Out in the Woods

I had been waiting for this all summer and now finally we were packed and in the car, heading out to go camping.  We have had some great trips this summer but camping out in the Idaho mountains is something special.  On top of that, our area is extremely smoky from local fires and there is a yellow air alert.  My eyes, nose, and throat have been irritated and my chest hurt.  One of our favorite camping spots also has poor air quality because of other fires so we made other plans.  While driving north we were elated when we finally saw blue skies.  Gradually my coughing and the pressure on my chest began to ease.

We reached a small, but popular resort town where we stopped for milkshakes before once again heading on our way.  Our destination was a rather remote Forest Service campground where we had camped several times before over 15 years ago.  We drove about 20 miles over a mostly gravel one lane road.

As soon as we left the town behind my spirits began to soar.  Through our open windows we could smell the fresh scent of the pine trees.  We passed a small, shallow lake and a few creeks.  Mountain peaks rose on each side of us.  We saw very few vehicles.  Of course, there was road equipment—you can’t avoid road work during the summer in Idaho—but the workers had gone home so it was quiet.  We felt like we had the woods to ourselves.  When we pulled into the campground, it was empty except for a truck with a tent trailer which had pulled in just ahead of us.  We had our choice of nine campsites—we chose one overlooking the rushing river.

We stuck our fee into the drop box then began to unpack the car.  Up went the tent, the dining canopy (for rain and sun protection over the table), the chairs, and the clothesline for towels.  Dinner was simple—sloppy joes and zucchini.  Unfortunately, dozens of yellow jackets (wasps) decided to join us so we built a fire and ate next to it—they don’t like smoke so it worked quite well.

What would a camping trip be without s’mores?  We roasted our marshmallows over the red coals of our campfire until they turned a golden brown.  We sandwiched them in between graham crackers along with a few pieces of milk chocolate.  As we bit into this popular camp dessert, the soft white center oozed out—oh, so good!

We watched the fire as it slowly burned down.  Stars appeared in the night sky until it seemed like a thousand diamonds sparkled above us.  The only noise was the popping of the fire and the roar of the river.  Quietly, I sang campfire songs that I had learned long ago.  A peace settled over me.

Written on 8/14/2013