Roughin' It

The word "Camping" can fit such a wide variety of descriptions, who's to say which one is right? It can come as a luxury or a little more rough. Some people enjoy a trailer or cabin full of electronics and in a campground not far from the city, and some may prefer a cabin tucked back in the woods or a taking their trailer as far up a dirt road as possible. Maybe pitching a tent a few miles away, just for the night with some friends, or backpacking in on some rarely used trails sleeping under the stars. For me personally, I enjoy a few different ways of camping; a cabin or trailer, and on very rare occasion, a tent. I've never been one who thinks watching satellite T.V. in a cabin all weekend is part of the camping. I don't mind getting a little dirty or having to work to for what I need; a little "roughin' it" has given me my best memories.
Generally, people plan their camping trips days, or at least hours a head. They pack all their food and clothes, any equipment they may need, and they have a pretty good idea of where they're going. And then there's me and my friend, who decided at 10pm one Saturday that, instead of waking up early to go fishing, we would quickly pack up and stay near the lake. Given, neither of us had gone camping this canyon. Ever. So, at nearly 11pm we started or journey. It was past 1am before we finally were able find a spot to sleep, because somehow we had forgotten it was Father's Day weekend and every single possible camp spot was packed with trailers and tents. In an odd little grove of trees we parked the truck, threw our bedding down in the bed of the truck and finally managed some sleep. Until 6am when our alarm went off and we loaded everything back up, jumped in the truck and drove to the lake- which we had to pay an (unknown) fee to use. Five hours and two fish later, we trekked back to the parking lot and tore open a few cans food we had tossed in, regretting not getting more food. Luckily I had bought a small cooking kit that came with a small pot, coals, a tiny stove and utensils. A can of chili and baked beans never tasted so good.We decided it was time to get home, we were tired and hot and seriously regretting our decision making skills. But something caught our eye. A one vehicle dirt road winding through a beautiful patch of woods lead to a small pond on a hill. Clear and gorgeous, surrounded by pines and quaking aspens on all sides except for where a lush green meadow stretch out far below it. We didn't catch a thing, but the cool water and beauty of the mountain-scape was enough to make the trip worth it. It's an adventure I wont soon forget.

Now don't get me wrong, we knew what we were doing, we chose to take very little and, if needed, were more prepared then we let even ourselves think. Being totally unprepared to venture into nature is not a good idea, a simple pocket sized survival kit can be life and death if something goes wrong. No matter how you like to enjoy nature, enjoy it safely and smartly.