le weekend

[flea]

We camped! Left (later than I wanted) about 10:45 on Saturday, and drove to Western NC via I-85 to Spartanburg and the cut off towards Hendersonville. We picked apples - a peck each of Stayman's Winesaps and Cortlands - at Sky Top Orchards in Flat Rock NC, on a sunny, cool, breezy hilltop afternoon. It made me very happy. We rolled in to our chosen campground, outside Asheville in the Pisgah National Forest at about 4:15, pitched the tent, and went around to the small lake and beach, where the kids cavorted in the water and got rather wet (I hadn't packed for swimming; the kids were supposed to be wading, but you know how that goes with enthusiastic children.) We had hot dogs and green beans for dinner, and I got smores but due to domestic issues to be described later, others did not.

The kids went down okay. Casper was having issues, and was more uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in a tent than she wanted to admit. She was also tired, though, and after we read some books by the light of the lantern, fell asleep. Dillo was less wary but also more energetic, and woke me up a lot on the night by flailing around, wanting water, etc. I also pulled the short straw in terms of sleeping places, and was lying on only a folded wool blanket (on top of tent, on top of tarp, on top of gravel surface tent pitch.) Note for next trip: get a bigger tarp that fits our new-to-us tent, get kid sleeping bags (Christmas grandparents?), get geriatric adult sleeping mats for the geriatric adults among us.

Sunday we drove south along the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit, the kids very excited at the views and the tunnels. We stopped for lunch in Brevard NC and then took a scenic route though the woods and hills and land of tourist resorts and golf courses of far far Western NC, ending in the remarkably chi-chi town of Hillside (I think?). More designer stores per square foot of town per distance from a major metropolitan area than anywhere I've been in a long time! Then we trailed down out of the mountains onto GA 441, which took us all the way home. The kids slept for a couple of hours and Dillo, for one, did not want to be home - he wanted to keep camping.

So, next boring desk shift, I'll be looking into state parks near Savannah or Charleston; if mr. flea doesn't go to Belgium for Thanksgiving after all (due to budget issues, it is up in the air) we could go camping!

The only bad parts were Dillo's tendency to flee in all directions - he had to be chased down a couple of times, and is clearly feeling his oats - and Casper's pooping problems. She pooped in her pants Thursday at school, Friday night at the neighbor's, three times on Saturday, and at home Sunday night. (And actually pooped in the potty at least twice in between.) We've resorted to pull-ups for a little bit; whether it's something biological or something emotional, at least mr. flea will be spared washing out poopy panties.

Comments

[fabby.livejournal.com]

You just brought back great memories for me! My family used to have a cabin in Hendersonville and spent lots of time in the Pisgah Nat'l Forest. Such a beautiful area. I wonder if Sliding Rock is still there...

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

We saw it yesterday. Closed for the season, but still open Mem Day to Labor Day.

[fabby.livejournal.com]

Yay! That used to be such fun, even though you always ended up with bumps and bruises and sometimes cuts.

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

get geriatric adult sleeping mats for the geriatric adults among us.

This is why god invented air mattresses.

[lala-lisa.livejournal.com]

Seconded!

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Air mattresses carry away your body heat while you're sleeping - fine when it's hot, sucks when it's chilly. Closed cell foam pads or Thermarests insulate better.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

We have nice thermarests, but they are the super-light ones. I want to get some more car-campy ones, thicker for my old bones.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

All I've got are the super-light ones, too, and since the last time I used them I've been coveting the thicker, plusher models.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

I broke down and got a super thick, wide, Thermarest years ago and will not go backpacking without it (like I have lately, but you know what I mean). They have even thicker, wider ones now. They are FABULOUS. Worth every penny. If you buy via REI, you will get a rebate at the end of the year.

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Yay camping! We were supposed to go car camping near Kenora in August but wimped out due to bad weather. Will try again next summer.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

get a bigger tarp that fits our new-to-us tent

You're better off with a tarp tat is just alittle smaller than your tent than one that is just a little bigger, though of course you can cut down a large one to fit. If your groundcover extends past the tent walls, it'll gather moisture (rain or dew) and let it pool under your tent floor. Unpleasant.

Man, I cannot shut off that REI sales training!

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Hee! We only have the tarp that fits our old two-person backcountry tent, so it is quite a bit too small for the "we have kids now and camp out of a car" tent.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

I have been camping for umtpy ump years (e.g., since I was the age of Dillo) and have never found that to be the case with tarps, though. I use a $7 blue tarp for car camping and it works great. I always try to get one bigger than the tent, so I can shove my shoes under a corner of the flap to keep them dry from dew when I leave them outside.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

Really? Back in the day, my sister and I got really good at waking up at the first hint of moisture and piling the sleeping bags and clothing on the ensulite pads in the very center of the tent because we had to do it so frquently, but that was a truly ancient tent and often quite wet weather. Any little thing that might keep me drier, I have adopted. Might well not be necessary.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

It sounds to me like your tent wasn't seam sealed. I'll bet that's the difference. Henry (my ex) and I pitched our $35 White Stag CostCo tent in the living room at least 22 years ago and crawled all around seam-sealing the tent prior to a trip to Alaska... and that tent is now mine and STILL sealed. I have to fold it with zippers open a little to let the air out. Best use of time and, like, $15 in materials Ever.

[tskaredoff.livejournal.com]

No, we seam-sealed it. What it was, the material itself would keep water out unless anything touched it, which was manageable for the sides but once there was water under the floor it would seep through wherever there was weight. There probably isn't anything being made out of that stuff anymore. Not really waterproof, not really breathable, bulky and heavy in comparison to today's tents, I hope it isn't being used.

It didn't help that the rainfly barely covered the roof, which was considerably smaller than the floor. Really, it's amazing how long we used that thing. And that my sister and I both still like camping.

[makaidiver.livejournal.com]

(I'm replying via my little-used LJ yahoo acct. I hope we are not still hijacking flea's account?) The tent cabins at the Girl Scout camp I went to every year from 4th grade to 10th grade were like that. You couldn't touch them or the water would come through your fingerprint. Ah, old school. Hooray for scientific breakthroughs in camping equipment!

[serrana.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite places -- glad to hear you had a good time. I have a lot of fond memories, and this is such a wonderful time to be up in the mountains.

*sigh* Now you've got me missing my Nana. I should go e-mail her cat pictures.