In case you didn’t think I was crazy after all this, I went
backpacking in January. Yep, in Ohio. Yep, in the snow. This is yet one more
thing I never would have imagined doing, and yet one more thing I am so happy I
did…
After missing out on a couple of the Cinci Meetup groups
trips, I started poking around asking if anyone wanted to go with me. I soon
got an email telling me I’d been made an event organizer. Huh. Okay, I can do
that, right? Still feeling quite the noob, although I’ve learned a LOT in the
past year, I worried that I didn’t know enough to be spearheading a
backpacking outing… But what the heck.
I set up an overnight at Zaleski for January 18/19. As luck
would have it the weather turned out pretty perfect for a winter trip: some
snow on the ground, not too cold, a little sun, more snow during the night… And
5 other crazy people came along!
The biggest lesson learned on this trip: you can walk into
the woods today with 5 strangers and walk out of the woods tomorrow with 5 new
friends. The second biggest lesson learned: Yes, you do need a stupidly
expensive down sleeping bag so you don’t freeze your ass off winter
backpacking. And no, I don’t have one. Yet.
The hiking was beautiful, the scenery amazing—especially a
detached perfect circle of ice on a creek that was spinning continuously in
place in the current. More owls in the night, some coyotes howling, and the
incredible sound of the snow pattering softly on the tent during the night.
(There is something to be said for not sleeping while you’re sleeping in the
woods at night: you hear and experience some pretty amazing things.) Much like
in life in general, all of the good makes up for the little bit ‘o bad.
I’m already scouring my calendar for the next weekend I can
load my pack and head back out into the woods. I can’t wait…
Hiking down the snowy trail:
This is my tent in the morning before I came out--new snow:
Scenery was awesome:
The group on the trail:
The group after the trail :) :
