stepping up

I'm ready for an upcoming weekend at home, but I had opportunity to throw on the backpack and sleep in a tent in the woods again this weekend... that makes two weekends in a row.  Autumn disappears quickly... I'll take it!

I invited my brother and nephew to backpack with us this year.  When we compared our schedules, they only matched for October 31st.  I didn't really want to wait that long in the season, because the weather could get questionable and the window could close without getting to go.  I told my brother that we were going earlier (only by a week, as it turned out), but I/we would consider going twice.

In the meantime, my brother had an idea for a slightly modified trip.  He got permission to use Stony Glen Camp as the location and proposed that we do a "men's retreat" of sorts... a little backpacking (about a mile on Saturday and a mile on Sunday), a night of camping (Stony Glen has a few primitive campsites off the beaten path), and a four-part men's Bible study video series titled, Stepping Up (produced by Family Life Ministries, where he is a member of the ministry staff).

I liked the idea (and I've never backpacked into November before), so we worked out the details and I made the boys go with me (one of them needed a little more forcing than the other, but they neither put up too big of a fight).

We met Saturday morning at Stony Glen

He's here... as long as neatness doesn't count!

On our hike into camp, we stopped at Borderline Falls, one of five beautiful waterfalls within the camp property.  There was a fallen tree across the top of the falls and one of the boys had the idea to push it off the falls.  I didn't think it could be done... it was pretty big.  So, then it became a manly challenge!  We team lifted and pushed it and were able to move it inch by inch closer to the edge.  we got it very near the edge, but it was still wedged at the top and it was too close to the edge to safely push any further.  We then found some smaller logs to use as levers and were able to pry it over the edge.  It only went part way down the falls and stopped at another ledge, but we felt accomplished in working together in a display of testosterone to move the tree!  It was nonsense, really, but it was making memories!

Borderline Falls (top)

There has to be a way to push this log over the falls...

We did it!  The upper part of the falls, sans log.

The log started just below the first ledge

Borderline Falls from below

Climbing back up after admiring our "work"

Camping at Pioneer Point

Pioneer Point is on a bluff above the Grand River

Thanks to iPad technology, we had a packable video screen in camp and we did the first two of four segments of the Stepping Up video series on Saturday afternoon and evening, with plenty of time for hanging out and messing around.  Stony Glen is a beautiful Christian camp and Pioneer Point was a great campsite.

cooking dinner... and drying socks from the waterfall escapades

I'm in this picture... but you might not be able to see me!

We packed out of camp Sunday morning and went about a half mile downstream, where we stopped at another campsite to do the third segment.  Someone had built this cool stone table out of logs and a stone slab.

Reminds me of an old Russ Taff song, Table in the Wilderness

We wrapped up session four with a stop at the two-story tree-house

We ended Sunday by exploring more of Stony Glen's magnificent waterfalls before we headed home.  I enjoyed the weekend and the opportunity to spend some time with my boys, brother, and nephew.  I'm glad I got my backpacking fix the prior weekend, because this weekend's shorter hiking mileage would not have been enough to scratch the itch.  But, I really liked the second weekend of combined backpacking and men's retreat.  

The Stepping Up video series is well done and affirmed some areas I'm doing a pretty good job and challenged me in some areas where I need improvement.  Although some of the content didn't apply to the boys, much of it gave good foundational principles for them to build on as they approach manhood, if they will apply them.  I was happy that all three of the boys participated in discussion times, which indicates that they were engaged in the material.

Thanks, David, for the idea and for putting this together for us!

Big Falls

My brother and nephew

Cascade Falls

Small Falls

Zach-packing 2015

I first introduced Dylan and Zach to backpacking in 2011 and Zach has wanted to go every autumn since... making this our fifth annual outing.  This makes me happy!  I look forward to this weekend all year, and I love it that he wants to go!  I know that my opportunities are numbered as I see them racing toward adulthood.

Somebody slow this thing down, will ya?

And, that's one of the things I love about these weekends... slowing down!  Putting the phone and computer away and working together to lug some camping gear miles into the forest over hill and through valley in search of beauty, grandeur... and some father/son memories.

Unfortunately, Dylan was not interested this year.  At age 15, he has precious few of these opportunities left and I think he cheated himself by choosing not to go.  But, I'm just a Dad... what do I know?  I considered making him go (which I have done with other things and he often thanks me later), but he was pretty adamant.  I decided to let him make his choice and invest the weekend in the boy who wanted to go.

The calendar was filling up for the month and it was looking tough to coordinate schedules and weather, so we decided to pick this weekend and go, rain or shine... and we had some of both.

Traditional weigh-in and backyard "ready to go!" picture.

Dad:  35 pounds (including 5 pounds of tent that I don't usually pack)

Zachary:  22 pounds.

