Camping Trip Hijinks

Seems like we have a talent for picking the coldest wettest weekend of the year for camping. We returned to Bankhead National Forest for our second biannual guy's Bible study camping excursion. We stopped at Sonic on the way and discovered that Javier loves cheese sticks like Sacha loves twilight. I think he ordered 4 helpings. The hike in was challenging. Luckily, with a guide like Kelly Monahan and a brave Guard dog named Gus, we had no worries. After a half mile (if you ask the right people you may find that we hiked somewhere between 2 and 5 miles) of trekking through soggy terrain in the black of night we arrived at our camping site and set up our tents. After everything was unloaded, Logan discovered that his and Matthew's food was dropped somewhere on the trail. Logan and I searched for it and the food was well hidden. After a few minutes we began to hear things going bump in the night and decided to return to the camp site before we were eaten. On the way back we found a bottle of fake blood that Morgan dropped on the way in. Logan and I kept our find hush hush and planned to have some fun with it later. After a little while talking we settled in for the night. Sleeping in a tent the first night is always a challenge. There are roots that you didn't see but definitely feel, room mates, and noises that no one expects. At about 12am as I lay in my tent I heard what could have only been a screaming warmonkey cry out in the wilderness. I only heard it once and never wish to hear it again. 

We woke up the next morning and heard news of Logan's food. It would seem that a group of our guys had taken an early morning stroll and saw it beside the trail. They walked past it twice and left it where it was. I guess they figured we were in a national forrest and that things laying on the ground weren't meant to be disturbed. Great conservationist, horrible friends. We got Logan's food and then settled in for devo and quiet time with our new study material. 

As the day progressed the temperature dropped and we all went searching for fire wood. logan and I went up a hillside to a rock bluff. It was time for the jug o blood. We spread it on the rock face and placed a hand print on a tree. Logan stuffed some leaves in a crevice and then went down and Got his brother. I sat by the camp fire as Logan showed the bloody wall to Matt. They both came and got me and I pretended to know nothing and then freaked out. Logan did a great job not laughing as Matt began to get more and more nervous. Chaffin was then brought into the fold and after a few minutes was ready to pack up the tents and get out. We let them stew over it a while and just as night was coming into the woods, I turned to Morgan and said, "hey, I found your bottle of fake blood on the trail last night". Both Matthews looked up at the same time with eyes as wide as a baby's after a loud noise. Chaffin found a tree to support him and didn't speak for a long time. deep down, I know they thought it was funny. 

With the fire blazing hot, Nathan Allen waded into the creek and then took a plunge into the frigid water. Yep, he's a polar bear. He talked about how he would do it and no one thought he would, but he did. Crazy Nate! Javier also took a dip because he slipped and they both spent some time in close communion with the fire. 

It got dark and began to rain again so most of the guys went into their tents. After the bigger logs burnt down and I went into mine at what i thought was close to midnight, i checked my watch. It was 7:30!!!! When the guys heard that they went crazy and started up with wild singing and crazy madness. I laughed myself to sleep and all the sudden was awake at five am. The trip back was long and stinky! There are of course many more stories to tell from the weekend but I will let some of the guys write in and share them with you. Please put some of your stories from the trip in the comment section