Solo Camping at Inks Lake State Park in November, 2018

 Last week I returned from a two night solo camping trip with my dog.

This may appear to be a blog about a solo camping trip. And it is that as well. But mostly, it is a blog about life: solo, female, single, child-free, middle-aged life. A new kind of life form, that this planet may have never seen before.

So, although it appears on the surface to be just a simple two night camping trip, it is actually a study in leading edge existence, in my very humble opinion. The motivation for this is simply to create, because I have become very stuck lately (mid-life crisis?) and I don’t know what to do besides create something in order to examine and to know myself. And writing has always come the most naturally for me to do that. When I was young and had barely learned how to write, I would sit amidst the family Sunday lunch chaos and write little stories in my notebooks. I read Lonesome Dove and Gone With The Wind and The Shell Seekers as an 11 year old. I would use a flashlight in my closet after lights out to read more. Words and stories have always been my beacon, as well as animals, and so now, in the 40th year of life, I return to words and stories, for no other reason than I know they can, as they always have, keep me afloat.

And also because, as Socrates said at his trial for corrupting youth and impiety, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I cannot agree more. And he said that in 399 BC. Did we hear him? I don’t know. I can’t be the judge of others, but I can make an effort to do what I think examining life is. So here is my attempt to examine life through a solo camping trip and a written account of it.

I went to Inks Lake, near Burnet, Texas. I had been trying to go for six weeks, but it was always raining or freezing and I kept rescheduling. I wasted probably $50 in rescheduling fees and for not actually rescheduling in time the last time and having to re-book entirely.

I watched videos on how to: set up a tent, wash a tent, start a campfire, cook on a fire, and hang a hammock. I had to order a fly pole (pole that holds the top layer of the tent to either side to keep rain and sun offf) off the internet, after going to REI and learning that was the only way to get one (and also buying what I thought I needed on Amazon, but turned out to be a MASSIVE pole about 10 feet long and half inch diameter). I bought a small cooler, sleeping bag, air mattress, air mattress pump, fire starter, and head lamp. I really wanted a knife, but they were too expensive.

I had bought all the food I’d need before I left. I had bought a cute teal colored cooler and it was perfect sized for the food. I had too much, as originally I was going to go for three nights. I had a huge steak I was planning to cut and eat a third of each night. And I had 2 brats, some bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese inside, 6 shrimp, and veggies. I had salami for sandwiches for lunch. A bottle of wine, which I would mix with apple cider and cinnamon sticks and heat, and some whiskey.

I had my ex’s old tent he gave me, so I wanted to wash it, as it is literally 7 years old. I got special tech wash stuff off Amazon and washed it in the bathtub. It was laborious, and I almost regretted having a clean freak gene.

I left Austin about 2pm after walking client dogs. It was a 1.5 hour drive out 71 then north to the lake. I passed through the town of Marble Falls. It got pretty Texan looking — which was awesome. I remember seeing a cowboy-hatted man next to his pickup truck checking his mail at the end of his long rural driveway.

I arrived at Inks Lake, checked in at the ranger station, and went up to the site. It was not the best site by a long shot, but it was hard to tell from the website photos how good the sites were, and I was so tired of rescheduling I just picked one of the ones I felt happy about and booked it. The fire pit was centrally located, which is what I had wanted.

It turned out to be a really lovely campground — bathrooms and showers were amazing, there was a campground store stocked with anything you may have forgotten, and there were firewood dispensers all over the park. I didn’t know this (bad research), so stopped at Home Depot for firewood and a store just outside the grounds for ice. I’m sure both were cheaper doing so. In fact, I know the firewood was about $2 cheaper a bundle.

