C is for Camping

As newlyweds in Louisiana back in the Dark Ages, Steve and I thought backpacking meant driving up to the Ozarks, lugging the cooler a few hundred yards from the car and setting up a plastic rain fly.

We had fun, but the mosquitoes ate us alive.

Gradually we acquired outdoor sophistication and some basic equipment, and we expanded our horizons to the West.

Here's a backcountry campsite from a few summers ago in the Uinta Wilderness Area.

Here's one in a remote area of Grand Canyon National Park:

As we get older, we prefer to go by horse.

This was our "travel trailer" for years -- all the comforts of home, and even a friendly companion.

When we spend the night out on the trail with the horses, they carry the packs and brave the cold streams.

In return, I've been known to bundle them up in space blankets for the sub-freezing high altitude summer nights.
By foot, horse, or trailer, it's fun to get out and experience the paths less traveled.

For more C words from ABC Wednesday, click here.