I am camping again for the 2nd time tonight. Tonight, I am in Sedona, AZ. I drove in very close to sunset. I am camping next to Oak Creek which runs through Sedona. The sound of the running water is very pleasant and soothing. The surrounding mountains are spectacular. I look at Sedona as a warm up to the Grand Canyon which I will experience in the next day or two. I saw the Grand Canyon once about 10 years ago, but, it was on a hurried group bus tour and a stop along the way to Lake Havasu with my parents and some of my dad’s college friends . The way I look at things is different now anyway.
Sedona is more beautiful than this 1st picture I took suggests
I’m already feeling like a professional at car camping. Tonight I had enough confidence to setup camp close to nightfall. (Last time I setup camp and cooked before sunset) I cooked in the dark. Organic pasta and tomato sauce this time. While I am confident, I have yet to deal with high winds, heavy rains, or snow yet - so there is much yet to master (Or suffer!). Also, I am only partially prepared for future multi-day wilderness backpacking - where weight and size are critical. In my equipment list (JOIN THE CIRCUS section) there is a list of my car camping equipment along with a sub-section on equipment substitutes for multi-day wilderness backpacking and notes on which car camping equipment I’ll use for multi-day backpacking.
Oak Creek and the mountains of Sedona near my campsite
My camping experience prior to this trip consists of 1 night backpacking up a mountain with a friend to see a meteor shower, and a total of no more than 10 nights car camping. The bulk of that coming from a geology course I took in college and a trip to Big Sur, CA with my friend Mick shortly after I quit my last job in August 2002. I remember now one of the lessons.
My friend Mick told me that he likes to bring a Duraflame to get a campfire started. This did not occur to me when I bought my firewood a little earlier from the Camp Host here. With the temperature dropping I am anxious to have a warm fire. Alas, with no Duraflame, lighter fluid, or other fire starter I’m going to bed without having a warm fire to comfort me, merely the food in my belly. Duh! Using just a push button lighter isn’t really that effective!
This attention to detail is crucial I feel to having a good experience. In my equipment list is a camp chair for inside the tent, which I have not bought yet (Tent chairs need to be at a lower height and smaller size of course, as opposed to outdoor chairs which I already have). Thus, I write this in my tent without a back support. It is really not that comfortable. I also don’t have my in-tent propane heater yet. While I am warm in my sleeping bag, the surrounding air temperature is dropping fast, making anything but cuddling up in my sleeping bag very unattractive. I thought I could get by happily without it.
Why do I mention these little stories? It is one thing to know about something (Like the need for a tent chair and heater), quite another to experience it. I now have the conviction that I absolutely need these items for a comfortable camping experience - in the cold anyway. It is also one thing to do something with the help of a friend, quite another to do it on your own (Campfire starting).
I know I’m not saying anything you probably don’t already know. But, that is exactly how our mind is tricked by our “modern” technology (Television, magazines, radio, web, books, etc...) telling us about events, things, etc.. We know about them, but for most, we have little to no conviction to act on the knowledge. And that is why I travel - to build conviction.
Next time - I will have a fire starter. When I get back to Washington, I will not delay in buying my tent heater and chair.
[1/20/2003 Morning note: At 5000+ feet near my campsite the morning temperature is unpleasant to say the least. (Probably in the 20s or low 30s) Everything is more difficult - from preparing food to rinsing off the plates, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, to just standing around trying to “wake up.” I could really use that in-tent heater. Into the car I go to warm up!]
Recent Attractions Visited
I’ve had a busy few days since my last report. I’ll write about some of these in detail later in my overall trip report. I visited the following:
In the Tucson Area -
Kitt’s Peak Observatory
Not just one observatory! Southern Arizona is known as the "Astronomy Capital of the US"
Nogales, AZ, and Nogales, Mexico
Titan Missle Museum - bone chilling. Everyone should visit this to really understand the power of man's weapons.
Biosphere 2 - Focused on studying the effects of rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. Quite the opposite feeling from viewing the Titan Missle
Casa Grande National Monument
Phoenix Suburban Area - Chandler, Mesa, Tempe (Arizona State University), Scottsdale - I was planning on 2 days in the area, I couldn't even last 1/2 a day - what a mess!
