Recently, on a rare excursion from my office, my son, Eric, and I went backpacking in the Pisgah National Forest in the western end of North Carolina. From the Blue Ridge Parkway the area is resplendent in natural beauty. The rising moisture from the fertile valleys between the mountains gives the haze which contributes to the magic blueness of these ridges. In 5 days we climbed deep into these hills, their peaks, valleys, and ridges. I experienced the familiar and exciting euphoria which comes to the desk-bound upon reconnecting with nature.
Serious campers (my son is one) are a tidy lot. When they leave a camping spot it looks the same as when they arrived–except for a few bent blades of grass.
During our trek (each carrying a 45-pound pack including our photographic equipment), we saw only rare scraps of civilization. In 4 days we found 2 canned meat containers...
