Glamping

According to Urban Dicitionary the definition of Glamping is

2.	Glamping
	Going camping, but with glamour. A combination of the two words. It's like regular camping , but with nicer things than usual, being warmer, and more comfortable. Glamping isn't done by usual outdoor types who climb mountains.

In a lot of ways us “usual outdoor types” consider all of the camping we do at Stonewater Ranch.  You get to sleep in a Weatherport (vinyl tent with plywood floor), you have multiple stove burners that you don’t have to sit on the ground to use,and  you have toilets that don’t require a shovel .  It is car camping at it’s finest. But you know what as much as I love “usual outdoor type camping” when we are hosting a group of 100 people including guides I am thankful that we have multiple burners and a screened in Kitchen shelter because while great things happen in the backcountry. Great things also happen glamping. As a guide we don’t have to spend as much time focusing on keeping students warm at night, filtering water with a hand pump and teaching them how to use a trowel in the woods. Instead we get to spend our time in intentional conversations with students that can go beyond how warm their feet are and how long since they have used the facilitrees.  I love both sides of guiding. A different kind of relationship is formed with someone when you have to teach them how to poop in the woods and they see you as someone that is going to help them “survive.”  Both are good and have their purposes so I’m going to enjoy when I get to use a port a potty and not have to keep my eye out for someone finding my spot while I am in vulnerable position but then there is something exhilarating about getting out in the wilds and seeing a student’s face as they realize they can’t hear any road noise and they are surrounded by mountains, it is pretty special!

We even have a picnic table!

Hanging the Bear Bag

Hello!

I am still developing where this blog is going to go. I have a couple thoughts. The title is still a work in progress but as one of my friends put it when you are out finding a bear bag tree and hanging a bear bag a lot of things go through your head. I don’t know if you have ever hung a bear bag before but in the North Cascades it is not the easiest task.  The branches aren’t long enough or strong enough.  I do a lot of my backpacking institutionally so when you are in a large group you have a LOT of food that you have to carry. Thus a lot of food that you have to hang, it can be quite the process after a long day. Even on personal trips bear bagging is always an adventure.