my little rest and relax trip to virginia over fall break reminded me how much i need some camping/hiking/outdoor/alone time built into my schedule. so, for my birthday weekend, i snagged a campsite at hanging rock, then proceeded to get way ahead on my school work so i could properly enjoy the downtime, and then rolled into hanging rock with high hopes for mental and physical rejuvenation.
i spent some time lounging in a hammock, cooking dinner (leftover ribeye and a million veggies), and then chilling at the campfire.
and then, i had what can only be described as the most miserable night of camp sleep of all time. the site next to me had a large group. as i got ready for bed, they were having a lovely and raucous time, but i assumed when quiet hours started, they would settle in. well, i was mistaken. things got louder. and crazier. at some point, someone sustained an injury and began to wail. and it went on forever. clearly alcohol was involved. it would calm for a bit, but then it would start back up. at around 1 or so, since i was wide awake, i took a little stroll to the bathroom, and thought i saw a park ranger there, but i’m not sure. the mayhem continued until about 3am or so. i was able to get a few hours of sleep. but, needless to say, both the necessity and joy of my morning coffee could not be overstated. i also fueled up with some protein oatmeal, yogurt, berries and maple syrup!
as i got cleaned up and ready to hike in the bathroom, i unknowingly shared a laugh with one of the girls from the next site. when i mentioned the poor nights sleep, she told me that was her group, with very little remorse, bordering on slight pride, the kind reserved for young 20-somethings recounting their drunken shenanigans.
before i started on my hike, i had a long conversation with some other neighbors, a group of older ladies who had been camping all week and were departing that day. they were pretty livid about the previous night, but mostly we talked about girls camping alone and bees and teaching in public schools. 🙂
and then, finally. it was time to hike. i have been to hanging rock so so many times. and done all the hikes. but i had always wanted to do the one long hike that strings them all together. i think it’s called the five peaks. (peaks is a stretch, but i don’t do the naming). anyways. today was that day.
first up. the actual hanging rock. i didn’t have a photographer counterpart and i wasn’t interested in taking the time to set up the tripod to get a pic that i’ve taken a million times, so i took a few quickies and continued on.
the three middle “peaks” are wolf rock, house rock, cooks wall, the trail connecting these to hanging rock was one i had never been on, and it was pretty quiet and peaceful. i stopped for some quick views and pics.
and then i was off to moore’s knob. i usually do the moore’s knob loop in the opposite direction and i was reminded that this way wasn’t all that easy either. i arrived at the peak, and plopped down with my snacks and relaxed a bit before making my final descent. there was a big crowd when i first arrived, but they cleared out at some point and i had the place to myself.
the entire hike is about 11 miles and 2400′ elevation gain. i did it in a little over 4 hours, so i was feeling pretty pleased with myself. it also meant that i had a lot of day left at camp, to clean up, relax in the hammock, and chill by the fire. i also discovered a pleasant surprise that my old lady neighbor friends left on my car. a jar of honey and a lovely note. and a promise that they talked to the ranger and he would make sure the rowdy neighbors would have a quieter night. 🙂
so. this was my actual birthday day, so derek brought the kids out for the evening to celebrate. i assumed they would pick up chick fil a or something along the way, but derek actually went downtown to get legit beef on weck and wings from the local bills backers bar. <3. (the kids still had chick fil a). we ate. had s’mores. and hot chocolate. and i opened my gifts. and it was a lovely evening.
after a much better nights sleep (but still a camping night and not the best), i had a lazy and cold morning savoring my coffee (or three) (in my new cool birthday gift hat). then i broke down camp, and headed home.
unpacked. cleaned up. and then we were off to meet the grandlidboms for a birthday lunch. derek’s mom made pumpkin cake. and i stuffed my face with chips. and was subject to the usual mexican restaurant birthday sombrero treatment. they even brought me a shot of tequila (which i gifted to a fellow at the bar).
ok. so some final birthday details. here is the card i received from anna. she is a mess. and 100% my offspring.
and here is my pile of gifts. the vance joy 10 year anniversary dream your life away album. (that’s the concert we had all just gone to). and… an air supply t-shirt and matching friendship bracelet from anna, good energy book from ike (the ultimate amazon wishlist shopper), stress ball squishies in the shape of a heart and brain from hazel, who knows that anatomy and physiology stress me out. haha. and from derek: toe socks, a camping soap dryer/storage bag, and a contraption that turns a dumbbell into a kettlebell.
it was a good birthday. and the gifts continued into the evening when the bills beat the unbeaten chiefs. (although as i type this, i know that they once again did not beat them in the playoffs when it counts, and also once again, it was in heartbreaking fashion, so the joy i’m remembering from the game is tainted).