Camping and Math

Looking at the approximate location of our site from Conservation Island. 

Sam, Caroline, and I made our third visit to Promised Land State Park this weekend. For Sherry it was her second . . . maybe. She has memory of being there as a kid. For the whole group, it was the second trip.

I'm on the fence as to whether or not I prefer Promised Land to Hickory Run. The walks at Hickory Run are simply more stunning. That being said, we found a decent new trail at Promised Land and got out for a walk on it. We also had the chance to stroll through Conservation Island near sunset.

The group travels along Whittaker Trail. 

The forest along Whittaker Trail. 

Conservation Island

Mike knew of a spot worth checking out off the Park's property. Actually, it's land that belongs to Skytop Lodge but I got the sense that the lodge didn't care too much if free-riders availed themselves of the trail. There were some pretty stunning sites along it as the paths meandered along and down into a ravine cut by a waterfall.

Lower Falls.

That's a really bad selfie but a really close deer. 

A shelf near the lower fall. 

Using ropes to climb down the trail along Skytop's property. 

I've now been out and camping more than a dozen times and still love it. It seems, though, as if now two nights isn't enough. Two nights really gives you one day. I think three would be more appropriate. I know I could use a full two days at a site like Promised Land.

View along lake near our campsite. 

View along lake near our campsite. 

Some of the terrain near our campsite. 

Also, I'm learning that a four-person tent is really a three-person tent and I seized on a Prime Day offer to get a six-person tent, which should be adequate for a family of four. It seems as if the tents over promise by a 5-to-4 factor when they advertise their tents.

Our 3.2-person tent. 

The math still doesn't add up for a camper, at least not yet. The camper, though, might have to be the eventual mid-life crisis purchase for me. One of the other parents wondered if we should have a nameplate for our campsites and my response was that one didn't earn the right to a nameplate until one had a camper. Maybe I'm wrong.

Still, the thought of spending a whole week with a camper at a site like Promised Land is intriguing, and doable in another decade or so.