My Camping and Hiking History

I first began camping and hiking as a Boy Scout.  Typically, one weekend out of every month our troop would head out of town for some sort of camping and hiking event.  I loved being in the outdoors and learning new skills that were pretty foreign to living life in the big city.

One particular summer, a small group of us went to Philmont in New Mexico.  This is a ranch owned by the Boy Scouts of America and is particularly geared to camping and hiking expeditions.  At that time the norm was to stay in base camp and adjust to the altitude for a few days.  Then a guide would lead you for a few days before turning you lose in the wilderness for 12 days.  This kind of camping and hiking was high adventure.  The scenery was phenomenal.  We carried everything in packs on our back.  Camping and hiking combined every day where we'd venture to the next stop afoot, set up camp, and prepare our meal over a fire.  I think we provisioned twice.  Streams were cold and we had to purify our water.  No hot showers were available until we got back to base camp.  It was wonderful!

Camping and Hiking Highlights

One of my favorite camping and hiking locales is the Lincoln National Forest just outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico.  It is truly out there and the archaeology is over the top spectacular.  As adults, a group of my buddies and I loved to escape our corporate lives and get away for a 4 or 5 day weekend on occasion.  We'd set up a comfortable camp and then do day hikes just about every day.  One particular time we experienced a full lunar eclipse.  Being at altitude with zero clouds and not expecting it just made this event all the better.  It was wild in the fact that all the wildlife got very quiet because it got really, really dark.  I will never forget that night!

Another favorite camping and hiking time was at Big Bend.  The Rio Grande was flooding and we decided that instead of hiking, we'd take a raft trip down through the Santa Elena Canyon.  The sheer walls of the canyon and the rushing waters created a fascinating optical illusion that made it appear you were descending down a slope much steeper in grade than we actually were.  Another jaw-dropper of a time.

Cooking While Camping and Hiking

I love great food in the city.  So my thoughts ran to why not master cooking over an open campfire.  I worked really hard at learning to prepare many amazing meals in the out of doors.  One time all of us were celebrating several different business successes by various ones of the group.  I decided on a basic steak and baked potato dinner preceded by a big salad and followed by desert.  I got my favorite meat market to hand cut 3 inch bone-in rib eye steaks for each of us.  They were massive!  We wrapped the potatoes in foil and cooked them in the coals.  I brought all the trimmings including chives.

However, before heading out of town, I stopped by a restaurant I love and got the chef/owner to give me creme brulee's in the china ramekins.  I concealed them in the giant ice chest so nobody could see them.  When dinner was over and everyone was chilling around the campfire, I brought out these delights.  What a riot it was.  And let me tell you, a good cigar with a glass of cognac is mighty fine after all of that.

The World's Most Dangerous Hike

If you're interested in exploring this topic more, visit Wikipedia's super fine article when you click on the link here at camping and hiking.