This past weekend we decided to venture up to the mountains to try our hand at camping, again. We get "outdoorsy" about once every 2-3 years, and typically only for a long weekend. We always go with the parents -- they have all the gear and all the experience.
Since we moved to the Fresno area in 1991, our family has been visiting the same campsite...we call it "our" campsite because it's relatively undiscovered by the rest of the camping world. When we camp, we (well, possibly with the exception of Chad) really like to "rough it" -- no campsite, no electricity, no bathrooms -- in the middle of nowhere. You gotta love camping: the air is crisp and clean, the food tastes better (and the calories don't count because of the altitude), it doesn't really matter how you look, and the cares of life created by technology are far, far away.
My parents headed up in the afternoon on Friday and we followed after work. When we arrived, I was totally disappointed to NOT see a campfire (it was chilly already) and hear that it was a "no burn" weekend -- meaning, we could get ticketed if we were caught with a campfire. We spent the evening huddled around a cluster of lanterns, basking in their glow and feeling teased by the warmth they seemingly offered but didn't really provide. Morning was another fireless disappointment....and I think it's the smoke from the campfire that actually helps the food taste GREAT when you're camping. By Saturday night, we were seriously in need of some HEAT. Camping is NOT camping without a campfire! So Chad and I agreed to take the risk and the blame if we lit up and got caught. Within about 30 minutes we were cookin', and it was wonderful! It seemed like the trip was being redeemed.
At around 8:30pm we had just started roasting marshmallows, when Chad looked up across the valley floor to mountain range across the way. "What's that....weird....GLOW over there?" We all 4 stood up to take a look just as a tree exploded on the horizon. Forest fire! Blazing bright, and WAY too close. We watched for a few minutes and could see it spreading. Because it was dark, it was hard to judge just how close it was to us, but none of us felt comfortable going to bed (and potentially waking up engulfed in flames!). So, after only about 15 minutes of deliberation (and watching the fire spread further), we tore down camp in record time. By 9:30pm we were on the road headed home, and grateful that all roads out of the National Park were still open.
It was definitely an adventure! "Remember," says Smokey the Bear, "only YOU can prevent forest fires!"
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