with the tent and a lantern. After going about a mile up the trail, we collapsed at the first bivouac. It was number eight, so I left the kids and headed further up by myself to see what the next number was. The next one was number nine. I surmised that the lady put me at the other end of the trail which was another seven miles up a craggy path.
After talking to a few hikers, we decided to take number eight since no one was using it. After all, I paid for a full size site, so it was not like I would be cheating the park service out of any money.
The kids went fishing while I put up the tent. Dr. Don’s only duty was to bring dry wood. He brought WET wood. It took us about half an hour to get the fire roaring. He crashed in the tent, and I started unpacking supplies. The boys returned with a bucket full of wee trout for eating.
I decided to return to the truck to get some fuel for the lantern. I discovered the ranger looking at my truck, when I got to the parking lot. He asked what site we were on and I explained our wee dilemma. We went to the rangers station to see if anyone would be staying on #8 that night. Unfortunately, someone was supposed to be on that site that evening, so he checked to see if anything close was available.
Luckily, #9 was available, so I headed back up the trail with the bad news that we’d have to move. I told the lads that there was a much better site on the other side of the ridge and proceeded to pack up the tent and supplies.
Again, we headed up the rocky path to our new destination. We arrived and unpacked yet again. The youngsters played in the river, as I worked on yet another fire. Dr. Don took another nap! You would truly be amazed how quickly a fire can boost moral.
Dr. Don’s oldest son and myself worked on the fire for almost an hour before we got it roaring. The lads wanted to cook their fish over the fire. I laughed and told them how good they were going to taste when the guts exploded. So, I taught the boys how to clean fish. We cooked steaks, trout, and beans over the open flame. Protein is a must when out in the wilderness.
As darkness fell over the pine laden mountain range, the lads roasted marshmallows and told scary stories. I sat back and inhaled the crisp mountain air. There’s nothing better for what ails you than a bit of time with nature. It helps us appreciate what we have.
We all turned in quite early, exhausted from the trip. But, about midnight nature called and I had to oblige its beckoning. When I returned from the woodlands illuminated by a lantern, I discovered a figure sitting by the fire. Dr. Don’s eldest was up as well. He couldn’t sleep, so we decided to make a late night trip back to the truck to get more water for the morning.
Only illumined by the wee lantern, we found the trail brimming with life. We encountered field rats, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, and king snakes. We were very wary of the diamondbacks! It would be unwise to leave one’s tent open at night. They like warm places.
The next morning we got up and made a unanimous decision to hike up to Rainbow Falls which is only about three more miles up the trail. However, it is one of the hardest trails to hike around due to the 2,000 foot ascent.
The boys were so excited and in such a hurry that we missed the turn off. We continued on Jone’s Gap Trail ‘til we reached Jone’s Gap Falls. We were content with that, so we settled down and let the boys play on the slippery rocks for about an hour. They climbed the rocks and slid down to the collecting poll at the bottom of the falls. I had a blast just watching them have so much fun.
We arrived back to our tent without any water. I have excellent water purification skills but did not want to take a chance on the lads getting sick. So, we packed up and headed home. The lot of us went home exhausted yet happy. The lads are still telling stories of our escapades in the woods, and I have a new appreciation for the loo! 
P.S.: Like a true eejit, I left me camera at the door on my way out. All photos were taken with my phone. A bit crappy, but eh?
