A Weekend with Giants

We left at 7am on Friday.

2 cars packed with people I love

and camping gear

and snacks

and a book I never cracked.

Off to Sequoia where I had never been,

where my cell phone was worthless,

and died an hour in so I don't have pictures.

Where you have to put all of your food and smell good stuff

in a metal locker.

Because there are bears.

I drove up and Paul only reprimanded me once for my revving.

We made it in 5 and half hours and it was beautiful

and we set up camp 

and stopped by a lodge to call the other car

and pick up some wood.

"Have you seen any bears lately?"

I asked this partially expecting the kid behind the counter

to say no.

"Nope, not here. *pause* But they've been around Stony Creek."

(aka our campsite)

"What'd they do?"

As I nervously smiled and glanced over at Paul

who thought this was hilarious.

"Oh rip up a tent and mess with someone's trailer."

The kid was being very nonchalant.

"Yeah *nervous laugh...sigh...nervous laugh* but no one was in it right?"

"Oh no...the guy was in it.  Turned out he'd been BBQing all night

and went to bed in his clothes."

Needless to say

 I OCD'd all weekend about food smells

and food out 

and scrubbing Lucas down 

with unscented baby wipes.

I may or may not have choked 

on my beating heart Friday night

waking Paul in tears 

because I was convinced

every pine needle falling from every tree

and every twig snapping

was a black bear coming to eat us.

Saturday the two of us woke before dawn

and headed for a spot called "Lost Grove".

We moved Lucas to Paul's mom's tent

and took his uncle along with us.

We drove in the dark to an unmarked spot,

walked down a dark, sparse trail

to quiet peace of heaven amongst the 

trees and moss and woodpeckers.

I went for a walk and Paul took pictures.

We came back and made bacon and pancakes

and my coffee had grounds in it but I didn't care.

We spent the day,

7 of us in one car,

walking and climbing

and laughing

loving the weather

which was a stifling 73 degrees.

Apparently Los Angeles nearly died in the sweltering heat while we were gone.

We came home and made bacon wrapped hot dogs

and I secretly wondered if the bacon smell would attract the bears

and then we had s'mores and I drank hot tea

and for the second night in a row

Paul read Sherlock Holmes to Lucas and I

until we fell asleep.

On the last day we made breakfast and broke camp

and the other car left for home

and Paul and I drove for 7 hours through Kings Canyon.

It was beautiful and peaceful

and I don't know how and when we got so good together

but 

we are so good together.

We made it home Sunday night and unpacked

and washed dishes

and made a replacement list for the supplies.

We took hot showers

and my hair still kind of smelled like smoke

and we went to bed

and I didn't have to be afraid of bears.

We retire the camping gear until spring.

Sad face times infinity.