Nature Vs. Backpacking Trip

Spaghetti noodles aren't very appetizing when dissolved into their pure starch form. Yet there they were.

My parents, my brother, and myself decided on a quick weekend backpacking trip one Easter. We had visited the Pisgah National Forest and the Shining Rock Wilderness in North Carolina many times before. Easter was always warm and an uncrowded time to go. It would be a great way to spend some time together before spring activities began in earnest.

We planned the menus, packed the gear, and loaded everything into the van. Including the family dog. She had her backpack too. It would take several hours of driving before we reached the trailhead. Due to a late start, we would be packing in at dusk. No problem, we had been there many times before. The cooler mountain air would be a relief from the heat in the Piedmont.

After parking the van at the trailhead, we put on our hiking boots and backpacks and headed down the trail. The wind started howling as we hiked along the exposed balds. The sun soon set and we hiked by flashlight. We wanted to make a decent trek in that evening so we could meet the next days camping spot.

The wind blew and blew. It seemed to be almost hurricane force. Maybe an unseasonal front was approaching? We decided to change our goal and find a wind sheltered camping spot.

We found a semi-sheltered spot in some trees where others had obviously camped before. We dumped our packs and set about erecting our tents. Wrestling a tent in high winds is something that should only be seen on a funniest video segment. After championship tent wrestling, the tents were up but swayed in the wind.

Next came supper preparations. Fires are not permitted in that area. All cooking must be done on a camp stove. A simple, easy dish had been planned - spaghetti. We put some water in a pot for boiling the noodles. We waited and waited for the water to boil. Between the wind and the altitude, the water wouldn't boil. In frustration, the noodles were dumped into the warm water and we waited for them to cook. And we waited. After an hour, we realized the noodles had dissolved into nothing in the pot. No dinner for us - just some trail mix. The dog greedily ate the mush.

We called it a night and crawled into our sleeping bags in the wildly waving tents. During the night the wind stopped miraculously. It then got cold. Really, really, cold. I shivered in my summer weight sleeping bag. There were no more clothes to put on and everyone was still cold. "It will get better in the morning and warm-up" we thought.

When we woke up in the morning, there was snow on the ground. The dog's water bowl was frozen solid. The camp stove was out of fuel. We came prepared for the typical warm weather for that time of year. We got winter instead. A quick assessment determined that none of us had packed winter clothing. The weather appeared to be settling in. A fire was out of the question.

Cold hungry people resort to desperate measures. My mother pulled out the Easter candy she had packed in and we quickly ate it all. A conference was then called. Ill prepared for the unusual weather; there was only one decision to make. We packed up and hiked out. The heater in the van worked magnificently. The food in the Brevard McDonald's had never tasted so delectable before.

When we got back home, the neighbor was surprised and asked how the camping trip went. He listened in utter disbelief.

It was warm in the Piedmont. It felt good. It was great to be home.