Outdoor Expedition One - Part Two

Dinner Around the Fire.

We returned to camp. Ace suffered two stumbles, and got one foot caught between the rocks on the return stream crossing. There was much discussion of possible snake holes, and what to do when we saw a snake, and why it was important that someone other than R3 should lead the way in finding snakes. The only down point was R4 reaching his limit and getting tired and cranky close to home. If this was a strenuous trail, then this was going to be an easy park.

Fire is a wonderful thing, especially when you have small children more than willing to gather an endless supply of kindling and small tree branches for the fire. After a little coaxing with white gas, we had a comfortable campfire that lasted through the night.

Dinner was pork chops grilled on the barbecue grill we brought with us. (Note to self: R4 ate his entire dinner without coaxing. I don't know which was a bigger influence, the three mile hike, or the lack of anything to distract him at the table.) It was dark by the time we ate, but the lights and radio BWB brought made it a cozy little dinner.

After dinner came the great experiment: Pineapple upside down cake cooked in a Dutch oven. Coals from the barbecue went on top, and fire from the pit underneath. The experiment was a qualified success. Because of a tilt to the fire pit grill, one side was lower than the other. Part of the cake stuck to the pot. But it baked, and it was delicious. Too bad the kids, R3 & BWB spent the entire baking time pigging out on s'mores. The cake was still good at breakfast.