Field Report: Tales of a Novice Camper
Guest Blogger
Shalonda Anderson
Oakland, California
I actually went camping once when I was in the 4th grade -- it was one of the best and worst experiences of my life. My class won a trip to Malakoff Diggins to live like miners of the Gold Rush. I recall my excitement to camp outside, make food from scratch, and mine for gold. Daytime was fantastic, but this sheltered city kid didn't count on the dark nights and the bugs! At night I was afraid for my life and was kicked out of every tent in the campsite for my hysterics. And because of that experience, I decided camping was not for me.
But after hearing about the good experiences of others recently, I decided to give camping another try as an adult. A friend of my family hosts an annual camping trip at Lake Don Pedro in California, so I decided to come along, and knew this trip would decide the fate of my camping future! However, I vowed it would not be like last time. Luckily, I was going with experienced campers, and I told myself to get used to the idea that I would see some bugs!
The lake was simply breathtaking. And our campsite was nice, clean, and inviting. Our set-up crew consisted of my husband, best friend, nephew and God son. We let the boys put up the tents. It was their first time and we were pleasantly surprised by the excellent job they did…but camping did give us a few challenges. Our first night we realized we forgot our Tiki torches. We had just a few citronella candles, which did little to light our site and deter the bugs that get fierce at night!
Another moment of discomfort came when a fellow seasoned camper warned us not to turn over any rocks or step in any holes.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because of rattle snakes,” he calmly stated.
"Excuse me?!" I screamed. "Are there really snakes here?"
“Yes,” he said. I turned to my husband shrieking "You didn't tell me I'd have to deal with snakes!"
"I didn't want to you to be afraid," he shrugged.
Right then, I wanted to pack up my family and run like hell! But I quickly calmed down, and resolved to be extra careful.
On a brighter note, the showers and restrooms were very clean and close by, which was a plus. And without the torches, we noticed how absolutely beautiful the night sky was. We could see stars for miles, although it was still a challenge to keep our millennium children entertained without TV and video games. The constant question from them was, "Now what?" But we assured them we would go swimming the next day and they settled for the night in anticipation.
The next morning we got up early, cooked breakfast, and set off on the day’s journey. We enjoyed a day full of swimming and boating in Lake Don Pedro in 103 degree weather. The children did back flips off of the boat into the cool lake, which was a big hit. Our day ended with a delicious BBQ and sound sleep. We rose early the next morning, packed up and headed back home.
Overall, did I enjoy camping this time? Absolutely. Will I ever camp again? Yes I would. It was a great experience and a fun way to bond with my family -- and my husband and I have decided to make this a tradition for our family for years to come.
Can Scouting Dissolve Barriers to the Outdoors?
Scouting organizations are a solution for families who may not know how to begin to engage with the outdoors. These historic organizations provide the infrastructure, knowledge, and the equipment that takes the guesswork out of outdoor exploration.
Even though my own parents were “country folk”, they were not campers. It was my experience with the Girl Scouts as a kid and later with Outward Bound as an adult that expanded my joy, technical savvy, and ecological perspective about the outdoors that I am now able to pass on to my kids. Even though the scouts have had some negative press in recent years, our troop experience has been nothing short of amazing and relevant for the growth and development of my son Seth, and I have been welcomed as a parent volunteer.
I just got Seth and three of his fellow Troop 24 members off to Wolfeboro this week, a Boy Scout camp located near Yosemite. His troop has had a tradition of visiting the site each year since the 1920's. While driving up through the forest, I remembered fondly my own trips with the Scouts as a girl, recalling the whispered secrets and giggles that went on through the night under the stars, and the adventure of hiking and singing along lush mountain trails. Those experiences were a foundation for the passion I have for the outdoors today. For my 12 year old son, this is his first extended “roughing it” trip without me, where he will not only be sleeping on the ground, but also managing the responsibility for meal preparation and chores with his fellow troop members. He is getting a big dose of the natural world, while also learning about self sufficiency and peer group leadership -- lessons for a lifetime.
Contact your local scouting organization to learn more:
Girl Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
Spiral Scouts
Outdoor Afro Talk Tuesdays -The Buffalo Soldier and Yosemite
Today's fabulous show featured African American Park Ranger Shelton Johnson.
Photographer Captures African-American Connections to the Natural World - Dudley Edmondson
Dudley Edmondson, Outdoor Afro guest blogger, photographer, and author of Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places, goes on in this second part to share how he came to photograph African Americans in the outdoors.
