Just back from a weekend, plus a couple of days, camping trip. No doubt about it - camping is my favorite 'vacation'. If it were up to me I'd choose camping as our vacation every time.
This last trip wasn't my 'camping ideal'... a popular campground, by a lake. Surrounded by RV's... all of whom must detest night skies and stars because they bring strings of lights, LED's, and hang them from the trees so that it looks very similar to your local Christmas Tree Lane, during Christmas season. Campground roads are filled with 4 wheelers, large and small, buzzing at all time. Stupid drones making that mosquito noise they make.
Ok, lot I didn't like... BUT... it's camping, and like sex even the worst is ok.
Recently, on the BG board, (Before Goff, the board that crashed and burned), I wrote that I was considering a travel trailer. I still am... but came close to writing one off after this weekend. Very few campfires around our campground.. everyone safe and snug in their RV's or Trailers watching TV. Not my family, I'm proud of them. We take tents. I don't sleep in a tent... unless it's raining... I sleep outside on a pad or perhaps a hammock. This year talked my oldest grandson into sleeping outside the tent... I converted him, he'll never go back into a tent.
So the reason for this post... used to be an avid backpacker - several health problems, and I mean "several", put an end to that. Coming back from my heart attack, a very mild one, has been the hardest. Both the attack and the ensuing med's sapped me of all energy. For three years now I've been getting fat, successfully I might add. Probably 30lbs over my ideal weight.
Started dieting about 3 weeks ago, it's slowly coming off... then the camping trip. During the nights, around my campfire, I kept looking east, to the HIGH Sierras, where no RV's can go, or cars for that matter, not even 4X4's... and remembering back to all my backpacking trips... Absolute quiet, except the sounds of the forest. Pitch black skies and stars so close you can touch them. Made a promise to myself... not going out with a whimper. Going into training instead... because next summer I'm going where few tread... the back-country, another backpacking trip. Hopefully my grandson's will accompany me but if not, (busy schedules), then solo.
Last night I was figuring out, or trying too, how many miles I've backpacked in my life.. it's thousands, no idea how many. And in all those miles all but about 200 were solo. I like solo. In fact, I prefer solo... unless it's my kids or grandkids with me. I'm 67, I've got another backpacking trip in me, perhaps several.
Seen a lot of the world, some places I'd still like to see.... but none of the places call to me like the High Sierras. It's time I put aside little nagging health issues and hit the trail - JamesJM
