I just learned how to do some basic stuff on this website and plan on creating a website decicated to my thoughts, backpacking trips, CD collection, Video Games, and maybe ill try my hand at making art!.
So I am a avid backpacker, and I used to go solo every so often. However I have recently been backpacking with my best friend. But I have made a few observations and collected few stories of inexperienced people on the trail.
So this is a story of our first strange event and our second total trip. We had reserved a week or so in advance as we had just started going on regular trips together. We had arrived into the town and I had forgot some tortillas in the food I packed. We got some at a local store and then proceeded to the State Park. It was quite nice and we seemed to be the only backpackers. There were some Cub Scout troops doing their own thing at a group campsite, making noise and being loud as kids do. I thanked God that we didn't have to stay close to them and were much farther in the woods. It was a short hike of about two miles. With a river crossing that will come up later.
We arrived at the campsite and got setup. Rigged a line to hold food and things that would eventually need to be dried. Got the tent setup and our sleeping equipment inflated and laid out. Then it was time for some food. However I had not realized two things: The food was straight sodium with meat mixed in, and the hot sauce was sodium based. The tacos for lunch were essentially shit on a tortilla that tasted overwhemingly of salt. Despite that we were prepared to go for a hike full of electrolytes and spirit. We had hiked around the local trails, greeted people as we passed and generally got a lay of the land. There was quite of a few portions of uphills that were more or less rock ledges with a idea of a hiking trail. Eventually we had gotten to the end of the trail and crossed the river going through the park on some built concrete stepping stones. My friend went to the bathroom and by this point night was drawing ever closer. It was I think around 5 or 6pm? We had gotten to the orignal river crossing which was fairly easy.
After some time we arrived back at the campsite and I realized we had little water, due to me drinking a large portion of it. No problem I think, we cross the river at this point fully in the darkness with no flashlights and everything will be groovy. As we were debating the neccisity of a large amount of water, and as I go back and forth upon the idea. We decide to go get the water, as my friend suggests if we do it now we don't have to get more water tommorow. I agree and we cross the river in the darkness and do not sink our feet. It's also worth mentioning at this point due to the tide rising the stepping stones were far more slippery. We get a gallon water container from the car and fill it up at a water station. I decide it would be best to load this into my backpack so I can use my trekking poles. However due to the backpack being empty it slides around as my gait alternates. The second time crossing at the around 3/4ths mark I sink my foot into the river. This was annoying but not a problem, I let it dry through the night and it would be fine.
We arrive to camp with our gallon of water, and as my friend rests I tie my shoe to our line. We had brought water shoes thinking we would need them for the river crossing, and they made decent camp shoes. We begin making dinner at around 7-8pm. As we are in the process of doing this we are chatting about useless nonsense. We pulled out some liquor we had hidden in our packs to have a good time, we gossip and talk more about nothing. Then at around 9pm we began to hear people talking as they approached. It is almost pitch black at this point, and we have lantern on a bench we were using as a table illuminating us. We see a group of about 10-12 people that walk directly by our camp. Two had headlamps and about three were holding phones in front of them as flashlights. They were all being lead by a older gentleman who seemed to be a guide. As they walk by they say "Hello" about every third person. This is constrasted by two guys with flasks sitting next to a bench drinking. I imagine they found the site of us quite as funny as we found them. However this is not the strangest thing of this trip.
The second day proceeds much the same, however with us deciding to attempt a 8 mile trail. I bitch and moan about the whole way in the most comedic manner, which my friend finds amusing. After this we arrive back at camp and I had found I had aggravated my knee. We had decided to rest for a while until it felt better, and I only now as of writing this realized I had ibuprofen in my med kit. It is around 1pm and we are lounging and I am taking generous sips of a flask as a medication for pain. We prepared more shit on torillas and lounged for a while. As we are in the process of relaxing two young men walk by asking about water. We figure they are apart of the group from last night, and mention their is a stream behind our campsite that could be filtered. I will admit you would need a pump filter and the stream was maybe 1/16th to 1/8th of a inch in its depth. However their were portions were the stream had cut deep into the rock face. We hear them talk about the water, and as they are leaving I hear them mention they need water. I offer some of ours from our gallon and they refuse. The strangest thing is immediately after this they mention "Maybe we have to drink still water." which upon hearing me and my friend looked at each other with confusion. The another interesting thing of this trip was a group of people walking through the stream and talking loudly. We were talking, and one of the members of their party says "Marco!" which I respond "Polo!".
The final strange thing on the whole trip was our stop at a gas station as we left. The cub scout troops from eariler had also decided to stop there. My friend had to use the bathroom where he saw one of the cub scouts endlessly pulling paper towels. We got some energy drinks and hotdogs and left the gas station behind. All in all the trip was quite good, however quite strange.