Big Bend

I'm back from the camping adventure, alive and covered in strange tan lines. I'm still mysteriously busy all the time, so it took me a while to get the photos properly edited and saved.

So camping wasn't as tough as I thought it would be. I'd forgotten that not showering for over a week was something I always yearned to do as a child. Not that I'm about to make a habit of it, mind. My hair is already begging for a nice new coat of auburn dye. But really, it wasn't that bad. I didn't grow as much body hair as I was expecting, and the combination of manly old spice deodorant and not being able to properly breath out of my nose helped with the smell.

Andrew and I stayed out in the desert in a campsite called 'Government Springs' for about 4 days with a group of people from our school and one of the religious studies professors. Everyone was very nice, and despite my inevitable social awkwardness I didn't feel left out. We hiked different places in the park each day, spent an afternoon at the hot springs, then had an unforgettable night in a bar called 'La Kiva' in the tiny town of Tereligua. Lets just say some people got drunk, sang karaoke, and danced with women of questionable sexual orientation in overalls. I wish I had pictures of it.

After the group left Andrew and I were left to our own devices. We backpacked up Toll Mountain (our second trip up there), and camped on top for the night. I've never felt so isolated from civilization as I did that night when we stood looking down at the ring of lights that was the Basin lodge and campground. I think the nearest people to us were two girls named Laura and Holly, who we had met on our way up the mountain and were camped about a mile away.

The next day we decided to travel to a place in the desert called 'Mule Ears'. We had been there before with our larger group and knew there was a spring where we could get water. Near the spring was an old ruin of what was probably an old corral with a small back room attached. Andrew and I decided we'd camp in there. That was definitely my favorite experience. As I sat cooking dinner I'd look out into the darkness and see a little mouse scampering around. I own a rat named Rex, so it was almost like having him there with me. Andrew got it into his head that he wanted to go skinny dipping in the spring, and I, being the paranoid one, felt certain a cougar would attack us for using its water hole. Luckily no such thing happened, though we did hear something drinking from the spring a few yards away behind a large rock.

Our last camping spot was in the desert again, though far far away from our last spot. It was starting to get very hot, and I woke up in the bed of the truck sweating in my many layers. I got a little shock when I looked over the side and saw a park ranger staring at us. I'm guessing he saw the car, no tent, and was wondering where we were. Good to know they pay attention to that sort of thing, though.

We left later that day, and despite being all camped out I knew I'd remember that place fondly. It felt like something akin to an African safari, and several times during our stay I felt like a member of the Planet Earth crew as I stalked wild javelina through the brush, or sped around with Andrew in his truck in order to catch another glimpse of mountain goats. The whole trip was an eye opener for me, both about the people I was with and the strength I gained both physically and mentally.