12 June 2016 – Bye-Bye Trees 🙂

Fri: Jeff, #1, 2, 3 and Zuno left for camping. Jeff was in Boy Scouts, so he knows what he is doing. John is now in it, and excited about this trip. Looking forward to seeing pix and hearing all about it when they get back.

Katy is using my old pack from the 2005 AT thru’hike, too heavy for me as we are now spoilt with these new light-weight gears!  Ellie got to borrow my SW Hyperlite MtGear – tkx to Calvin of Campers’ Corner.

Let’s hope that it will help as she is  apprehensive about this trip. Pix of them loading the car brought back memories of the AT where –

how many of our 2005 AT thru’hike days ended like 🙂  →

Cutting down a total of 10 large trees – 3 large ones by the driveway, 2 by the neighbour and 5 in the backyard, a mixture of pine & gum over the past 3 days in this heat is NO joke! Job professionally executed from the beginning to the end. Was indoors watching and feeling sorry for anyone who had to be working outdoors in this weather. Was thinking of my young friend Chris@CC when I saw their safety harnesses…

Would highly recommend Boozer’s Tree Service and their crew to anyone who is in need of any advice or work from them. Am impressed with their efficiency and graciousness.

http://www.boozerstreeservice.com/

Edited 14 Jun: did not want to miss posting this amazing tree. Tkx to Kiat for sharing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3619890/He-shrubs-nicely-Bizarre-tree-looks-just-like-real-person-spotted-Bulgaria.html#ixzz4BMYeaZ2x

An unusually quiet Fri evening in the house was quite a change!

Sat: Sophie had a friend+the mom and little sis for a belated Bday celebration – at that age, the celebrations can last for a week 🙂 Was certainly not brave enough to join them at the lake when the temps are in the mid 90sF+a humidity of over 45%!

http://alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/chattooga-trail

The gang got home before 1900hrs from their overnight camping trip at the Northern section of the Chattooga Trail, Sumter National Forest Oconee County where they hiked app 8miles total for 2days in perfect weather.

Exciting to hear about their adventures from all in different versions. Starting from Burrells Ford Rd where the car was parked (nearly 3hrs drive from home), they backpacked to the campground and from there further north to pitch tent.

Following the Chattooga River which borders with GA, they daypacked to Ellicott Rock and back to camp where they spent the night. Next day they packed up and headed home. Poor Ellie was not feeling too well but marched on like a true trooper.

All camping pix credits to John where he even managed to capture a snake – looks like a Copperhead to me. And here is Zuno home after his 8x5miles! hike, seriously if you have seen dogs on the trials you will know that they run about everywhere sniffing marking their territory!!  Just glad that everyone had a good time and are home safe&sound.