Jack's River Camping Trip

I am back. Totally beat. Got back in last night from the Conasauga at about 6. Ick! As soon as I got home I showered off the filth that had collected over the past three days, put on my bathrobe and... wrote a paper. Double ick.

The trip was a blast, though! And NO BEARS! Phew.....

The "restroom"

I ended up renting a pack and not getting the Osprey one that I wanted. It ended up being a good decision. At the end of the weekend I didn't care if the pack was mine or not.

Bf, me, and Thandrew hit the trail around 6. It was already starting to get a little dark. 

And nerves were getting frayed (not me, one half of Thandrew was not enjoying the hike down and I was reenacting). 

But once we got to the site, all was well. And we were starting to get hungry!

Me and Thandrew talking by the campfire. 

While our backpacking provisions sizzled on the cooking grate. Yeah, that 2 filets, a porterhouse, and a huge ribeye. 

The porterhouse was mine. It was on sale and at the time seemed like a good choice. It was GARGANTUAN! I ate the filet off the was stuffed before I could even get to the NY strip section. 

Stellar was willing to help me out (but he doesn't like being photographed apparently). 

Time for take 1:

Then it was time for our annual "hang backwards over the fallen tree" pictures. 

GET READY FOR A FLASHBACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please don't compare....

That is the original "hang backwards over a fallen tree" picture from 2 years ago. Me and 1/2 of Thandrew were having a blast. 

Take 1:

Now on to our "pose on the fallen tree" annual pictures. 

ANOTHER FLASHBACK BELOW!!!!

The original "pose on a fallen tree" from 2 years ago. 

This is another classic from 2 years ago. Bf and I forgot chairs this year. So we couldn't reenact our Crazy Creek photo. Boo. 

Take 2:

Sometimes a picture is so fun you have to do it twice. 

Take 2:

Saturday morning we woke up and had powdered Huevos Rancheros.

They weren't half bad, but I would not eat them unless I was camping!

My bup bup wanted some eags.

Then we went on a great hike.

Here is 1/2 of Thandrew scaling the river banks (a Pocahontas theme song is now running through my head).

There were a lot of river crossings on our hike, Good thing I had my Keens. They make it easy to go from the river to the path without any taking on and off of shoes. 

There were lots of interesting discoveries along the way.

Romantic stroll for Thandrew...

Beauuuuutiful butterfly. 

This part of the trail was a teensy bit creepy and provoked a part of our pack to start telling an "enchanted forest" story.

Hydrangea looking fungus.

My baby ChumChum and Thandrew's Blue couldn't get enough of the river. 

I know we look casual, but this is mountain water. Do you know how cold mountain water is?! We were miserably cold. My guess was that the water was about 60 degrees. Maybe less... it huuuurt. 

So submerging to the neck was almost agony. 

Afterwards I lied down on a nice sunny rock to get warm again. Chumble lied down by the fire. 

She was so tired that she slept the entire time while we ate dinner and hung out. Absolutely unheard of!!!

Our final (blurry) group shot.

Our family photo (aka, the only photo of the 4 of us from this year/christmas card photo)

So that was Jack's River Camping trip 2010! I am still exhausted.

I'm going on a bear hunt

cI know its a song, but I think it may be for real. I am heading out this weekend to the Cohutta's to go on my yearly backpacking trip. I love this trip. It is so much fun. You know, getting back to nature (a.k.a. ending the trip with a starving stop to Zaxby's).

It takes sooooo much prep to get ready for a trip like this. Its also a GREAT excuse to buy more stuff. Last year I bought a ridiculously expensive sleeping bag and this year I already have my eyes set on a pack.

This Osprey pack is the one I have my eyes on. But I am worried that it won't carry as much as I need in the future (right.... because I am constantly backpacking through Europe and the Smokies). Its so comfortable and I reeeeeaaaallllly want it. I always rent a pack and I would love to have one of my very own. 

This is the one (more expensive of course) that the guy at REI suggests I get. 

The Ariel. What the worker man calls the best. And I have to admit, its awesome. You can get it heat-molded to your body. They put it in a special oven and then you put it on and.... heaven. You can do it three times during the lifetime of the bag, but its still cozy without. So.... I would ALSO like this one. 

I rented a pack again because its way cheaper, but I can always cancel if I get weak and get the Osprey. 

What really caught my attention was the camping food. Remember when camping food was limited to powdered eggs, black coffee, hotdogs, and rice? Phew-we-boy its fancy now. 

They even have organic camping food! That's got my name allll over it!

Seriously? Shepherd's pie? I just want to get it to try!

Now, that's some good eatin'. I am going back later in the week to get dinner for the trip. Although I have to admit, my friends and I aren't exactly "roughing it." 

The last time, we hiked down the 2 miles carrying: a case of beer, a box of wine, 4 ny strips, 2 bags of salad, bags of ice (in a collapsable cooler), hotdogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, fishing poles, lures, and more).  

We have all promised each other that we will not go overboard, we will not go overboard... but I think I already promised that I would make a simply/fancy spaghetti dinner for the second night (the first night we are having steaks, duh). 

The trip to REI wasn't all business...

There was also time to try in those new toe formed grippy shoes that are all the rage. 

More to come...

Oh.... and.... the bear hunt thing? A REI worker told me he was just up there and saw bears. Great. Grand. I love bears. help.