Date: 2008-01-19
To: MEMORY LANE
Miles today: 0.0

As I have mentioned in my journal, I am one of four setting off on the trail this year. Two of my partners are a mother daughter team who also journal at this site: trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trail-name=6382As we get closer to stepping off, I can't help but think of our very first backpacking trip which was over 8 years ago. This trip was the start of many, many and many great adventures. A long, long time ago in a location far far. . . well o.k., not that so long or far away.Tammy's family consisted of one outdoor husband and two kids, of the same ilk as their father: Caleb was 10 and Lydia 8. Greg and Tammy had been car camping for the last 10 years and I will admit, Tammy was a car camper extraordinaire. But, they felt it was time to introduce the kids to the real world of camping: Backpacking.We decided to backpack to Annapolis Rocks on the AT. It is a short (3 mile) hike to the site. We made it even more exciting by taking the rock climbing and repelling gear. These extra events of course were to motivated Caleb and Lydia, who would one day give lessons to Tarzan. Now as a preference to this story, you have to understand a few things. I supposely don't cook. My backpacking meals consisted of top raman, instant oakmeal, top raman, power bars, instant soups and top raman mixed together, chocalate and top raman. Greg's vision of backpacking food was similar. Tammy's vision: "I will be responsible for the meals." With her declaration, my cooking skills were successfully hidden and I quickly turned over the responsibility of purchasing the top raman to her. She did delegate me to GORP duty, as I can make a "mean" bag of GORP, especially when I personalize it to everyone's specific taste and or mouth braces.Just so I am sure you understand this. Please picture three adults with very heavy packs, 45 lbs plus, and 2 kids with lighter back packs slowly hiking the AT trail toward Annapolis Rocks. The three adults sweating, struggling, and smiling all to convince a 10 and 8 year old that this was fun! See the smile.   :-)We arrived at the site with only one minor incident. Tammy wanted to adjust her own pack and Greg and I needed to quit pulling on the various straps. No amount of adjusting was going to hide the fact she was hiking up hill with a 45 lbs backpack. Upon arrival, I set-up my tent a little way from their tent, after all they have two kids, one dog, and 2 adults sharing one 4 person backpacking tent.   Therefore, I dID not see Tammy unpack the food or cookware. After unpacking and sorting the climbing gear, I found everyone's personal GORP bag and passed the bags out. My share of the cooking duties were completed and I was an instant success. Note to self, add more M&M to Greg's and Lydia's GORP bags in the future. The first day passed well, we made the hike, camp was set up, and we proceeded to have an excellent day climbing and repelling. Tammy return to the camp site to start dinner and what a dinner.As I walked up on her preparing dinner, I though wow that must be 10 lbs of steak and potatoes. (She freezes the steaks in the marinade so they pack safely for a day and she pre-bakes potatoes so they warm up fast in a fire.)   That is heavy, I mean top raman would be 10 oz. But, this was our first trip and I didn't want to discourage Tammy. Later, I balanced the weight against how well that steak smelled and tasted after a long day of hiking and climbing, I started questioning and taking notes on Tammy's technique. I became convinced that even someone of my skill set could pull off this steak and potato dinner. My final thoughts before falling into my tent that night: that steak dinner was "way better" then white worms - I mean noodles, any time.In the morning, I started setting up the climbing ropes and Tammy started breakfast. I didn't ask her what we were having, after all we were backpacking. I assume it was oatmeal, or reconsituted eggs. TRY PANCAKES ON A CAST IRON SKILT (A GOOD 5 LBS) WITH A 20 OZ GLASS BOTTLE OF SYRUP, MAPLE SYRUP THAT IS.As I looked at the scene unfolding before my eyes, I stopped to weigh the pro and cons of the situation. I thought to myself, "Wow, our packs were heavy the day before...at least with the steak dinner we would not be carrying the weight on the return trip. Maybe on our bodies, but not in our backpacks. Here was a breakfast that we would have to backpack out."I quickly realized that our growing friendship and future backpacking trips depended on me addressing this breach of backpacking common sense with grace, kindness and gentleness. It went something like this" Wow, Tammy, you brought a 20 0z glass syrup bottle. Hmmm, how much does that thing weigh? Next time let's try plastic."It is a funny thing about 8 years and one's ability to recall events: Tammy remembers me say: "YOU BROUGHT A CAST IRON SKILLET AND A GLASS BOTTLE...WE HAVE TO PACK THAT OUT. NO WONDER WE HAD 45 LBS PACKS!"In reality the truth is somewhere in between: "Wow, Tammy, That Skillet is Heavy and we can Probably find a lighter one Next Time and We Can Swap That Very big Glass Bottle out for a smaller Plastic one."Since we are hiking the AT together this year, the Lord must have meant our friendship to blossom. During the first few years of our adventures, I learned how to expand my food menu and to car camp with luxury. Tammy has become a backpacker extraordinaire