Whimsy!

Family and friends are starting to get involved with my adventures. On a day-trip to Roots (an Amish market and auction near Lancaster, Pennsylvania), family members helped me load up with camping goodies. These were in addition to a long list of supplies I just recently purchased at the REI grand opening.

Wandering through the "flea market" area, we saw a table full of these solar-powered gadgets: leaves fluttering in the breeze, flowers nodding their heads ... so silly and goofy, I had to have one.

Well, newbie at blogging too. Can't get video to upload. But here's a photo minus the bobbing and fluttering:

Also irresistible: a campsite welcome flag and pole to make my site more home-y and inviting.

Other goodies I scored on the shopping trip included a woven rug to use as an entrance mat, a huge fleece quilt, and tiny tupperware containers. NONE of these items are essential, but fun.

My First Wildlife Encounter!

I spent much lazy time on my 3-day week-end at Elk Neck State Park; Saturday morning, reading and journaling while the sun rose higher in the sky. There were a lot of raptors flying around, cawing. But I didn't pay any mind to them.

Eventually, I wandered over to the shower house to clean up. When I returned to the site, there was evidence that I had an intruder! my bag of granola was torn, and what was left of it was scattered around the picnic table.

Cleaning up, I saw scat left behind from the perpetrators. Once I got home, I checked my field guides and am pretty certain that my visitors were a buzzard and a goose. It's amazing that they hovered around and waited until I left the site, then dove in for the goodies.

The utensils are placed here only to indicate relative size.

My $54 Cup of Coffee

There are a few key issues to deal with when camping. Such as: "What about my morning coffee???"

You have two solutions: crawl out of your tent, into the cold morning air, in desperate need of caffeine ... and start a campfire. (Or a camp stove. But I don't have one of those. Simply because I don't know how to use them and I have a [likely irrational] fear of carrying around fuel canisters.)

A note on camp fires: They're not easy: They're not easy to get started. They're not easy to keep going, at least long and strong enough to cook with. It can be 15-30 minutes before caffeine starts coursing through my veins. That's not a good way to start a day outdoors.

So, during my research on heat and cooking, I learned about this nifty Esbit stove, developed around the time of World War II and used by the military. All it is is a tiny metal contraption that holds a solid fuel cube. You put your pot on this little device, and voila, in 8 minutes (or thereabouts), you have boiling water.

Since it's a tiny little baby, I needed to make sure I had a pot (with a lid) that would fit securely on it. When my eyes fell upon this gorgeous titanium pot, I couldn't look at any other. Into my shopping cart it went.

So, here I am, sun rising directly in front of me (friggin' blinding me as I write), with a cup of hot coffee, made in 10 minutes. Happy Camper moment!

Note: And of course with car camping, you can indulge in bringing along luxury items. Like heavy cream for that great cup of coffee.

The Greatest Invention Ever !!!

The FUD ("Female Urinary Device"). I just call it "the girl pee-thing"

A masterful solution to one of women's key questions about hiking, biking, and camping:  "Where and How do I pee???"

It's been many years since I've spent much time in the woods. A lot has changed. Not just technology, but cultural norms. I must've been a bit of a rebel all those years mountain biking with the guys, but I had no issue with going off trail, dropping my shorts, and doing what I needed to do. Which just about horrified all my non-mountain biking friends.

But at night, camping, in a tent, colder temps -- having to get out of the tent, find privacy, undress a bit, and squat over who-knows-what becomes not. fun. At all.

In fact, my very first grand adventure in the woods, back in my 20s, was backpacking a portion of the Appalachian trail with an all-woman's group. I'm sure it was an incredible experience. But I only have two memories etched in my brain:
1) sitting around the campfire way into the night, talking, and drinking tea
2) waking in the middle of the night, having to pee. But the weather has turned bad for September and it had snowed. Once I got out of my tent, I got so cold and couldn't get any body heat going again. I shivered in my tent for the rest of the night. All I can remember is how cold I was. All because I had to pee.

Times, and technology, have changed. Now there is the Freshette! Glory be - I can pee anywhere, anytime - standing, squatting, kneeling. It is revolutionizing my whole outdoor experience. You just tuck it into place, hold on, point, and shoot.

