I'm not the hiking, camping, outdoorsey kind of girl. I guess I am my mother's daughter that way...our idea of roughing it is a hotel without room service.
Even though I'd much rather be inside getting a massage in the air conditioning than playing outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air, I spent a summer hiking, camping and cruising around the country.
It was pretty funny watching all of us, who had never been camping before, wrestling with the tents. One guy almost poked his eye out with the tent pole. Someone else managed to put a tent stake through his foot instead of the ground. People who had never cooked a meal in their lives had to learn to pull together a meal outdoors on tiny little camping grills.
We started our trip in Loveland, Colorado - a truly lovely town where there was nothing to do but camp and hike. By the time we reached California and Yosemite National Park, we had all broken in our brand new hiking boots and didn't huff and puff pathetically after 10 minutes. They gave us a thrilling choice that day: we could wake up at 3 AM and make an 11 hour hike up to the top of Half Dome, we could take a 3 hour bike ride around the park or we could take a 6 hour hike up to the waterfalls.
You couldn't pay me enough to do the 11 hour hike. And since I don't know how to ride a bike (okay, stop laughing right now!), that left me with only one option...
A small group of us started out on our hike on what turned out to be the hottest day of the summer. We were an interesting group. Deb tripped over a pebble and sprained her ankle within the first 20 minutes. Suz forgot her canteen, stubbornly refused to drink from anyone else's for fear of germs and fainted. Jo almost got rabies trying to pet a squirrel. Al just wanted to be surrounded by a group of women, got bored because we were hiking not flirting and turned back.
And me?
You guys love me for my modesty, right? So I'll just say it was a good thing I was there. And not just so I could tell you this story because I didn't know what else to write about today...
Three of us were stupid enough to go swimming in the icy water before the falls you see in that picture. My friend got stuck in the current and I managed to yank her out before she went over the falls.
No one should be surprised to hear that I haven't been hiking or camping since that trip...
6 comments:
Was this an Outward Bound course? I did a sailing one in Maine. No hiking shoes required, but we did have to pee and do that other thing off the bow of the boat.
Yeah, good times.
Good evening RR Whine
I can't believe Jo tried to pet a squirrel?! They're bushy-tailed rodents for crying out loud.
And when did this fiasco/trip ocur?
Thanks for sharing.
Now I will scroll down to view your eye-candy photos.
Prefers: Nah, it was a "teen tour" from quite a few years ago. But your trip sounds interesting. And disgusting.
Auntie: We tried to stop her. She never did listen to reason! Enjoy the eye candy. Sunday was particularly delicious
Sounds like a freaking blast. I would have probably tried to pet the rabid squirrel. I'm a moron like that.
I would also be the jack ass that has the pet chimp that would rip your face off.
I commend you for going on that little adventure being that you're not an outdoorsy girl. I say that because I'm not either. I've only been camping twice and it's sooo not my thing.
Candice: It was actually a lot of fun, but the bad stories make for better posting.
Ms S: Thanks. Though I'm still not sure what I was thinking. I had a choice between the camping and being in hotels. I convinced myself I'd be stuck with far more obnoxious people on the hotel trip.
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