A whooping bird had a whooping cough... (repeat)
And he whooped, and he whooped, and he whooped so hard... (repeat)
He whooped his head and his tail right off... (repeat)
Second verse, same as the first... (repeat)
A little bit louder, and a whole lot worse! (repeat)
(repeat all, a little louder each time, until you risk vocal damage... usually about 6 verses!)
When miles are adding up and morale and stamina is lagging, this has become a trail favorite on backpacking trips with Dylan and Zachary.
In our backpacking "tradition", this weekend was our "second verse... same as the first!"
The boys wanted this trip to be just like last year. I did change the route slightly, and we stayed in different shelter numbers (same areas), but I assume they wanted to do the trip as close to last year as we could, because that means they had fun and made some great memories! One big difference, though... I had a four day weekend this year, which meant less rush on Friday, and a day for Dad to recoup on Monday!
We headed to the same park as last year, in the hills of Pennsylvania. We were a week or two later, so we had more color and cooler temps. I found a great online deal on a good quality entry-level backpack a few weeks ago, so each boy had their very own pack this year... which was an especially great upgrade for Zachary over what he carried last year.
Packed and ready... the obligatory shot for facebook as we depart
A little heavier this year, anticipating colder temps...
Zachary... 22 pounds
Me... 33 pounds
Dylan... 27 pounds
We got on the road shortly after the boys got home from school and arrived at the trailhead about dusk, which was much earlier than last year. Again, we walked the approximate mile to camp mostly on park roads, except the last short part into the camp area, not needing our lights until the very end. As we walked in the near dark, we spooked up a couple of whitetail at the edge of the road. Not seeing them until they ran, it startled all three of us. Zachary asked what it was, to which I responded, "Bigfoot!"... maybe not the smartest answer as you are heading into the dark forest for the night!
Just over a mile on Friday evening
Friday night camp... Sioux shelter #2
I asked Dylan to take a pic of breakfast... this is what I got (smart-alec pre-teen)!
That's better, Dylan!
Heading out for Saturday's hike under overcast skies
After a gentle rain on the roof of the shelter most of Friday night, we woke to overcast skies and cool temperatures, with a little breeze. We were a little slow getting up and moving, but the warm oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast warmed us and got us moving. We debated jackets, but I decided to head out without mine, thinking the hike would heat me up. The boys followed my lead. A little way down the trail, it was obvious that the hiking was not producing quite enough body heat, so we stopped and added a layer. We ended up hiking most of the day with our jackets on. We had intermittent rain through the whole hike, but never quite enough to justify unpacking the rain gear. I didn't carry my GPS this year, so I don't know our exact Saturday mileage, but it was about 6 miles.
About 6 miles on Saturday
The boys look so much bigger than last year!
Saturday lunch... same spot as last year!
"Dylan, can you take a picture of lunch?" Do you see a theme here?
Thank you, Dylan!
"smoked" beef sticks!
Because of the on and off threat of rain, we made a unanimous decision to change the route after lunch. We were at a point where we could take the same route as last year, or a trail that shaved off a mile or two. It was a scenic trail and I didn't mind the shorter mileage and getting into camp dry. We had no more rain once we got into camp Saturday afternoon. The new packs worked out great, and both boys made easy work of Saturday's 6 miles.
Zachary: "Water never tasted so good!"
Stone pillars in the middle of the woods? Curious... great place for a rest
Dylan looking manly, Zachary deep in thought
Perhaps my favorite picture of the weekend!
Saturday night's camp... Pioneer shelter #5
Room with a view!
Saturday night trail gourmet... creamy chicken and mushrooms over noodles
Zachary playing in the fire, Dylan whittling a spear
The boys gathered enough deadfall firewood to have a nice 3-4 hour campfire
Tired, we forced ourselves to stay up until almost 9 PM!
Not enough energy expended for the weekend... Sunday morning campsite wrestling
Hitting the trail Sunday morning
Just over 3.5 miles on Sunday
Tanking up at the water pump on our way out of camp (notice the jackets...)
I have learned from experience that it is a hassle to stop and take off layers when wearing a fully loaded backpack. Therefore, in cooler weather, I try to start the morning hike just slightly on the cool side, with a warm hat on my head. Hiking with a loaded pack creates some body heat, and I can somewhat regulate my body temperature by removing or replacing the hat. I have taught the boys this strategy and they have found it to be a successful. However, on Sunday morning, they both insisted they needed a jacket to start the hike. I went without my jacket and predicted a stop coming very soon! This pic was about a quarter mile from camp... guess what they are doing? Dad has done this a time or two, boys!
Sunday lunch
After continuing to joke about Bigfoot all weekend, we were walking out the last leg of Sunday's hike on the same road we walked in on Friday. When we got near the spot where we spooked the deer, Zachary commented that he was thankful that we never did see Bigfoot. I heard a car heading toward us, still out of sight around the corner. Yes, what follows is cheesy, but it's my blog and years from now I want to smile when I remember the laugh that followed:
Dad: "Here he comes!" (pointing down the road)Zachary: "Where Dad?"Dad: "Right there... coming around the curve! Bigfoot drives... (as an older Buick rounded the corner) ...a Buick!"
While eating our dinner, Dylan jabbed me with his elbow and said, "Dad, look... Bigfoot in the drive-thru!" I turned around to look, and sure enough... there was a Buick!
We rolled back in the driveway about 8:15 Sunday evening.
Just a few days before we left, I wasn't sure if all three of us would be able to go. I was really glad we did. For me, it wasn't so much about the exact trails and itinerary, but I guess I, too, wanted the "second verse, same as the first".... another weekend on the trail with my favorite Dylan and my favorite Zachary! Thanks, guys, for a great time!