Okay, I do have to admit that there is something just *wrong* about the whole design, though. It is really disconcerting holding a peen-type contraption with your hands. But I'm certainly enjoying aiming!  ;)

Scenic Site on the Elk River / Camping #7

November, 2010

This will be my 6th consecutive camping outing; and 6th out of 8 weeks. I'm enjoying the challenge of sleeping outdoors as the weather gets cooler. But more importantly, I'm enjoying the effects that being out in nature is having on me. I'm more relaxed. Life is more peaceful and serene. I feel good being physically active throughout the day. And I like the confidence I'm gaining from being self-sufficient, even if it's as simple as cooking a meal over a campfire while I'm shivering.

I was fortunate to an opportunity for a three-day week-end. By now, campgrounds were starting to close for the season. The ones that were open, were only open on week-ends. I couldn't reserve a site; all were walk-in, first-come, first-served.

I've never heard of Elk Neck SP being described as a prime camping spot. From what I've experienced so far, it can be noisy and crowded. But certain sites provide stunningly beautiful views. I strategized that if I arrived early enough on a Friday, maybe I could score a really good site. And that's how it worked out! I got the site I wanted.

It's not a huge site, but it does offer privacy from adjacent campsites. The best feature is that it offers a panoramic view of the river. So, while at my tent site, turning my head side-to-side, all I see are trees covered with golden foliage, the sparkling blue river below, the cloudless blue sky, and off in the distance the landscape of the western and upper edge of the Eastern Shore -- capped off with two mornings of sun rise. I can just imagine our ancestors and the native Americans sitting in this very same spot, relaxing in the view, and wondering what's on the other side of the river.

Hike: The Magnificent Splendor of Great Falls

November, 2010

Another healthy dose of serendipitous trail magic! My planning for the week-end had amounted to minimal preparation for hiking Old Rag and a reservation at Lake Fairfax campground. That was about it.

On Sunday morning, I indulged in my favorite camping activity: slowly drinking hot coffee, watching the sun rise, and journaling. Then I pulled out my hiking books to plan something for the day and learned I was about three miles from Great Falls, Virginia. I could not believe my good fortune! I quickly packed up my campsite and headed to the park. This was my first trip there; though I recall that I may have gone a long, long time ago - nothing looked familiar.

The Virginia side of Great Falls is incredibly scenic. The park has a wonderfully instructive center with displays. The overlooks are man-made platforms.

There are numerous trails to take. I started out on one that winded along the ridge. Wooziness over the steep edges eventually led me to taking "safer", less strenuous trails and I spent the day wandering throughout the park. Perfectly pleasant.

In the Heart of Fairfax / Camping #6

November, 2010

While planning my trip to Old Rag, Shenandoah Mountains, I was excited about an opportunity to try out a new campground, and at the same time reduce the amount of driving I did in one day.

Before meeting up with the group I planned to hike with, I really had no idea of exactly where Old Rag is. [Note to self: I really need to be more familiar with where I'm going before I just get in the car and drive off.] So I looked for campgrounds anywhere west of D.C. and selected Lake Fairfax park.

I don't know if this counts as trail magic, but on my multi-hour drive out to the Shenandoah, I saw a Whole Foods store off I-66 and made a mental note to its exit, in case it worked out that I could stop there for supplies, dinner, etc. on the way back. It ended up that the highway exit to Lake Fairfax Park was the exact same exit where Whole Foods was located !!! I had not eaten enough from my aborted attempt on Old Rag; it was a much longer drive to the campground than I expected; I was tired -- so the thought of having dinner at Whole Foods had me thrilled.

Then I exited the highway.

Fairfax must be the most congested and confusing shopping area I've ever come across. I drove around in loops and circles, completely disoriented. Getting into,  and then out of,  the shopping area took 45 minutes. At one point, I thought I'd need to stop and pull out my compass to find my way out. Luckily, dinner at Whole Foods was great; it was the best Whole Foods store I've ever been to. And I've been to several.

By then, dusk was approaching. I still had a bit of a drive to get to the campground. Much to my surprise, the campground is in a residential area - surprise! The park is more of a Parks & Rec facility, rather than a state or national park. I was surprised that there would be campsites.

The campground was rather open - not much "nature". Luckily, I scored a site on the lake; adjacent sites, though there was no buffer, weren't right on top of me. I quickly set up; was unsuccessful with starting a campfire but was too tired to care; and settled in my tent as soon as I could to get some rest.

The days are getting very short; the evening and morning air is crisp; learning what it's like to transition to camping in the late fall.