The day before I leave for the southern district of Shenandoah National Park to join my sister Laura for our annual sister's campout week, I made the decision to outfit a borrowed truck for the week while my own truck has been sitting idle at a repair facility with a thrown piston rod awaiting a new engine. It's been a very expensive summer so far. One I can hardly afford. But my son, a conservation photographer who is off on his own adventure north of the Arctic Circle, has gracioulsy let me borrow his Toyota Tundra so I can make this trip. Changes to how I do things. Changes to what I can take. But I am incredibly thankful.
 |
| Clearly not my truck |
With less that 24 hours before I go, I build a tent and gear deck for the Tundra then, as if on cue the mailman shows up with the new truck tent I ordered two days ago. Granville, a gear, truck, and tool company from Canada has supplied me before with very decent equipment - but only when I've been in Canada at a bricks and mortar store. (Looking at you PEI, NB, NS, ONT) This is the first time I've puchased a Granville product online while not in Canada. Affter some initial fooling around with assembling and positioning, the tent is set up and I decide this might work! The real test will be this week in the Appalachians with the daily storms and rain showers.
 |
| Trying on the new truck tent |
I went to the dealership to retrieve my gear so I could repack it to fit the new ride. A parts department person came out to ask me what I was doing and I told her about how my own truck is my "road home" and that I basically have to move everything to the Toyota to make this upcoming camping trip work. "You don't have much stuff. Do you take a bunch more from home?" I tell her no. I camp in my truck shell and everything I use to stay weeks on the road (besides food) fits in and under the built in bunk. She looks incredulous. "Geeze," she says. "We have a 40-foot RV and we still tow a utility trailer behind it because we have so much stuff." I can't even imagine.
 |
| Missing my ride |
When I built my F-150 out a few years ago, I remember deciding how much stuff I really wanted or needed for a comfortable two week to month long camping trip. It wasn't hard to scale everything down to four categories: kitchen/pantry, clothes, sleep system, gear. From there it was a bit like backpacking, considering essentials and what I wanted to provide for both Amos and I. But when it came time to reorganize and repack to fit my son's truck, I took another look and decided I could do with another round of slimming down. It wasn't hard, save for making room for the new truck tent.
 |
| Goodnight, Susquehanna |
After all was sorted and packed, Amos and I took one last stroll down to the river. This time tomorrow we'll be snug in the truck tent in Shenandoah National Park. On the river the rains, for now, have ended and a river-blue sky soothes retreating storm clouds into the twilight. It's been too long since I've had a break. Too long since I've taken a long hike or sat on a summit in awe of those ancient mountains. A lot has changed in a year's time. A lot of changes were made today. And, it's time to think about making some more changes in the months ahead. I've made a few serious commitments in the last year. And, I've unmade some, too. All in an ongoing attempt to lighten the load and experience the solace of a different trail.
