Jul. 23, 2006

Dusk had spread itself out above the trees. Tiny sparks of light reaching Earth poked out between cloud cover. Pairs of headlights cast upon twig covered roadways led us uphill. Yellow lights flashing in the distance, the sounds of razor sharp blade cutting through timber. This camping trip was turning out to be a little bit of a hassle already, and it hadn't even started. The lot of us got out, all 4, and me in my chunky heels and skirt and approached the man. Offering our help, we began to clear the roadway. The men got the big stuff while Lauren and I talked and laughed and swept the roadway with larger braches like a broom. After much hard work, the tree was dismantled and thrown aside.

Happiness rides up until we discover another wooden blockade in the distance. Doors slam shut simultaneously and the rumble of the chainsaw begins again. The trees start to shiver and whisper and we all look up occasionally when the thunder rolls across the sky. Half way through the second tree the heavens open and it begins to pour. We soldier on anyhow, moving as quickly as we can. After the second tree we make it to our entrace and bid farewell to tree guy.

Occasional flashes of lightning illuminate the otherwise dark woodlands. The water is really coming down and no one can see anything. We discover our campsite at the end of the hill with tiny streams of water running through it. We seek higher ground and claim another site.

We are now soaken everywhere, even down to our underwear. The food and blankets in the back of the truck have also been drenched. Now the race to assemble our shelters begins. Brian and I take refuge in his car and get our game plan together first. We work well together and actually get our tent up with very little water inside. The rain begins to taper off just as we've set up.

With much lighter fluid and luck, we start a fire. Dry clothes seemed like a royal treatment. The sounds of metal caps releasing from their connection with glass bottles brought calm and well-being.

And that was the first night of our wilderness camping adventure.