After four years of backpacking Raccoon Creek State Park, which was ideal for the boys first trips, I decided it was time for something different and a little more challenging.  Oil Creek State Park has similar designated backpack camping areas with adirondack shelters.  It is the more scenic of the two parks and has more challenging terrain.  Zachary was excited to see some different woods, but the offer of a new park still didn't sweeten the pot enough to persuade Dylan.  Also different this year, when I got online to reserve a shelter, all 12 shelters in the park were already taken, which meant we were tenting, instead.

Our weekend totaled about 12.5 miles of hiking.  We left the car near the park office (left side on the picture above).  Our Saturday hike was about 7.5 miles on the northern portion of the red loop pictured, ending at the Cow Run Shelter Site.  On Sunday, we backtracked the first few miles, then returned on the southern portion of this loop... a distance of about 5 miles.

Saturday lunch stop, Benninghoff Farm Tableau

As luck would have it, the weekend we chose happened to hit Western Pennsylvania's foliage color peak (hence, the unavailability of backpacking shelters).  Even with overcast skies, the colors were gorgeous during the hike and the drive each way. My camera does not do justice to the beauty of the reds, oranges and yellows highlighted by the ever-bold evergreens.

We would later cross this bridge and camp somewhere in the hills beyond it.

Saturday Lunch 2.0.  We were commenting that this trail didn't have a "lunch bench" like the trail we usually backpack... then we found one!

Humoring me with another "smoked" beef stick pic!

Pioneer Falls... the view from the bench

Oil Creek

As promised, crossing the bike trail bridge we could see from the overlook

I don't advocate playing on railroad tracks, but these are for a scenic railroad only and our trail legitimately crossed them at this location.

Just as we started climbing the stairs back up to the trail, we heard something coming down the tracks... 

Seven of these little gasoline driven cars putted past and stopped near our trail crossing.  I was talking to one of the drivers and they were private vehicles.  One belonged to the coordinator of the scenic railroad and the others were his friends.  The train only ran once in the morning and once in the evening on this day, so they all gathered for a Saturday drive through the beautiful park.  (I guess you can do that sort of thing when you know the guy who operates the railroad!) I asked him how they went the other direction and he showed me a turntable that lowers from the center of each car, down between the rails.  It picks up the car and rotates it for the return trip.  It looked like fun!

Zachary truly appreciated the beauty of the Pennsylvania hills and forest

Our campsite at the Cow Run backpacking area (Cow Run being the nearby stream... not stampeding bovines!)

We had some light drizzle off and on during Saturday's hike, but nothing too significant.  It wasn't enough to bother with rain gear... and hiking in rain gear with a pack tends to just make you wet from the inside out, anyway.  The rain picked up in intensity and was steady for about the last 45 minutes of the hike, so we hurried our pace to get into the camp area.  Shortly after we arrived, it slacked off enough to get our camp set up.  Passing showers continued throughout the evening.  We went to bed about 9:00... and then it rained in earnest!  But, through several hours of moderate nighttime winds and rain, the tent was snug and cozy!

Morning broke with only occasional mists, but clearing

Being the Lord's Day, I wanted to share a few spiritual thoughts before hitting the trail.  I asked Zachary if he had any scripture he wanted to share and he quoted Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions."  I had to admit I was a bit surprised impressed... maybe he does listen in church!  We then read Psalm 8:1-9, which speaks of God's care for us, amidst the glory of His creation.

Heading out Sunday morning

Sunday lunch at an old foundation from something time forgot

At this scenic overlook, we could see across the valley to the spot we stopped for lunch the day before (just to the right of my sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack)

On several of our other backpack trips, we tried to take humorous or creative photos.  As we hiked Sunday, we were commenting that we had not found any of these photo ops on this trip.  And, then, we came upon this...

What the... ?  (Imagine our confusion!)

Maybe we are supposed to bushwhack along the trail edge?

Or, crawl down the trail with loaded pack?

Ah, forget it... we're walking!

The sun came out for the last half of our Sunday hike

  

And, we ended with another tradition... the Taco Bell refuel! 

Despite some rainy weather, this was a GREAT backpack outing and I really enjoyed the solo time with Zachary.  He broke some of the teenage stereotypes by opening up and talking about some things of depth. He appreciated the beauty of his surroundings and the challenges of things like hiking and rain.  And, he thanked me on multiple occasions for taking the time to do this with him.  It was rewarding, as a dad, to see a side of him that I don't always see in the chaos that is our home.  

Zachary, you are a fine young man, and it was truly a pleasure to share this weekend with you.  (And, it doesn't hurt that I love backpacking!)  I'd repeat this weekend anytime you want and I can make the schedule work!  Zach-packing... same time next year?