How I spent my autumn vacation

Ed Schlessinger

It began ominously. It was dark. It was cold. It was six a.m.! That’s too early for me. The car pool began in Jacksonville and was to end at the Tennessee-Georgia border at a place known as the Cohutta Wilderness. The six of us in the car spent the ensuing hours getting to know one another lubricated by bad coffee, greasy french fries and show tunes. Arriving at the trailhead we met the final two fellow travelers, quickly strapped on our boots and headed off backpacking to our overnight destination. All in a race with autumn’s early nightfall and some serious dark clouds gathering overhead.

We arrived safely in time to set up camp along a quiet, ebony, reflecting stream with the beautiful murmur of a cascade in the near distance. Then it started to rain. I had expected to have a quiet reflective and peaceful trip in the north Georgia woods. I didn’t expect to leave with some valuable lessons. Lesson #1: Be prepared; bring rain gear; stay dry; warm dry clothes and boots are your friends.

As night fell the rain began to slow down. We all gathered around to build a fire, tell backpacking stories and, of course, sing show tunes. While my friend Les and I were out gathering dry wood for the fire, over our shoulders we were amazed to see a flaming meteor streaking into our campground and erupting into a ball of flame. Lesson #2: Do not pour stove fuel on a wet, smoldering, hard to ignite, campfire. Fortunately, no one was hurt, though some hair was singed. After the initial shock subsided, the adrenaline worked its way to laughter and the bonding began.

The morning brought new surprises. The rain had subsided. The quiet stream was now a raging torrent. The murmuring cascade was now a roaring waterfall. Lesson #3: When crossing an unknown body of water test the depth, stabilize yourself with two walking staffs and be prepared to remove more than just your boots and socks.

Well, we all spent the next two days exploring the area, photographing the engorged river and masses of wet fallen autumn leaves, and trying to dry ourselves out. On the last night we all shared our last communal meal before backpacking out. Oh, Lesson #4: No matter how much bourbon and Tang you mix with treated water, you can still taste the iodine.

The weather may not have been the most idyllic; and I could have titled this article “What can go wrong on a backpacking trip”. However, it was great fun. We were challenged and rewarded, learned valuable lessons, made new friends and learned new show tunes. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

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