Survivor: Jones Gap

We are alive. My back might argue with that statement, but regardless of how it feels right now . . . it is alive, too.

Greg and I had a fantastic time backpacking and camping through Jones Gap State Park in South Carolina, for our Labor Day weekend. We hiked through that park in 2005 (a few months before we were engaged) and noticed designated camping spots along the trail. We thought it would be fun to go back and camp there one day . . . so we did! Greg went backpacking with a few guys in the spring and really enjoyed it, so he started planning this trip for us soon after. This was my first time backpacking (though I've been camping - what Greg calls "car camping" - many times before and really enjoyed it) and I really didn't know what to expect. I had to deal with some fears before we left, but God was very kind to not have me walk through any of them in real life.

We started out Saturday morning and hiked about 5.5 miles that day. Jones Gap is a gorgeous park with rivers and streams running through it and several waterfalls. (It's a great place to day hike!!) Besides the 25-30 lbs. we were carrying on our backs, it was a fun hike. That evening we set up camp and cooked our freeze dried lasagna and had fun playing cards until dusk. I wasn't prepared for owls making more noises than the generic "Who-who" and it took me about 3 hours to fall asleep as I tried to figure out what was going on outside of the tent. I must have woken Greg up a dozen times to ask him if we were safe. I finally fell asleep as I quoted 2 Tim 1:7 (God has not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self control). That was a verse Mom would have me quote often when I was little and afraid of, well, everything.

The next morning Greg gave me the option of going home early because of the night before, he didn't want to put me in a situation that I wouldn't be comfortable or feel safe. We decided to finish out the trip as planned and for me to bring my iPod next time to drown out the noises =) It was great to have an opportunity to really have to trust Greg (and the Lord) that we were safe . . . I'm not stretched in that very often in suburban America.

Our campsite was in a perfect location in a grove of trees for shade and near a stream for water. One afternoon Greg went hunting for crawfish and caught 4 of them which he actually cooked up for part of his dinner!

We had a wonderful rest of the hike and saw many beautiful things. After the high temps we've had in Charlotte, seeing GREEN everywhere was such welcome change! And it was amazing to think of all the "necessities" that we did without all weekend. I'm looking forward to our next backpacking trip together that we're planning for the spring!