TC or TC? 5/13-5/15 2022

TC or TC, meaning Truck Camper or Tent Camping? Well for this trip the answer is yes. For my son Cody and I, it started in the truck camper and then moved to the tent camping. For Joanne it stayed as a truck camping outing.

Our outing was to Bead Lake in Eastern Washington. We would arrive on Friday and camp at the trailhead parking area. Our Scout Troop would arrive Saturday morning and then Cody and I would hike with the Scouts to camp along the lake.

My pack was ready before the trip. I had my lightweight tent, sleeping bag, chair, an extra rainfly, water filter, clothes and food. In the end my bag weight about 23 lbs. Pretty darn good was my thought.

The Friday night was a relaxing night at the trailhead. There was one person there car camping. She was with WTA, Washington Trail Association. She let us know that there was going to be a trail work crew arriving the next day. The bummer part was that they also would be camping in the spot we hoped to get 5 miles hike away. That crew would arrive before the Scouts would arrive. Oh well, the Scouts would have to adjust the plans. Part of the game when it comes to first served camping spots.

Saturday morning, we lazed around at camp waiting for the Scouts to arrive. Joanne and I walked down the trail a short distance to try and find a geocache. That was not found by us, either missing or we overlooked it. We then walked back to camp and soon the WTA volunteers arrived to start their project. We listened to the briefing they got before they headed off to do trail work. They knew our Scout group would be on the trail and they went over that as well.

Eventually the Scouts showed up and soon we were on the trail, with Joanne and the dogs left back at the camper to enjoy her solitude for a day and night.

Knowing that the last camp spot would be taken there is a choice of 3 other official camp spots. A couple that are too close for our goal of hiking with an overnight pack. Not challenging enough. There is one fairly big hill to hike over on the trail and the goal was to hike over the hill then find a spot for the night.

We eventually passed some of the trail work the crew had done and soon caught up to where part of the crew was working. Where they were was at the 2.39-mile hike in and also where we decided to head down from the trail to the third official camp spot. The spot would be a good one with great access to the lake shore, enough trees for hammocks and enough flat spots for tents. Home for the night it was.

I got my tent set up and the extra rainfly over the tent hung. My home for the night was ready. Everyone else also got their homes for the night ready.

We gathered up firewood for the night. And soon had a nice warm fire going. Most of the Scouts and adults decided to do a hike without packs down the trail farther. I stayed at camp along with another adult and 3 Scouts, including my son Cody.

The night was filled with Scouts doing Scout things and relaxing by the fire. Soon it was time for me to head to bed and call it a night.

The next morning, I got up early as usual and had my coffee drink while sitting in my chair looking out at the lake. It was a nice peaceful morning.

After breakfast, packing camp up and a trash sweep it was time to hit the trail again and go back to the trailhead. Back up the hill, uphill both ways you know and soon we got back.

After discussing our campout pros and cons the Scouts departed. Soon after that we had our stuff at the camper packed up and left as well.

No, tenting is not something I like to do all the time but some places you cannot get our camper to. Maybe it just makes me even more grateful for the comfort of our camper though. TC…for the most part it does mean truck camper but sometimes it means tent camping.