Flashback: May 14, 2010
Well, we did it! We survived our first 2 night camping expedition! Although I wouldn’t count it as “roughing it,” we managed to enjoy 48 hours of no computers, no internet connections, and no television.
We all arrived at Devil’s Lake State Park Friday night with enough time to pitch our tents and eat a hot meal of brats and dogs before the sun went down and the s’mores and bats and black cat came out. Yes, that’s right, we didn’t see any raccoons or snakes, but we did have a cat wander through our site and later munch on the chips that were left open on the table, all while we were cuddled around the fire.
That first night was a bit rough on everyone. From the bathroom being down the hill and through the wet grass, to laying on the hard earth in bags that didn’t allow you to roll over, to the sound of a cat vs. raccoon (or cat or small child) fight around 2am in the woods beside our camp, I would have to say that we all managed a few extremely interrupted hours of sleep. However, it was still enough to get us going with the rising of the sun and the awakening of the 2 chatting crows in the trees above us (at 5:30!)
Saturday morning brought with it superb weather and the need for a good hike. We started at the visitors center on the north side of the lake and hiked the west trail along the water front. About half way down the path, we stopped for our first geocache of the morning and found it with little difficulty. As we proceeded along the waterfront and made it to the main road, we made a hairpin turn and started hiking up the hill. Up the stone steps. Then more hill. And more steps. And more hill… Until we came to the first look-out point. While here, we paused to absorb the breathtaking view and watch as five turkey vultures circled the trees and glass calm lake below.
After the required group shot at the top, we continued our way along the top of the hill, past the EMS repelling training, and on to our next geocache. This one, however, was not as easy as the first. After a while of hunting with 5 people, we decided that this one would have to wait until another day. So, we made our way back to the trail and started down the hill. And down the stone steps. And down the hill… Once back to camp, it was time for lunch, knitting, games, and a desperately needed nap!!!
3 hours later, I was up, refreshed, and ready to start on supper. Now, I do have to mention that several people were not keen to my idea of doing steak fajitas for supper as it would be too much work. AH HA! All that it took was a few extra minutes of prepping peppers and steak at home to create a meal that is better than burgers and brats (again).
After dinner, we pulled out the s’mores and popcorn to enjoy another relaxing, cozy evening. We all retired early and slept hard, only to once again wake up early. As we all started to migrate back to the fire, we enjoyed a quick breakfast and promptly started to break down camp. The weekend was over as quickly as it began…
Thank you all for a successful weekend!
