Adventure Empires

I finally went on my first trip! My back is killing me today more than 24 hours later, but it was totally worth the trip. I learned a lot about what else I need, what I don't need, and how out of shape I am! We just did one night (Saturday) at Oak Mountain State Park here in Alabama about an 40 minutes South of Birmingham. When we arrived we went to the office to check in. We heard some guys talking about back country site #2 or #4 being the best - right by a stream, tucked away - so I blurted out, "We want 4!" and off we went. We decided to go the hard way: the white trail in, and then the yellow trail out. The white trail is almost all uphill going in from the North Trail-head where we started. Our first break was on the way up. I'm the one w/ the red face and the black glasses. lol. I was huffing and puffing up the hill w/ my probably over-weight pack. lol. We ventured on. On the way up the hill Kevin bends over and picks up the sole of a shoe that apparent...

Hi all. In 2010, I had the urge to do something different. I've always played music, loved motorcycles, video games, amongst other things - but I had never been much of an outdoorsman. My uncles had taken me hunting when I was younger, but it never caught on. I never saw hunting as a super-fun thing to do. I do like the outdoors though. I like gadgets. I like new challenges. For whatever reason, backpacking caught my radar. I started researching, and before I knew it I was hooked. There are so many different types of tents, pads, packs, clothing, lights, lamps...I could keep going for forever. (or you could just go to REI.com and see what I mean. It took a while to get enough gear to go, but I did it. The sense of accomplishment and adventure was so much more than expected. I expect more to come! The next blog you'll read entails our first adventure. Enjoy!