Arcosanti - I spent the night here. Too bad the tour didn’t offer too much insight into the architecture of the place. A bit disappointing.
Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma Fall National Monument - Fascinating!
[Note: I did indeed stop writing this journal entry due to it getting cold - I’ve finished it in the warmth and comfort of a friend’s home - 1/28/2003. I will date this and future journal entries based on when the bulk of them are written]
I’m already feeling like a professional at car camping. Tonight I had enough confidence to setup camp close to nightfall. (Last time I setup camp and cooked before sunset) I cooked in the dark. Organic pasta and tomato sauce this time. While I am confident, I have yet to deal with high winds, heavy rains, or snow yet - so there is much yet to master (Or suffer!). Also, I am only partially prepared for future multi-day wilderness backpacking - where weight and size are critical. In my equipment list (JOIN THE CIRCUS section) there is a list of my car camping equipment along with a sub-section on equipment substitutes for multi-day wilderness backpacking and notes on which car camping equipment I’ll use for multi-day backpacking.
My camping experience prior to this trip consists of 1 night backpacking up a mountain with a friend to see a meteor shower, and a total of no more than 10 nights car camping. The bulk of that coming from a geology course I took in college and a trip to Big Sur, CA with my friend Mick shortly after I quit my last job in August 2002. I remember now one of the lessons.
My friend Mick told me that he likes to bring a Duraflame to get a campfire started. This did not occur to me when I bought my firewood a little earlier from the Camp Host here. With the temperature dropping I am anxious to have a warm fire. Alas, with no Duraflame, lighter fluid, or other fire starter I’m going to bed without having a warm fire to comfort me, merely the food in my belly. Duh! Using just a push button lighter isn’t really that effective!
This attention to detail is crucial I feel to having a good experience. In my equipment list is a camp chair for inside the tent, which I have not bought yet (Tent chairs need to be at a lower height and smaller size of course, as opposed to outdoor chairs which I already have). Thus, I write this in my tent without a back support. It is really not that comfortable. I also don’t have my in-tent propane heater yet. While I am warm in my sleeping bag, the surrounding air temperature is dropping fast, making anything but cuddling up in my sleeping bag very unattractive. I thought I could get by happily without it.
Why do I mention these little stories? It is one thing to know about something (Like the need for a tent chair and heater), quite another to experience it. I now have the conviction that I absolutely need these items for a comfortable camping experience - in the cold anyway. It is also one thing to do something with the help of a friend, quite another to do it on your own (Campfire starting).
I know I’m not saying anything you probably don’t already know. But, that is exactly how our mind is tricked by our “modern” technology (Television, magazines, radio, web, books, etc...) telling us about events, things, etc.. We know about them, but for most, we have little to no conviction to act on the knowledge. And that is why I travel - to build conviction.
Next time - I will have a fire starter. When I get back to Washington, I will not delay in buying my tent heater and chair.
[1/20/2003 Morning note: At 5000+ feet near my campsite the morning temperature is unpleasant to say the least. (Probably in the 20s or low 30s) Everything is more difficult - from preparing food to rinsing off the plates, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, to just standing around trying to “wake up.” I could really use that in-tent heater. Into the car I go to warm up!]
Recent Attractions Visited
I’ve had a busy few days since my last report. I’ll write about some of these in detail later in my overall trip report. I visited the following:
In the Tucson Area -
Kitt’s Peak Observatory
Nogales, AZ, and Nogales, Mexico
Titan Missle Museum - bone chilling. Everyone should visit this to really understand the power of man's weapons.
Biosphere 2 - Focused on studying the effects of rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. Quite the opposite feeling from viewing the Titan Missle
Casa Grande National Monument
Phoenix Suburban Area - Chandler, Mesa, Tempe (Arizona State University), Scottsdale - I was planning on 2 days in the area, I couldn't even last 1/2 a day - what a mess!
Arcosanti - I spent the night here. Too bad the tour didn’t offer too much insight into the architecture of the place. A bit disappointing.
Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma Fall National Monument - Fascinating!
[Note: I did indeed stop writing this journal entry due to it getting cold - I’ve finished it in the warmth and comfort of a friend’s home - 1/28/2003. I will date this and future journal entries based on when the bulk of them are written]
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