Real Outdoors.

Days Inn Swimming Pool | Asheville, NC | Nov. 2007

I get to go backpacking with an old friend this weekend...to the real-outdoors...not the mural-outdoors. We're going to the Joyce Kilmer / Slickrock / Nantahala National Forest area in North Carolina. It's been years since I've been there...in fact, the last time I went, we were camping in a sleet/snow storm. It was the coldest trip I've ever experienced...the kind of trip where my water filter froze, my camera barely worked, my pants froze standing up overnight, and sitting by the fire wasn't even that rewarding. It was flat-out cold. Fun though. Anyway, I don't know the point of this post really, other than to say, "Here's to old friends and fall camping." Being October, I think I'm safe from having to pull on ice-pants at 7 o'clock in the morning.