Skip to main content

Solo Camping with my boy Wilson :)

The first time I camped under canvas was way back in 1973 - I was just 6 months old, and I apparently slept much better in a tent than I did in my cot back home. Even now, all these years later, I find sleeping in a tent extremely relaxing, and I generally have a decent night's sleep.

Last weekend, I headed off for another camping trip, this time at Long Lake, which is about two hours drive from home. The plan was for Wilson and I to do a walk-in camp for the weekend, whilst Andy stayed with the girls and kept them entertained in our absence. 




I was going to be using just basic gear, and my accommodation would be a tarp which I would be making into a tent. I took everything in my backpack just to test things out for future backpacking trips, whilst Wilson would be carrying some of his own stuff in a little doggy backpack that we had recently purchased for him.

The weather for the weekend looked to be warm and dry, although it was expected to get close to freezing point overnight,so I was sure to take my warmer sleep bag, whilst Wilson had his own to keep him warm throughout the night.

The pitch turned out to be quite spacious, and we did a decent job on setting up the tarp tent. Sure, we were crawling in and out on hands and knees, but there was plenty of room for just me and Wilson and our gear.


We had a pretty relaxing day, just enjoying each others company and having a couple of hours walk together, and when tea time came, I cooked up some chicken kebabs on the firepit. I wouldn't say they were a complete failure, but there's certainly room for improvement for next time!

As night time came, so did the unexpected rain, so Wilson and I made tracks into the tarp tent to snuggle down where we'd be warmer and dryer. It was actually really cosy and warm  inside,  and I happily snuggled up with Wilson and had a beer and block chocolate before bedding down for the night.

The rain came heavy for a good hour or so and there were pools of water collecting on the footprint inside. A couple of spiders and beetles decided to join us but we weren't too concerned about sharing, given the amount of space we had.

We fell asleep quite easily, but around 3am, something woke me up from my slumber. My heart was pounding but as I finally came around, I realised that Wilson didn't seem.too bothered bu the sounds, so I figured it was nothing threatening. I lay in my sleeping bag listening to the noises just a mere 20 metres or away , and it was then that I realised it was the deer rut, and a couple of stags were likely locked in battle fighting for their mate. It was quite the sound and reminded me of the early morning call from the elk on the Mogollon Rim down in Arizona, when I did the 100 Mile Mogolllon Monster trail race.

Come morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the dampness from last night's rain was causing steam as it dried out in the sunlight. It was definitely chilly once we had crawled out if our sleeping bags, but a hot cup of tea and bowl.of porridge soon warmed us up, and we sat around for a while, just enjoying the stillness of the early morning and admiring the vibrant autumn colours that were further enhanced in  the sunlight.

Wilson and I had another awesome morning together, playing with sticks and having another little walk, but we couldn't stay all day as we had a rendezvous point to get to for our ride home.


We quickly packed things away, and once done, we made tracks home, thankful for a fantastic weekend and ready for more.

I had of course missed Tillie and April very much, so for the past few days, they've both been having extra belly rubs and puppy snuggles. We've also been out not once but twice this week for a run altogether. I love running with all three pups together and they truly are the best running buddies I could wish for - I know for sure they enjoyed it :)


Of course, the camping trip was captured on video and you can join us on the trip by visiting my YouTube channel here.

Next weekend I have a 50k trail race that I'm doing which will also involve camping at the race venue. It should be another great weekend, so I'll be back again in the next few days to let you know how it went.

For now, happy camping, happy running, and keep on smiling and having fun. Until next time ... :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tackling the Iron Horse Ultra - 100-miles :)

Training leading into the Iron Horse Ultra had gone well, and even though I knew that getting close to my course record of 21 hours was quite ambitious, I honestly thought that I would be able to do if I had a good day But those of us that are runners will know that whilst running is a physical sport, there is also a mental element to running well, especially when it comes to racing those longer distances. It was the mental side that let me down this time, although it wasn't during the race that I struggled but rather the weeks leading up the race itself, and in hindsight the signs were there that I wasn't going to be able to perform quite as well as I was hoping.  Let me explain .... I like to think that for the most part, I am a good person, and I treat people with the respect that they deserve. Although some things do wind me up in life, I tend to be very laid back and easy going, taking things in my stride and trying not to make a big fuss about things. I'm also an intr...

Crown King Scramble 50km

The Crown King Scramble 50km was everything I expected it to be, and more. With great organisation, a tough course, outstanding scenery and lots of jolly good fun - and the fact that I finished soaking wet with sweat with salt stains across my face and all over my clothes, covered in dust and dirt from head to toe, absolutely starving and in desperate need of an ice cold beer, with tired, heavy legs but a big smile on my face - they were all sure signs of a damn good race. The race started at 6am alongside the shores of Lake Pleasant just as the sun was about to pop its head above the nearby mountains. The air was still quite cool although it was certain to warm up as the morning went along, with temperatures well in to the mid 80's expected later on in the day. The atmosphere at the start was a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation as we all knew what lay ahead - 50km or 31 miles of uphill running, climbing from around 1500 ft at Lake Pleasant to nearly 6000 ft in...

Sinister Seven Ultra

 I knew going into the Sinister 7 Ultra that I wasn't as well trained for mountain running as I was this time last year. Twelve months ago, I ran the 50 miler with relative ease, finishing in a little over 12 hours and even making the podium with a third place finish, whereas this year, I hadn't been to the mountains once, and I knew I was in for a hard time. Regardless, I headed down to Crowsnest Pass with the goal of just finishing the race, even if I was DFL and only just made the 30 hour cut-off. After a rather soggy and cooler spring and early summer, July brought heat warnings and hit temperatures in Alberta, and the forecast for race day was calling for highs of 30+ degrees - it was going to be a hot one! I did the best I could to prepare for the heat, continuing with my lunch time walks at work, and then running after work when things seemed to feel even warmer than earlier in the day. I even did my longer weekend runs just after lunch during the hottest part of the day...