I got out the folding chair and had a beer before I set up the tent. The tent was easy to set up, and I was using a shower curtain as a footprint, as the tent had lost it’s footprint. (I actually don’t know why my ex even “gave” me this tent instead of telling me that it really wasn’t any good anymore. There were little duct taped spots here and there on it and it was missing two kind of important things). When I saw that footprints were about $35 I decided to research what to use instead. And that’s where I found the shower curtain idea. I also learned that the purpose of footprints are to keep the water on the ground away from the tent bottom. As well as simply protect the bottom of the tent. Some people put the footprint inside their tent, as a fully dry layer to have.

I didn’t lay the shower curtain out very well, and didn’t cut it to shape as planned (make sure it doesn’t extend past the tent floor because then the rain will just fall on it and slide right between the tent and the footprint, defeating the purpose of the footprint) but it wasn’t forecast to rain anyway, so I wasn’t that concerned.

Within about an hour I got in trouble for having alcohol visible on my table. (This country is a little overly paranoid about alcohol). Not really in trouble, just very nicely asked to cover it up.

I didn’t get the hammock up. I tried. It was fun practicing the knots I had learned. I didn’t have the right ropes or caribiners. I plan on buying those for next time!

Then it was time to unpack, start the fire, and cook. I did the Jenga style thing with the firewood logs, and it took a while to light, but it caught. I threw the shrimp on first. I didn’t know how long they were supposed to cook, but they tasted great when I took them off! Then I did a sausage and some dates and peppers. I spent the evening drinking mulled wine and listening to music.

It wasn’t cold at all, just chilly. I had my headlamp on, and had a great lantern on the table. I expected some raccoons, but nothing! I didn’t see one the whole two days.

I made s’mores. I basically went camping so I could eat s’mores, really. So good.

Then I put the cooler and food in the car, hung trash up on the pole, brushed teeth, climbed in the tent. My dog was totally confused and generally ungrateful for the beautiful outdoor experience I was providing him. I had brought his bed and he hunkered down, occasionally growling at something he heard, which was totally unsettling of him and I didn’t appreciate it one bit! I woke up a few times, mostly because of coyote howling, which was freaky and fascinating. It was definitely a bit nerve-wracking sleeping alone in a tent in a state park. It was pitch black and super quiet. So I was grateful for morning!

In the morning I took a shower. The showers were so nice for campground showers. No bugs, clean, warm water. Then I went to the campground store in hopes they would have coffee. I didn’t bring any, as I didn’t want to start a morning fire, to save firewood. And they did! I was really grateful, because it had been exhausting doing all that yesterday! Definitely deserved that coffee.

We then walked on the shore of the lake for a while, then went back to the site and got ready for a hike. We did a great little hike and then I made a sandwich, read my book, took a nap, and sat by the lake in the sun. Then it was time for another hike at the other end of the park. It was beautiful, weather was great, and we saw only 5 people. Then we went back to the site and started a fire and I got to cooking. I got the fire started much faster this time. I think because I was using the rest of my fire starter. I had read online that dryer lint makes for a good fire starter, so I’d been collecting it. And it did!

The next morning I attempted to start a fire and cook some of the last of the meat so I could take it home cooked and not on ice. But I had run out of starter and only had two big logs. So it took forever to catch and even then it was such a sad little fire. I did manage to get the rest of the steak fairly cooked and the sausage I was cooking fell into the ashes. I had to be out by noon, and taking the tent down and packing up the car took a bit of time. I finally shoved everything in there and we hit the road home. I stopped for coffee in Marble Falls. Both of us were a complete mess. Paz (dog) kept lying on the ground instead of the beds I had brought, so he was covered in burrs constantly and smelled like smoke. And my hair smelled like smoke, of course. As well as my clothes. And the car was a total mess too.

I wanted to take a scenic route home, and Google Maps helped me get lost to do so. We went on a gravel road for about 5 miles and passed a lot of big ranches. It was true Texas.

When I got home I unpacked, started laundry, showered, washed the dog, and then took the car for a wash.

Mission accomplished!! I am proud of myself and looking forward to doing it again.

A solo camping trip, an examined life. And also a hope that my experience and account can bring something helpful to someone’s life.