Camping in a slide-in camper

or, glamping is not real camping

To channel Sophia from The Golden Girls: “Picture it. Clingman’s Dome. 1985.”

It was mid-October; I was three weeks old. My mother, three weeks post-C-section, hiked to the top of Clingman’s Dome to get a picture with me on the tallest peak in Tennessee and the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi, clocking in at 6,643 feet. Afterwards, she tent camped in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with my father’s family on their annual camping trip.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Firestarter’s mom, the OG badass of my family:

img20151209_20591623
Clingman’s Dome, October 1985, baby Firestarter and mom

I now have a child of my own. I also had a C-section. I did not hike up the tallest peak in Tennessee and then tent camp in mid-October in the Smokies with a three-week-old. I apparently am not as tough as my mother, but I knew this already. 

Instead, last Saturday, Firestarter, ThrillBilly, and nine-week-old baby Henry (FireBilly? ThrillStarter?) camped in absolute comfort and ease at Chickasaw State Park

DSCF0969
ThrillBilly had shoulder surgery when Henry was three weeks old. Extreme way to get out of changing diapers, buddy.

We were fortunately gifted an older work truck. With the money we’ve been saving up, we purchased a used slide-in camper for it. We are planning a two+ week trip out West to introduce Henry to Bill’s family in Albuquerque, and to see friends and sites on a lazy path up to Oregon. 

20200816_090910

Traveling for an extended time with an infant – even in a fancy camper – brings its own challenges, so ThrillBilly and I decided to do a few trial runs. The first was a brief overnighter in a state park just outside of Jackson, Tennessee.

Lessons learned:

  • Bring cash smaller than a $20 to buy firewood within the park
  • Remember cooking add-ins like olive oil and spices
  • Make sure the fridge actually cools
  • Do not fry hamburgers in the skillet (because you forgot small bills for firewood and had no charcoal for the campsite grill) in such an enclosed space unless you want hot grease spattering over everything within a 3-ft radius
  • Bring charcoal

Small victories:

  • Rigging up a mobile using an Edelrid climbing sling 
  • Having an awesome dog who protects her brother from things that go bump in the night
  • No major meltdowns
  • Remembering the hammock
  • All electric and water worked without a hitch

20200816_08055420200816_03453020200816_090938

I know this is glamping, and I am craving a backpacking trip, but I also crave every moment I can get with my family. A family backpacking trip will happen when Henry is older. (When do babies take their first steps and have enough balance for a pack? Don’t worry, it would be 10 liters or less… )

Hike, hike, baby

The Guy’s first hike

I’ve been on hiatus since September, but now I’m back – with a baby in tow!

Several people have told me something along the lines of, “Now that you have a baby, you won’t be able to do all your hobbies anymore. Say goodbye to [hiking, backpacking, climbing, etc.].” I smile and nod and completely ignore them. I can still do all the things I love – I just have to transform them to work for my new setup.

Continue reading “Hike, hike, baby”

Trail Review: Warner Woods Trail (#16)

Another Warner Parks gem!

Yes, it’s September. No, it’s not fall – yet. And in Tennessee, early September still means temperatures into the 90s some days. It can be hard to motivate yourself to hike when stepping outside for more than 30 seconds leaves you drenched in sweat. Fortunately for those of us in the Nashville area, we’ve got the Percy Warner Park trail system.

Continue reading “Trail Review: Warner Woods Trail (#16)”

Trail Review: Shelby Bottoms Nature Park: West Loop (#12)

Quick getaway in the heart of East Nashville

A few weeks ago, on one sweltering Saturday, Moka, Minnie, and I ventured into the morning heat to walk the west loop of the Shelby Bottoms Greenway trail. If the weather had been cooler, the pups and I would have gone the entire stretch of both loop trails and back again, but pavement is hot, paws are more sensitive than you think, and dogs can’t sweat as efficiently as humans. Luckily, they are short-haired, but I still had to put their health and safety first.

Continue reading “Trail Review: Shelby Bottoms Nature Park: West Loop (#12)”

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles

Appreciate your own back yard

There’s a wonderful book series called 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles. I bought one years ago for Nashville, and one when I moved to Denver.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Nashville is a fantastic guide to nearby trails in the middle Tennessee area. Written by Johnny Molloy, it includes a map of where the trails are in middle Tennessee, individual trail maps, mileage, conditions, level of traffic, directions to the trailhead, and more. I’ve used this guide book for years (I have the second edition; the most recent is the fourth edition), and I’ve decided to write reviews for all 60 trails within this book. I’ll also be doing a few trails from other editions.

Continue reading “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles”