Camping Trip!! in Cherokee National Forest

Just one word to describe the camping trip: Icantwaittogocampingagainbecausewehadhadalotoffun. After a quick stop at Academy Sports, we headed out for our destination. Originally, we had decided to go to Pidgeon Mountain to camp and visit Rocktown the next day for some epic bouldering, but the camoflauged cult of society had to ruin the weekend by closing down the park on Saturday and Sunday for huh'in (murdering animals); instead we ventured for the Cherokee National Forest!

The whole group!

We had a little trouble finding a good spot that wasn't a super "family-friendly" lot (who goes camping just to camp twenty feet away to another family that goes to bed early?) and ended up driving around for a good part of 35 minutes, trying to communicate our locations via the equivalent of AT&T cell phone service (yeah, I went there).

Finally, we had found Campsite #2: our home for the weekend. After we found the right combination for starting a fire (it was harder than it should have been) and setting up the tents, we got settled in next to the campfire. A little bit later, we had two more join the group, one of which being a puppy!

Hours upon hours seemed to pass by before we check the time; it happened to be around 8:30pm or something like that. Shwoopa doopa dee bop, we have the whole night ahead of us! Time to enjoy the stereotypes of canned food and s'mores and stories!

Most of us went to bed around 12am, some waking up a little later to join the remaining around the fire for another little while. It was a pretty cold night, having been forecast for around 31 degrees; we were lucky there was almost zero wind. I know my sleeping experience was "Ok, if I keep my head in the sleeping bag, my face won't be cold... ugh, it's stuffy in here now. Rise, my head... ahh, cool air on my face... GOOD LORD it's cold, back in........ man, it's stuffy..." Nevertheless, I seemed to get a pretty decent night's rest. Assuming everyone else did, we did pretty well.

We kind of just chilled around the campsite for a little while after we had gotten up, snacking around here and there, just enjoying being outside not working or worrying about school; a couple of leisure naps ensued. Some of us went around the area surrounding our site. We were next to a decent creek, yet also next to a gravel road, where we would get the occasional passing car, ALWAYS slowing down to look at us and then continue: a little weird. There was a huge camp site across the road from us with only two people on it. After they left, we checked it out, wishing we had gotten that one, but now we know it's there for next time!

Packed up and leaving the site, we lose a camper (he went home), but head for a nearby cave that we soon find out to have been barred up and closed (apparently, we humans give the bats some nasty disease). We lose two more campers on our way to search for Benton falls, and then one more when we reach the Ocoee Dam Diner (which has the best dam food, hehe).

Just five of us left, we head out for Benton Falls, located at Chilhowee. I'll let a few pictures describe the waterfall.  

Benton Falls

Laura and Taylor

Me and my little lady

Taylor and John

Me, Laura, and Jesse

There was a lot more water than last time I had been!

Taylor, John, and Laura

This picture turned out awesome!

John, you had to make that face, didn't you?

Can't wait until we all get to go again! Although we missed out on Rocktown this weekend, we're making up for it by going tomorrow for some climbing and caving! Loving life!