I was looking to cut my drive in half today. So I found a shaded side road, and was careful not to pull the trailer further into this unknown road, since I wasn't certain about turning around.
Surprisingly a sign said this was the official Lewis and Clark Trail. My maps didn't even say that there was one. Nearby, a nice (walkable) bridge crossed a tributary stream. And there was another official sign.
In grade school, everybody heard about the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery. I don't remember it seeming very interesting. But it should have been. Think how little support and infrastructure they had to lean on! It isn't surprising that a school kid couldn't put himself in Lewis and Clark's shoes.
Along the dirt road, there was a cluster of gigantic trees, over 2 feet in diameter, with remarkable bark. These were the best trees of the summer, for me.
How old is a tree of this diameter? Was it alive 220 years ago, in Lewis and Clark's time?
Walking along the road, I got a peek-a-boo glimpse of some brightness coming from close to the tributary stream. The surrounding forest was dark and dense. In fact it took a couple passes by this spot before I realized it was a campsite, for tenters or trekkers.
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| The perfect campsite, in the very center. No wonder I almost missed it. |
Looking into this more closely I saw how perfect this campsite was, so hidden, cool, shaded, and with water nearby! Never fond of tent camping, I had never appreciated this type of campsite before, perhaps because I was unwilling to put myself in others' shoes. You could say the same thing about most outdoors sports, other than my own. It is possible this is a general syndrome.
Comments
Restarting another family dynamic, it felt good getting back to tenting. again, with the passing of time, the focus of ease and comfort led to changes. From simple to comfort, to a home on wheels, time changed everything.
Today, I yearn to get back to those days of simplicity, but life has other plans.
Stay Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.