camping alone
The original plan for this past week was for my family to spend the week camping at the beach, with David, Jason and myself joining them on Wednesday afternoon. Due to my grandfathers poor health those plans changed. My family stayed home and tried to do as many of the camping activities as possible while still being close to Kaiser Hospital in Roseville. They slept in a tent in the backyard and roasted marshmallows over a small fire, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves, but that was not enough for me.
Tuesday I announced that I was still planning to go camping on Wednesday. David asked where I was going but when I told him I was backpacking in he decided it was more than his wife and kids would be up to. Jordan never expressed any interest, Rosie, Crystal and Marquel each had work and so I went alone.
Wednesday shortly after class got out I drove up past Colfax to the Euchre Bar Trail head. I was the only car at the trail head and I no longer had cell signal by that point. Euchre Bar trail head is at about 4000’ in elevation it makes a two mile descent to the north fork of the American river at about 2000’. So for every three feet forward you go one foot down. This makes for a quick trip down the hill and as I approached the river I took a side trail and went a mile or so up stream and so some old mining ruins and took some pictures of the river. Then I hiked back to the place where the trail crosses the river at an old suspension bridge, crossed to the south side of the river and made camp.
Shortly after sunset I decided to make diner. My new stove works pretty well, It brought the water for my cup of soup to a boil much faster than my small fire would have. I ate beef jerky and a cup of Nile Spice black bean soup. After diner I wondered to where I could better see the stars it was at this point that it began to settle in that I was alone. Not just alone in that I didn’t have someone else with me but alone in that there were no other camp fires or flashlight beams or signs of human life down in the canyon except for me. It was moderately unsettling, as I toasted marshmallows over my dying fire some of the camp fire stories of my youth went through my head as well as thoughts about bears and other bad things that can happen to campers. After eating my three s’mores I climbed into my tent and it occurred to me that this may have been the first time in my life when I was truly alone, or at least that I had never been more alone. No one was with me, but that is not uncommon, and no one is near by, far less common but it had probably happened before. Now here is the kicker, If I needed help or wanted company there was no way to get it. It actually made me think of my great aunt Jesse who had live in the high Sierra as a youth, for her this would have been the norm.
The next morning I awoke before sunrise, not surprising when the fact that I was probably in bed around 8:30 or so is taken into account. I don’t know what time I went to bed or how long I slept because I didn’t bring a time piece, oh the joys of camping. I built me fire back up and went hiking up stream again. I was bummed that my camera had dead batteries at this point because the fork of the river I was following was absolutely gorgeous. As I jumped along slippery rocks above a cold and fast moving river the thoughts of the previous night revisited me. I did not avoid the river but I became a little more careful of my footing. I gathered a bunch of fire wood as I headed back to camp figuring it was a polite thing to do, besides I may be the next person to use that camp site. Instead of boiling more water for oatmeal I simply had a granola bar for breakfast filled my water bottle, made sure that my fire was out cold and repacked my gear. The hike out of the canyon was grueling but I managed a respectable pace and was climbing into my car at 11:15am.
As I hiked I thought about all the things I am thankful for and I observed that it am much more grateful when I am out in the wood with no more possessions than I can carry on my back. Anyway. Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday I announced that I was still planning to go camping on Wednesday. David asked where I was going but when I told him I was backpacking in he decided it was more than his wife and kids would be up to. Jordan never expressed any interest, Rosie, Crystal and Marquel each had work and so I went alone.
Wednesday shortly after class got out I drove up past Colfax to the Euchre Bar Trail head. I was the only car at the trail head and I no longer had cell signal by that point. Euchre Bar trail head is at about 4000’ in elevation it makes a two mile descent to the north fork of the American river at about 2000’. So for every three feet forward you go one foot down. This makes for a quick trip down the hill and as I approached the river I took a side trail and went a mile or so up stream and so some old mining ruins and took some pictures of the river. Then I hiked back to the place where the trail crosses the river at an old suspension bridge, crossed to the south side of the river and made camp.
Shortly after sunset I decided to make diner. My new stove works pretty well, It brought the water for my cup of soup to a boil much faster than my small fire would have. I ate beef jerky and a cup of Nile Spice black bean soup. After diner I wondered to where I could better see the stars it was at this point that it began to settle in that I was alone. Not just alone in that I didn’t have someone else with me but alone in that there were no other camp fires or flashlight beams or signs of human life down in the canyon except for me. It was moderately unsettling, as I toasted marshmallows over my dying fire some of the camp fire stories of my youth went through my head as well as thoughts about bears and other bad things that can happen to campers. After eating my three s’mores I climbed into my tent and it occurred to me that this may have been the first time in my life when I was truly alone, or at least that I had never been more alone. No one was with me, but that is not uncommon, and no one is near by, far less common but it had probably happened before. Now here is the kicker, If I needed help or wanted company there was no way to get it. It actually made me think of my great aunt Jesse who had live in the high Sierra as a youth, for her this would have been the norm.
The next morning I awoke before sunrise, not surprising when the fact that I was probably in bed around 8:30 or so is taken into account. I don’t know what time I went to bed or how long I slept because I didn’t bring a time piece, oh the joys of camping. I built me fire back up and went hiking up stream again. I was bummed that my camera had dead batteries at this point because the fork of the river I was following was absolutely gorgeous. As I jumped along slippery rocks above a cold and fast moving river the thoughts of the previous night revisited me. I did not avoid the river but I became a little more careful of my footing. I gathered a bunch of fire wood as I headed back to camp figuring it was a polite thing to do, besides I may be the next person to use that camp site. Instead of boiling more water for oatmeal I simply had a granola bar for breakfast filled my water bottle, made sure that my fire was out cold and repacked my gear. The hike out of the canyon was grueling but I managed a respectable pace and was climbing into my car at 11:15am.
As I hiked I thought about all the things I am thankful for and I observed that it am much more grateful when I am out in the wood with no more possessions than I can carry on my back. Anyway. Happy Thanksgiving.
posted by a.lost.boy | 4:12 AM
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