It has been decades since I’ve last been camping, and truth be told, I don’t know that I’ve ever been tent camping. The only camping trips I ever remember taking have been in a camper or trailer, and I was a little dude so I didn’t even really have to make the plans. I just kind of… tagged along.
Hopefully that changes in a few short weeks.
Alan has been chomping at the bit to get a camping trip in sooner rather than later. I’m in the same boat, I just HAVE to get out and spend an entire weekend outdoors and getting in my element. Having no camping equipment, this will be a perfect test to figure out what I TRULY need in order to successfully camp once I graduate to solo trips.
Alan wants to stay close for our first outing. Seems reasonable, if anything goes awry, it would be rough having a long drive ahead of us to escape. In doing the insane amount of research that both he and I are prone to do, we felt the Jemez Mountains would be our best bet.
In looking at the USDA Forest Service website, it seems the campgrounds in that area don’t open until mid-May. Of the five campgrounds in the Jemez, three require reservations, and every weekend though the summer is already booked up so it looks like we’re going to be aiming for a First Come, First Served campground.
While out on our weekend outing on the tram, Alan and I started fleshing out plans for the camping trip we really wanted to take in 2020 (thanks, COVID). We are close to cementing the weekend of May 14-16 for our inaugural trip. Shortly after we parted ways and returned to our respective homes, I got an invite to an extensive Google Sheets spreadsheet with all of the minutiae spelled out, from when and where we’re going to every last possible thing we’ll need while out on our trip. A man after my own heart with the obscene amount of research and planning he does for this kind of stuff.
I’m very excited for this camping trip. It’s really going to solidify my need for exploration and adventure. I’m also excited to share my journey with you.
As always, thanks for stopping by! I appreciate you!
-Phil