I think I was 12. That would have made it 1985. Seventh grade. It was a Boy Scout trip to Tennessee, and I remember canoeing, fishing and camping. That was the last time I spent the night in a tent. You see, I'm from Georgia, but more accurately, I'm from Atlanta. A city-boy that spent my early years just a couple of blocks from Little 5 Points. Fast forward to high school, and you were much more likely to see me at a Cure concert than camping with buddies. In college, sure I had "outdoorsy" friends, and I told them to have fun with that. I had kegs that needed my attention. It was college for Christ sakes.
Now, I'm 38. And I love the outdoors. By that, I mean I love having drinks on a patio. Or going for a run on a nice day or visiting beautiful places. Camping? Not so much. But, for some reason, I agreed to go with a couple of buddies on a camping and hiking trip this past weekend. It spanned 3 days, about 18 miles, a few blisters, some rain, a fair amount of bourbon, and some of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. We drove up to the Blueridge Parkway, and got on the trail not far from Waynesville, NC. From there, we hiked a portion of the Art Loeb Trail in the Pisgah National Forest, covering places like Black Balsam, Tennant Mountain, Stairs Mountain, and ultimately the highest point in the Shining Rock Wilderness - Cold Mountain. It was a ton of fun, and I'll give Chris Foley (our organizer) credit - he had it planned and mapped perfectly. I borrowed gear (just little things like a pack, pad, tent, bag, stool - okay, nearly everything) from a few guys and then I was pretty much along for the ride. Since I was with experienced dudes - Foley and Ben Wakeman - I pretty much just did as I was told. I had no idea what to expect of the hiking, and portions were pretty rugged. Also, I decided I should have done more of this shit when I was younger, as my feet and knees would have been younger too.
I did stupid shit like not closing the valve on my sleeping pad the first night, and that made for a really rough night sleep. But, I learned some things to - like it's important to pack as lightly as possible, but next time don't skimp on the bourbon (1 small flask doesn't really cover 2 nights).
Bottom line, it was a lot of fun. It was refreshing to unplug for a couple of days, hang with friends, and get a great workout. Now I'm not about to turn into Bear Grylls or anything, but I'll definitely do again. This time I won't wait another 26 years.
