Best camping experience ever!

[shaun]

My best camping experiences were when I was a young boy, with my dad and brother. I love camping now but nothing compares to the curiosity and feeling of adventure when you are a kid.

[ppine]

Maria,

Deception Pass is a spectacular place and one to be careful around. I have gone thru it a couple of times in large boats a little before and a little after slack tide. It is dramatic. The river kayakers play in the rips. Isn't the average max current abut 6-8 knots?

[ChadTower]

Heh, having grown up in NS, I'm actually fairly comfortable with places like that. They are all over the place in NS.

[ponderosa]

I have so many great memories...backpacking with my grandma and her sister, the first camps with our little girls, our honeymoon in Hawaii where we had 3 miles of beach to ourselves, lots of trips with my dad...

My favorite of all is a memory that happened many times. My grandpa was a great woodsman, but he was struck by severe arthritis in his 60s. He would come with us and car camp at the trailheads where we started backpacking trips. He would do a little fishing and reading, and wait for us to return several days later. On the last day of those trips, my grandma would remind us to watch for Grandpa. Sure enough, we would always find him making his way slowly up the trail, coming to meet us. He'd have his cane, and would have been walking a long time to get just a short distance up the trail, but he always came to meet us. My grandma would shout his name, drop her backpack, and run to greet him. They would hug and kiss, and walk the rest of the trail holding hands. He'd usually have a watermelon cooling in the creek or lake for us.

My grandpa died 18 years ago, and my grandma is now 88 and suffering from poor health. I often think about watching them hurry to embrace each other at the end of those trails, and I wish for the day that my Grandpa will come to bring Grandma home from this journey. She's tired, and it's time for them to be together again.

[Pathfinder1]

Originally Posted by ponderosa

I have so many great memories...backpacking with my grandma and her sister, the first camps with our little girls, our honeymoon in Hawaii where we had 3 miles of beach to ourselves, lots of trips with my dad...

My favorite of all is a memory that happened many times. My grandpa was a great woodsman, but he was struck by severe arthritis in his 60s. He would come with us and car camp at the trailheads where we started backpacking trips. He would do a little fishing and reading, and wait for us to return several days later. On the last day of those trips, my grandma would remind us to watch for Grandpa. Sure enough, we would always find him making his way slowly up the trail, coming to meet us. He'd have his cane, and would have been walking a long time to get just a short distance up the trail, but he always came to meet us. My grandma would shout his name, drop her backpack, and run to greet him. They would hug and kiss, and walk the rest of the trail holding hands. He'd usually have a watermelon cooling in the creek or lake for us.

My grandpa died 18 years ago, and my grandma is now 88 and suffering from poor health. I often think about watching them hurry to embrace each other at the end of those trails, and I wish for the day that my Grandpa will come to bring Grandma home from this journey. She's tired, and it's time for them to be together again.

Hi...


What a beautiful story...!!

[ejdixon]

That first camping trip I had with my girlfriend in Bryce National Park. One of the best days of my life!

[harmony]

Pathfinder your beautiful story made me cry. How lucky your grandparents were to have found each other, and to have held on to their love their whole lives. Thank you for sharing.

[themanikin]

i broke my back in a motorcycle accident and could not sleep in anything but a hammock i went camping with my wife in febuary in mckinney state park in texas. temprature dropped so much when i woke up in the morning my hammock had frozen shut lol

[Judy Ann]

Originally Posted by ponderosa

I have so many great memories...backpacking with my grandma and her sister, the first camps with our little girls, our honeymoon in Hawaii where we had 3 miles of beach to ourselves, lots of trips with my dad...

My favorite of all is a memory that happened many times. My grandpa was a great woodsman, but he was struck by severe arthritis in his 60s. He would come with us and car camp at the trailheads where we started backpacking trips. He would do a little fishing and reading, and wait for us to return several days later. On the last day of those trips, my grandma would remind us to watch for Grandpa. Sure enough, we would always find him making his way slowly up the trail, coming to meet us. He'd have his cane, and would have been walking a long time to get just a short distance up the trail, but he always came to meet us. My grandma would shout his name, drop her backpack, and run to greet him. They would hug and kiss, and walk the rest of the trail holding hands. He'd usually have a watermelon cooling in the creek or lake for us.

My grandpa died 18 years ago, and my grandma is now 88 and suffering from poor
Health. I often think about watching them hurry to embrace each other at the end of those trails, and I wish for the day that my Grandpa will come to bring Grandma home from this journey. She's tired, and it's time for them to be together again.

Thank you for sharing such a lovely story Ponderosa. You have a tremendous outlook on life and death. Your stories always inspire me and teach at the same time. Have you thought about publishing a few of you family lessons? Thank you for yet another blessing!

[ponderosa]

Judy Ann, thank you for that. You're too kind. Backpacking and hiking with my family has been such an important thing in my life...I don't know who I'd be without it. I'm definitely blessed and grateful for the life and family I've had. I've never thought of publishing anything. I have thought that I need to keep a journal.