Camping stories

I know there is alot of people that read the camping forum posts, and never post anything themselves. That's ok. But I love camping stories as much as anyone, and it's the closest thing I am going to get for a couple more months. Besides they haven't kicked my long winded story telling hind off yet, so here's another story. Oh and by the way these stories are true I may add a little here and there.

My brother and I decided to take my old bass boat and all our camping stuff, and leave the vehicle behind. We wanted to camp toward the upper end of the lake away from people and better fishing. So we piled all our camping equipment on my 18 foot boat, we had to literally climb over the mtn of stuff we had which included tent, cook stoves, camp chairs, table, cots, sleeping bags, clothes, coolers, and a huge truck bed tote. I'd hate to think what people thought that saw us.

It took maybe 200 yards at full throttle to get that heavily loaded boat on plane and leveled out so I could comfortably see over the mound of .........."survival equipment". We ran up lake several miles and started searching the shore line for possible camping areas. The Cherokee national park bordered the lake in most of this area, so we didn't have to worry about trespassing onto private property. We spotted a good looking cove and went in to check it out. There was a great spot with an excellent beaching area for the boat.

We got out and picked up other people's beer cans and bottles and other garbage. I don't understand why they can't carry their alcohol containers out with em, they should weigh less when empty. We always take a couple of garbage bags with us for stuff like this.

We located a great spot for the tent and proceeded to unload the boat to get to the tent at the bottom of our pile. We spent maybe half an hour setting the tent up, and when we needed to drive the stakes in, I remembered the hatchet was still in the boat, so as turned and headed toward the boat it was gone. I hollard for my brother, "what you mean gone? Didn't you tie it up? He asked. "Well the rope was under all that stuff. I thought I beached it good enough?" We waded out a little so we could see around a point, and sure enough it was about 100 yards down the bank maybe 3 feet out and drifting away. We took off running through the woods and underbrush. It finally occurred to me that we were both running with shorts and sandals on through poison ivy, poison oak and maybe over some slithery friends that would rather not be disturbed. I finally got even with the boat and ran through a briar thicket and jumped down a 6 foot enbankment to the center of the boat.

Not a great story but one to laugh about when we go camping. We always secure our water craft now with a sure knot and tie off.

We tent camped through a tornado on the 3rd night of that same trip. I'll bore you another time with that.

 

Fabulous story - and it reminded me of a similar experience that me and a buddy had.

The area we were camping/canoeing was very familiar and we enjoyed the semi isolation in that there were few people in the area.

It was really hot on this particular day - one of those blistering days that beckoned one to stay in the cool of the water. So we thought we would paddle out to the middle of Guant's Bay. In the middle of the bay there is a natural rock formation that you could get out and walk on. On the other side there was a significant drop into deeper water. So...we lashed the canoe to a rock and dived in. After a few minutes swimming around Stewart says to me, "Man...we swam quite a distance, look where the canoe is." I stared in disbelief and we both said together, "It's come loose!"

There it was bobbing along on its own headed for the far side of the Bay - with our swimming trunks securely hanging over the yoke.

"Great," I said, "How are we going to handle this?" Two nude guys in the middle of the Bay with no trunks and no canoe. You can stop laughing now!

We could hear a motor boat coming our way so we jumped into the deep side of the rock. We couldn't believe our ears as we had not seen a soul for the whole time that we had been there. As the craft came closer we could see this absolutely gorgeous creature steering right for us. (No exaggeration.)

"Did you boys loose something?" she said, without cracking a smile. Stewart ,treading water, says in a nonchalant voice, "Why yes, I think we have."

She graciously pulls the canoe by the painter and it jets over the rock formation. As she turned her craft the opposite direction she said, "Better get it while you can!" and off she roars back to where she ever came from.

When we got back to camp and we laughed and laughed as no doubt she did when she shared the experience with her friends.

Good start @killeroy154 - we hope other Babblers will share your experience - don't be bashful.

Baden Bear says, "It wouldn't be the first time Norther Dancer was caught bare."

 

Love it! This poem is for you.
To embarrassed to ask for a lift, when you are nude and your canoe is adrift, so next time beware when you are bare.

 

Thank you - I'll remember that.