[at-l] What got you into hiking and camping?

[askowronek@mindspring.com (Amy)]

KellyGoVols@aol.com wrote:

> Just curious, what got everyone started in your love of the outdoors and 
> such?  I got into it so much later in life, I'd just like to hear what got 
> everybody else interested in it.  Here's my story, it's long, so if you get 
> bored. There's that wonderful delete button on your keyboard!
> 


My mom loves the outdoors.  I don't know how old I was when we went on
our first camping trip.  It would have been to a campground, probably
in a trailer of some sort.

When I was five my folks piled us all in a station wagon and drove us
around the country, visiting national parks in the 48 states.  Got
my junior ranger badge in the Tetons that summer.  My little five year
old legs hiked unwilling miles in many national parks.  Eventually
my folks figured out I liked climbing but just couldn't put in the
miles like them and my nine year old brother, so they let me stay
behind for real hikes.. but found lots of opportunities to climb.
The whole trip was wonderful, and made a big impression on me.

Mom and Dad led Boy Scout and CampFire groups, so I camped quite a bit
all the way through high school.  Including formal lessons in "how to
backpack" which was nifty.  :)  As a three year old I was a Boy Scout
troop's mascot, which I thought was great fun.

In college I went on a group trip to Shenandoah with the physics club
and had a revelation:  I could camp without my parents!  Very shortly
thereafter I got the first backpack and sleeping bag which were mine
alone, and started going out regularly with friends from school.  After
college they all drifted away and I had to go solo.  Fun and 
educational, but kind of lonely, ya know?

And that's pretty much the story of my life, as it relates to camping.

-amy in md