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Jan. 24th, 2005 07:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
camper4lyfeOK...
The much awaited update
Saturday I went camping with the scouts, as is usual on the once every month schedule (haven't gone since November since we sell Christmas trees in December)
This month we went to Harriet Hollister Spencer Park. The plan was to go down and cut wood for the shelter for the skiiers that frequest the area. The story unfolds thusly:
5:00am Saturday morning I hang up the phone with my love, and roll over to sleep for 45 minutes (I had slept off and on since about 11pm Friday night). Alarm goes off at 5:45 and I slowly roll out of bed. I get up and do my usual morning routine (ya know...the 3 S's). I pack up my truck, and head to the local greasy spoon for a hearty breakfast. On my way, I pass the bank and read the temperature - 0. *shivers*. Goddamn it's bitter cold out without the sun. I get my breakfast (country breakfast...2 eggs (over easy), 3 sausage links, hasbrowns and a couple pieces of toast), down my OJ, take my hot chocolate on the road, and I swing through the gas station for a caffiene kick and water (it's very easy to get dehydrated in the winter time). I pass the bank again - 3 degrees. WOOHOO! It's warmed up! *eye roll* I head down to the Scout House to prepare for the fun.
I get to the Scout House and chill in my truck (it was just starting to put out heat). I finish up my hot chocolate and unlock the front door. The boys slowly shuffle in as the arrive, and we go through their packs, making sure they had everything they needed, and splitting up the food for the day/night.
To make a long story a little shorter, we head out and arrive at the parking lot of the camp. What do we find? SCHOOL BUSES!!! The area high schools were having cross-country ski races all day. THIS should be interesting, as we have to drag 2 150+lb sleds up the hill to the shelter. We manage to get to the shelter, as well as dodging skiiers. Let me remind you, it's f'ing cold!
The day goes on, we eat lunch, and start to cut up wood like we had planned. Fortuantely, I brought my chainsaw with me, without such, we would have had a VERY cold, and VERY raw dinner, as well as being freezing cold all night. We had hung tarps over the front of the shelter to help hold in heat, and keep out wind. Well, it did all that, except it made a hell of a racket when the wind picked up to it's called for 25mph. All night long we listened to the wind smack against the tarps and throw them around. The plus side is that I was warm and comfy all night. I just couldn't sleep with all the noise. UGH.
To save time, I won't get into how one of the boys is lucky he didn't get frostbite on all his extremeties, or how a couple snowmobilers decided to visit us in the middle of the night.
I will say, that around 8:00 Sunday morning, the temp was around 5, with a wind chill of -13.
And yes, I DID sleep in a tent.
The much awaited update
Saturday I went camping with the scouts, as is usual on the once every month schedule (haven't gone since November since we sell Christmas trees in December)
This month we went to Harriet Hollister Spencer Park. The plan was to go down and cut wood for the shelter for the skiiers that frequest the area. The story unfolds thusly:
5:00am Saturday morning I hang up the phone with my love, and roll over to sleep for 45 minutes (I had slept off and on since about 11pm Friday night). Alarm goes off at 5:45 and I slowly roll out of bed. I get up and do my usual morning routine (ya know...the 3 S's). I pack up my truck, and head to the local greasy spoon for a hearty breakfast. On my way, I pass the bank and read the temperature - 0. *shivers*. Goddamn it's bitter cold out without the sun. I get my breakfast (country breakfast...2 eggs (over easy), 3 sausage links, hasbrowns and a couple pieces of toast), down my OJ, take my hot chocolate on the road, and I swing through the gas station for a caffiene kick and water (it's very easy to get dehydrated in the winter time). I pass the bank again - 3 degrees. WOOHOO! It's warmed up! *eye roll* I head down to the Scout House to prepare for the fun.
I get to the Scout House and chill in my truck (it was just starting to put out heat). I finish up my hot chocolate and unlock the front door. The boys slowly shuffle in as the arrive, and we go through their packs, making sure they had everything they needed, and splitting up the food for the day/night.
To make a long story a little shorter, we head out and arrive at the parking lot of the camp. What do we find? SCHOOL BUSES!!! The area high schools were having cross-country ski races all day. THIS should be interesting, as we have to drag 2 150+lb sleds up the hill to the shelter. We manage to get to the shelter, as well as dodging skiiers. Let me remind you, it's f'ing cold!
The day goes on, we eat lunch, and start to cut up wood like we had planned. Fortuantely, I brought my chainsaw with me, without such, we would have had a VERY cold, and VERY raw dinner, as well as being freezing cold all night. We had hung tarps over the front of the shelter to help hold in heat, and keep out wind. Well, it did all that, except it made a hell of a racket when the wind picked up to it's called for 25mph. All night long we listened to the wind smack against the tarps and throw them around. The plus side is that I was warm and comfy all night. I just couldn't sleep with all the noise. UGH.
To save time, I won't get into how one of the boys is lucky he didn't get frostbite on all his extremeties, or how a couple snowmobilers decided to visit us in the middle of the night.
I will say, that around 8:00 Sunday morning, the temp was around 5, with a wind chill of -13.
And yes, I DID sleep in a tent.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 12:49 am (UTC)You picked an interesting weekend for it. I haven't gone in the Winter for a long time. We used to make sure we had an outdoor activity like that every month too. We would sometimes get a cabin for a place to escape the wind and cook our food, but we would sleep in our tents.
You probably didn't know that I'm an Eagle Scout huh?
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 12:51 am (UTC)I've slept in a couple handmade shelters in the winter. I was actually warmer in the igloo than I was in the tent.
I too am an Eagle.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 01:10 am (UTC)I like camping, although it has been a while since I have gone. The last trip was to Eighth Lake with some friends. Before that it was probably Cranberry lake.
I really like the Adirondacks. One of the best trips I had in scouts was a seven day canoe trip there. We started by renting canoes at Rollin's Pond and went all over the place in different lakes and rivers.
I also went to Philmont one year. That was a lot of fun. We took a bus and saw a lot of neat places along the way too.
That's great that you are helping the scouts too Jeff.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-25 01:29 am (UTC)I'll make it one of these days.
Our troop's going to Massaweepee this summer for camp. I'm going to be going on the 'high adventure' part of the trip with our scoutmaster, while a couple parents are staying with the younger boys for the more boring stuff. lol
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Date: 2005-01-25 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
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