Read Part 1
In the four-year process of doing Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places, I have met some pretty cool people who understand what I am talking about. It has clearly changed the direction of my photographic work. I find myself not just interested in the plants and animals that live on the land but the people who sometimes share those environments with them.
People like Steven Shobe and Elliott Boston, two World Class climbers and mountaineers. These two men have climb on nearly every continent on earth in places like Russia, France, Germany and the continents of South America and Africa. They’ve seen a lot of places, a lot of people, and a lot of the natural world. I became interested in their stories after finding Elliott and getting him to agree to be featured in my book.
I was fascinated by mountains and mountaineers after reading Jon Krakauer’s “Into thin Air” and people who risk their lives climbing them intrigued me. In order to photograph climbers I learned you also have to climb as well. That did not sit well with me at first and still bothers me a bit. I wanted to watch them do what they do but not do it myself. Needless to say hanging out with these two I have now climbed in the Ozark Mountains, climbed halfway up Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and ice climbed in Ouray, Colorado. It is something I don’t think I will ever get use to but would jump at the chance to work with Steven and Elliott wherever they find themselves in the world. Working in the open voids of mountain gorges, ravines and peaks does give you a view of the world most people will never see and I am glad I have had the experience and as long as Steven and Elliott are there it will be memorable.
I believe focusing my lens on people like Steven and Elliott will help paint a more complete picture of what African Americans and other people of color are doing. It shows the world that there is diversity among ethnically diverse people and we are capable of so much more than the narrow scoped, negative images the media shows us. I believe in this so much that I have staked my photographic future on it and I very comfortable with that.
Photo: Dudley Edmondson on the shores of Lake Superior near Silver Bay, MN by Nancy Latour-Edmondson
5 Easy Outdoor Stress Relievers
Life is sometimes stressful. And taking time out for yourself to rejuvenate is sometims not easy. If you're like me, responsible for the care of loved ones (I have three such loved ones), or have an intense work schedule, the notion of taking a rejuvenating break can seem as likely as finding a $100 bill on a Manhattan sidewalk. But getting a break is a lot more likely and easier than you think!
There is solace in simple activities done right outside your front door. While you may be limited by where you live, or what is accessible or safe, I'm certain there is at least one thing out of the following list of 5 Easy Outdoor Stress Relievers for everyone.
1. Go for a 10 minute stroll around your neighborhood and say hello to everyone you see
2. Stargaze while holding hands with someone you love
3. Add or care for a plant on your balcony, window box, or in your yard
4. Have a breakfast picnic at home; take the prepared meal outside and eat on a blanket; perhaps invite a neighbor or friend to join you
5. Get outside with the kids to play games like Duck/Duck/Goose, Red light/Green light or teach them games and songs from your childhood -- for more fun, play these games with other adults!
What are some simple ways you relax in the outdoors?
Photo courtesy of Sandra Seckinger
Photographer Captures African-American Connections to the Natural World
Dudley Edmondson
Introducing guest blogger Dudley Edmondson, an African American photographer who shares how he came to photograph African Americans in the outdoors. This is the first of 2 parts:
You know photography has been a part of my life so long it is difficult to remember when it all started. It began as a way to document my bird sightings as a birder way back when I was a freshman in college. Then the idea of it becoming a potential career became a reality when I decided to move from Ohio to Minnesota. I decided Minnesota had everything I needed to be a successful nature photographer so I put down roots in Duluth the gateway to the great north woods full of eagles, wolves and many other exciting species not found in Ohio.
Things all came together after several years and after a very successful career as a nature photographer I decided to challenge myself again and become an author. The subject matter would be very different from what I had done as a photographer. This time I wanted to tell the story of people like me, African Americans who had a deep and unwavering connection to the earth and nature. The book project became “Black and Brown Faces in Americas Wild Places”
These people I felt could help black folks from coast to coast find their way back to the natural world their African ancestors once knew as well as they now know their own backyards. I am certain that as humans our mental and physical being is inexplicably tied to the natural world around us. People who submerge themselves in nature both physically and mentally our simply healthier people. That is the message I have tried to convey with my book. Trying to get people to understand that is not always easy. If you tell someone that the health of the ecosystem not only effects their health but that it is actually more important than anything else going on in their lives right now, few would be able to grasp that concept. Without your mental and physical health what do you really have? Without clean water and clean air what good really is anything else you might posses?
The Medium is the Message
Digital Strategist Cheryl Contee, MC Hammer, and Rue, TWTRCON SF 2009You should know by now that I am passionate about the outdoors, but I also go nuts over social technology that connects people with the messages they care about. The combination of these two non-tangible loves of mine was the genesis for this blog. And this week has been especially inspiring and productive for me around both topics.
On Thursday, I met with Dr.Carol Finney, a dynamic Professor in the College of Natural Resources at Berkeley. My jaw hit the floor after learning from her about all the many unsung African Americans who share our enthusiasm for the outdoors. For example, Audrey and Frank Peterman have been writing about the outdoors in a newsletter and leading tours of the National Parks for decades. A forthcoming blog will share more about this adventuresome couple and others like them in the coming weeks.
Yesterday, I attended Word Camp because I was thinking of moving Outdoor Afro from its current Google platform to Word Press, and wanted to learn more from developers and users about what was possible. Word Camp gave me the technical answers I was looking for and dozens of its attendees expressed enthusiasm for my advocacy of African American participation in outdoor activities.
Right now I'm sitting in TWTRCON, the convention for Twitter, which has quickly become the fastest way to connect with tons of people at one time. Thanks to panelists like MC Hammer, I have some new perspectives on how to use Twitter as one more tool to help black people get outside, 140 characters at a time.
I am deliriously excited about using social media to share the mission of Outdoor Afro, and am grateful you have decided to join me.
Memorial Day Weekend Sangria Twist!
We posted this recipe originally on Memorial Day of 2009..and it's still good today!
Enjoy responsibly!
- 1 bottle of white wine
- ½ Bottle of Cointreau or Peach Schnapps
- ¼ Cup of sugar
- ½ Liter of ginger ale
- 2 mixed cups of peaches (fresh or frozen), mango, and orange chuncks
Mix wine, liqueur, and sugar together until sugar dissolves. Chill for 1 hour. Add ginger ale and fruit just before serving over ice.
Please drink responsibly and make a tamer Virgin Summer Sangria for kids and non-drinking adults by substituting the white wine with a pineapple juice and sparkling water; the liqueur with orange juice concentrate.
Grill Fish for Memorial Day?
Memorial Day weekend is considered by some the official camping kickoff, but more Americans are likely to head to their own backyard or local park to enjoy a barbecue with friends or family.
My family had a delightful barbecue this afternoon and I had my fill of succulent salads, yummy drinks, and tender meat. But among the hot links, beef ribs, and chicken, I thought fish would have been a nice addition to the grill, for both waistline preservation, and because it’s just plain delicious when done right.
In between bites, I tried to recall when my late father ever grilled fish on the BBQ, and could not think of a single instance. My Texas father preferred his (cat) fish deep fried to a hard cornmeal crisp, then dotted with Louisiana Hot Sauce before his first bite. While my mom ruled over the kitchen, the outdoor BBQ was dad's domain. He seemed to take pride in turning over the massive slabs of ribs over smokey oak wood coals. But did a fish ever share the grill with beef? Never. Maybe there is something primal about a man like my dad who loved cooking "the kill" over an open flame. And if this theory is at all true, I humorously imagine that a fish fillet on a grill might represent a weak hunting effort.
Grilled fish came into my life later once I moved to 1990's San Francisco, where everyone was either obsessed with food, or a worker in some aspect of the culinary world. With my roommates and our friends, we experimented with grilled salmon, trout, and mahi-mahi, using inspired marinades.
I’m looking forward to another outdoor feast on Memorial Day. It’s a potluck, and I’ve just decided to bring a little flair with a salmon recipe I’ve enjoyed before.
Another nice fish for grilling is trout. The following recipe will have your guests singing your praises because the fish tastes great and looks real sassy served out of its cornmeal husk:
Grilled Trout
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
4 trout fillets
4 fresh corn husks
8 strips of bacon (or whole lemon)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
string or heavy thread
Preparation:
Preheat grill for medium heat. Remove any bones from the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Place two slices of bacon (or substitute lemon slices) in each fillet. Close husks and secure with string. Place corn husks on grill and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Remove from heat and serve.
– Serves 4
Monday's Bottom Line
I am so excited about this Monday’s Bottom Line because I have something to give away for FREE that is priceless:
A FREE pass to the Yosemite National Park!
To win the free pass, be the first to call tomorrow’s BlogTalk Radio show and share your favorite memory from the outdoors!
Talk to you then!