Backpack Camping at Afton

Backpack Camping at Afton State Park

I used Picasa Web albums to upload some of my photos from my trip to Afton State Park. It was a great trip, and I learned a lot about backpacking. On my previous backpacking trips, my dad did most of the hard work of planning, packing, and cooking. I want to travel and explore many remote parts of the U.S. and the world, and so I need to learn how to be efficient at these things. Thanks to my employee discount, I at least had much better gear this time, so that made it a more comfortable and simple trip. Kelty tents, bags, and packs are all quite good. Kelty products have a great attention to detail that makes them easy and enjoyable to use. I learned the most about cooking on this trip. I didn't plan or prepare too well for that aspect, although I did manage to make some memorable and tasty meals. I had to improvise a bit as is common in my recipes, an example of which you can see here.



It was an interesting trip, because I bookended it with a ride at Afton Alps Friday afternoon and a race there Sunday afternoon. That race was also a learning experience for me. I ended up taking a DNF along with 30% of the rest of the comp class. The heat was pretty brutal, and I made some major mistakes with nutrition and fuel for my body before the race that forced me to drop out after my first lap. I have done things well in that regard pretty much every time before, except for one time when I didn't have enough food or water for a really long race. This time I had too much food and salt, which led to me taking in too much water since my electrolyte levels were so out of whack. I'm looking forward to an even better trip next year. While my solo trip this time was definitely fun and relaxing, I'm hoping that I will have a friend with whom I can share the trip by then.