CJ and I have both
been tooling around with the idea of backpacking lately. Spending a night under the stars may
sound simple, but if you listen to the
employees at a certain outdoor store, it isn't possible without the
lightest, newest, warmest, most high-tech gear available. So - after buying the essentials (sleeping back, backpack, two person
tent) a little at a time, we were ready to give backpacking a try.
Step 1: finding where to go. CJ had a pretty unique method for picking our first camping
location, which he revealed on our hike. He went on to Google Maps, looked for
a big green area, and then searched for points of interest. So… we ended up at
McAffee Knob in Catwaba State Park near Roanoke, VA. We picked a weekend,
invited my brother Ryan and spent a night packing our packs. Except
for a brief run in with the law, the 5 hour car ride to the parking lot was
pretty uneventful (in case anyone is wondering telling a cop "I was
looking at the beautiful mountains" does not
get you out of a ticket). Nonetheless, we arrived at the parking lot
unscathed. Putting our huge packs on for
the first time was an experience - but after a few minutes of complaining and
near turtling, we started on our way.
We hiked for about 4
miles, and made it to the overlook - McAffee Knob. Even on a cloudy day, the
view was astonishing. We ate some snacks, took some photos, and relaxed Rolling
hills, and you could see the line of the Appalachians fade into the mountains.
We were prepared for the view, but not quite as prepared for the 'trail
culture' we encountered. CJ made friends with 2 section hikers, T-Dog and
Purple Pants, and learned about
"trail names" and the telltale characteristics of (gasp) day hikers.
I'm not sure wether it was the trail talk, natural beauty, or lack of oxygen to the brain, but when we reached our planned campsite we weren't ready to stop. So - we made the decision to hike another 5miles to the next shelther.
Our night was pretty uneventful - except for the fact that no one slept and Ryan couldn't stop cursing his "WalMart sleeping bag." (: We packed up camp as soon as the sun rose and set out on the 10 mile hike to the car, stopping only for a quick breakfast overlooking the valley.
The whole trip took less than 24hours, but it felt like much longer. We learned what to bring for next time (water and sleeping pads anyone?) The views were pretty sweet, but it was even sweeter to spend a whole day talking to and walking with two of my best friends without any distractions (well except for a few Instagram pics....). After a mediocre chicken & waffle lunch in Roanoke, we head home ready to plan the next hike :)
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