2Sticks and I decided to do an overnight trip to the Savage Gulf, TN. This is one of our favorite places for one night trips. We planned on setting up camp then doing some day hiking to the falls etc. I also had a prototype summer quilt Leigh made that I wanted to try out.
We ended up having to abort the overnight part of the trip after we had a hail storm over our campsite. We had a limited amount of time to decide to hike out. We made the decision to leave. 2sticks helped with breaking camp and kept a great attitude about not staying the night. We have camped in storms and bad winds before so that was not the problem. The hail bothered me because the area can have tornado activity. I felt that we were better on the move than hanging out on top of the ridge. In the end it turned out we could have stayed with no problems except a wet walk out in the morning. I still would have made the same decision to leave. I have learned to listen to that gut feeling and act on it.
I have had people and family criticize the fact that 2sticks started going on hiking trips at a young age. Every kid is different. 2sticks is at home in the woods. She does not always like the hiking but she could wander thru the woods all day and night. One of the things that I have tried to teach 2sticks is that we finish what we start. I think that she learned something on this trip. We also make decisions and act on them to ensure a safer experience in the woods. I found out how 2sticks would respond to this type of decision and I could not have been prouder. The hike out is one of those I will always remember.
Sorry for getting on the soap box. Here is a short video of our trip. It is just a collection of clips we shot as we hiked and set up camp. It also includes 2sticks working on her new hammock after we returned home. Check out the last 30 seconds showing a "whiny" kid in the woods
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks