Oven Bake Knob Backpack

I really enjoy outdoor activities: hiking, backpacking, camping, horseback riding...
I could go on and on... but I'll spare you :) 

I especially love backpacking. 

Hitting the trail with everything you need to survive strapped to your back...  There's something about it.
Don't get me wrong!  It's physically and mentally exhausting. 
You get bruised, your knees hurt, your legs hurt, you might fall down,
and sometimes you may even question why on earth you're out climbing up a mountain at all?! 

But then there are those absolutely amazing moments when you come to a scenic vista,
revel at the beauty of nature all around you,
laugh until you cry with friends around the campfire,
or watch the sunrise over the valley below from the mountainside... 

I love it and I'll do it for as long as I can!

  I took along my point-and-shoot camera to document the trip a bit.
Pease forgive the quality of the photos....  I'm very weight conscious when on the trail!
...and the pro camera isn't exactly light.

This is how the terrain started...

But it quickly turned into this!  

But just when you're questioning yourself and beginning to consider the possibility of returning to the car...

 you come to a vista like this that gives you the will to go on!

Back to the trail...

Pennsylvania is one of the rockiest portions of the Appalachian Trail.
It's incredibly exhausting to balance a huge pack on your back and navigate the rocks.

We setup camp and got settled in, had great laughs, ate brats that were cooked on the campfire
 and enjoyed the evening together. 
Jackie bought a backpacking hammock made of parachute material.  Instead of using a tent this summer, she intends to hike portions of the AT with her hammock and a tarp.  Ultralight and ultra-ambitious, this girl!

I'll end this post with Bert... one of the coolest dogs.  He's so darned cute!!