The kids complained and cried pretty much the whole way. There were a couple of paths to walk on, here and there, but mostly we were trekking through tall brush, almost as tall as Justin. So it was a bit hard going, down the first hill, through the woods and across the creek, then up the second hill. Already on the second hill we couldn’t look back and see the van, due to the trees, so it was like we had stepped right into Middle Earth. The funny thing was that small herds of cows wander the hills and forest of this state park. As a result we kept encountering them, and their large discs of poop were everywhere. The cows would stare at us, and when we got close they’d turn and run. Their presence, though, comforted me, for it meant that likely there wasn’t a problem with mountain lions and bears, or the ranchers wouldn’t let them just wander everywhere like that. At least I think so.
At the top of the second hill we stopped for lunch. Everyone was hungry. We had only trekked for about 10-15 minutes, but like I said, the going was rough, and it had been a long time since breakfast. Our packs were heavy with water and food. The kids had to carry their bedrolls and large heavy cloaks and a water skin. Sean and I had all the rest—the food, several extra water skins, the cooking utensils, the tarps & ropes, first aid kit, and emergency extras such as winter hats, flashlight, etc. Sean and I both had our new daggers (I had bought them for us), and he was also carrying his pirate sword.
Sean was right and the straps of my denim backpack did dig into my shoulders, so I cushioned it with my cloak.
We had a short lunch of cheddar cheese, boiled eggs and apples. Rain clouds were quickly piling in the sky, so Sean got us going. He had spotted a flat wooded area two hills away, and we decided to aim for that. But we had to get there and get our shelter put up before the rain came. We had read about the dangers of hypothermia before coming, and were well aware of the need for all of us to stay dry.
Evan in Middle Earth