Skip to main content

Summer 2011 Campout #1

This one gets a thumbs down.

It all started because we wanted to go camping. The rain, cold and yuck has just been terrible this year, seemingly never ending. Since it was forecasted to be sunny last weekend it seemed like a natural progression. Oh, how we were wrong.


We prefer going camping in the mountains and enjoying the beautiful scenery. However, because of the rain, cold and general yuck that is lingering, we still have 20 foot snow drifts in our mountain camping spots. Not a good recipe for camping in a tent. With that in mind, we decided to venture out to the West Desert and The Pony Express Trail. Someplace warmer and also someplace new to us. The scenery is... well.... barren and the vibe is... weird out there. No wonder all the UFO hunters and conspiracy theorists congregate out there by Dugway. Much of the property is owned by the military and there are strange bunkers, patrolled dirt roads and signs every 10 feet that declare they'll shoot if necessary.  And when it rains, it RAINS.


All this weirdness has also seemingly created mutant bugs. We got eaten alive by itty bitty tiny little gnats (or midges as I learned later). 40+ years of camping in Utah and surrounding areas and I never remember being bitten by bugs like this! We're still itching the growing red bumps that won't go away.


There was no shade and nothing but dirt roads where we camped.  Our pre-prepared tin foil dinners didn't fare so well and the potatoes turned a nasty looking black.  The tent nearly fell on us in the second night and it rained non-stop all that night.  My brother-in-law got sick.  And seriously, we saw two lizards, one coyote, one antelope and two llamas (yes, odd I know) in two days.  The animals don't even like it out there!


Now don't get me wrong, there were some good points which I will list here:
  • A pit toilet close by our campsite, hooray!  Gross, but oh-so-handy.
  • A lovely fire pit which we all sat and talked by the first night.  For some reason some of us were getting way too much humor from the kids singing the "Barney's Dead" song.
  • Beautiful wild flowers including cactus flowers and our state flower, the Sego Lily.
  • A cute, fat lizard which we wanted to catch, take home and name Harold.
  • Yep, that's about it.
    So with Summer Camping Trip #1 behind us, let's hope that our future excursions fare better!  Oh, and we won't be visiting the West Desert again anytime soon.

    REMINDER:  The Great American Backyard Campout is this Saturday, June 25th!!  If you haven't signed up yet, there's still time.  Be part of the fun!!

    Comments

    Popular posts from this blog

    Close To Home Event Kick-Off!!

    We're so excited to have you here participating in our April blog event... "Close To Home Camping and Nature Art" Just in time to get ready for summer! To find out more about all the fun stuff we will be doing this month, please visit the Close To Home Event page for all the details and upcoming goodies. We'd like to start with a bang with our sponsor HealthyHikerGear.com !  Sound good?  We think so. There are so many things to do and places to go for a vacation close to home.  I've heard some refer to this as "staycationing".  Camping, hiking, picnicking or even hanging out in the backyard with a fire pit and some marshmallows can be loads of fun for you and your families. This picture is one of my very most favorite places in the whole world to go and it's just over an hour away! There are so many products which make camping, picnicking and hiking easy and affordable and shopping is right at your fingertips.  HealthyHikerGear.com is an onlin

    Endo Review and Giveaway!

    We're so excited to introduce you to Endo ! Endo is here for all your outdoor t-shirt needs with incredible graphic designs to wear.  Cyclist?  Camper?  They're here for us all.  Seriously, what's better than a bright yellow tee with a huge tricycle on it?  Yes, a huge yellow real tricycle would be nice but hey, you couldn't wear that and it would undoubtedly be much harder to come by! We were happy to discover that the Endo t-shirt is longer than some which is definitely a bonus.  You know, no risk of the bad "low rise jeans - shorter tee - don't bend over or sit" dilemma.  It's also pretty dang soft and comfy. In addition to this great t-shirt, Endo also sent their logo tote bag.  These kind of backpack tote bags, or "man bags" as all the local teens call them (because all the boys in junior high have them!) are perfect for a light backpack to carry a water bottle, camera, cell phone, snacks, etc., for an impromptu hike, nature walk

    Sit-upon Tutorial By Rachel Beyer

    As a former Girl Scout, I have lots of fun camp memories. I remember learning to tie knots, set up camp and to cook over the campfire. An essential Girl Scout tradition is making a sit-upon. A sit-upon is a homemade waterproof cushion. They are easy to make and I remember using them every time we did any activity while sitting on the bare ground, which most often was damp or scattered with uncomfortable sticks and pebbles. A sit-upon is great for sitting around the campfire, your backyard, or even a sporting event.  There are lots of ways to make a sit-upon. When I was a Brownie Girl Scout, we made ours from old vinyl tablecloths and foam. But in a pinch, you can use a plastic garbage bag and a stack of old newspapers for padding. To revisit this simple craft project, I decided to use a roll of vintage vinyl wallpaper I found at a thrift store and some foam I bought at my local craft store. Essential Supplies: Waterproof Material (vinyl tablecloth, or other store-bought vinyl or