Along the dividing line of West Virginia and Virginia we spent our weekend. Trekking across one side of the primitive campground to another would find us standing in a different state. Somewhat meaningless yet also a touch odd to think that people sleeping in a neighboring site would be subject to a different jurisdiction’s laws. I did not analyze the map carefully though now I am curious whether any of the sites straddled the divider as well. Funny how the closer you get to liminal spaces the less defined things can become. You learn this concept in various forms at various ages, whether as Zeno’s paradox, Paul Simon’s Slip Sliding Away, To Kill a Mockingbird, or a host of other fodder for the brain. Truly, though, state lines such as this one matter little for the point of the adventure was to be outside, and for much of the time when immersed in the woods and surrounded by critters flocking about and the vacillations of weather concepts like state lines become inconsequential.
Generally, Kelly and I would not car camp if not for climbing or it being part of a larger trek, such as a stop along the way to a destination. Should we jet toward Ten Sleep this year, it likely won’t be via a plane but rather involve an extended drive to and from Wyoming, which will surely find us sleeping in tents as we churn through the miles. The prospect of this drive makes me desire a vehicle more suitable for sleeping within. Nothing against car camping, but my preference would find me trekking away from the car with my supplies on my back, to escape people and get deeper into the thick of the vistas and away from roads and the like. Some friends haven’t been camping and this seemed like a reasonable way to share this sort of experience without complicating things. And, it’s not like car camping isn’t fun, for we had a great time passing time through enjoying nature while conversing. And, I appreciated the convenience of a cooler and even the sanctuary of a car when rain arrived, though the tent would have sufficed as well.
It is lovely to listen to the birds as you feel the air currents and smell the richness of earth and flora. Owls called, as did scarlet tanagers, orioles, towhees, among others. Squirrels and chipmunks performed their frantic dashes. Surely somewhere a snake or two slithered and hid, though our eyes never noticed any such animals. Gnats and mosquitos had their ways with us at times, but they never felt rampant or bothersome, simply served as transient nuisances, appearing and then dispersing.
People were likely the most prevalent. Nine sites, each save one was taken when we arrived. Fortunate, indeed. Along the first trail we hiked, we saw numerous people. People on people. Giant groups of backpackers in the form of boy scouts as well as family units made more robust by their friends. This location is popular; beautiful, accessible hikes not far from metropolitan areas, yet not as renowned as the big-name nearby national park draws.
A solid weekend. I miss the campground already. Being home is simply not the same as roaming. I look forward to the weekend ahead. Only three days of work and then escape shall arrive.