Sequoia/Yosemite 7/10 - 7/18 (Dudette: Where's My Tent?)

Foss · Jul-19-2007, 08:50 AM

Short Version:
Just got back from eight days of fishing/camping in the Sierras. Water levels low but fishable. Sequoia camps: Lower Peppermint, Belnap, and Coy Flats. Yosemite camp: Bridalveil Creek. C&R stocked trout everywhere on 6 pound bay-fishing outfit using cheese as bait. Kept two trout for lunch. De-Fishing Soap was also very useful for removing smell from hands while in bear country. See photos below.

Long Version:
Need to have head examined after undertaking such a long expedition with wife and two teenage girls. Seriously, the twitch in my right eye will not go away. Just a couple points I'd like to cover for anyone planning a similar trip.
First: Isn't there a code of conduct for camping and fishing that pretty much bans complaining? I know for a fact that the rule applies to men, but thought it covered women as well. Will have to double check that before planning next vacation.
Second: Camping in the great outdoors generally occurs outside (as opposed to indoors). Yes, there are mosquitos, snakes, bears, and other critters, but you are in their house. Learn to deal with it. Total cost of trip: $1,400. Would have been lower were it not for $850 spent on retreating to hotels on three separate occasions.
Third: To enjoy camping, you have to make and break camp periodically, which last time I checked involved moving various muscles in the hand, arm, and leg areas. Wife was on board with concept, but if you've ever seen the movie, "Dude, Where's My Car?" you'll get a very slight glimpse into the depth of obliviousness that teens suddenly possess when it comes to unloading or loading gear...or thinking for that matter.
Fourth, a hypothetical question: "Camper A", who has a great deal of camping experience, tells Camper B that it would be a good idea to put on long sleeves, pants, and mosquito repellant at dusk. Camper B retorts (not sure if that is the right word for that snippy way teens dismiss sane suggestions offered by adults) that she is not cold and furthermore doesn't like to apply mosquito repellant before she dinner because it makes the food she touches taste funny--then later forgets to apply any of the afformentioned repellant. Is it bad form for Camper A to laugh aloud when in the morning Camper B complains she has more than two dozen moquito bites? I thought such laughter was permissible under the camping code of conduct.
Finally: I know there are already a large number of man laws on the books, but I suggest we add "There are no doilies in camping!" (See photo below) Can I get a witness?
Foss out!
P.S. Just for kicks used a bunch of 6 pound test to stealth-attach pine cones to various other trees (cedar, aspen, etc.) near the roadside along the way Would love to be around when some kid asks dad to stop to pick pine cones from a manzanita.

MM2 · Jul-19-2007, 08:59 AM

only three nights in the hotel you got off cheap!!!!!!!!! on the other hand they may relish the good time they had in the future. MM/2 Charlie

Troy · Jul-19-2007, 09:09 AM

That's some funny shit.

Kurt · Jul-19-2007, 09:10 AM

Oh you are scarin me. How do they forget all that stuff from age 12 to 13? That means mine are gonna unlearn stuff? Great.

Guess that's why I bought a travel trailer so I won't have to worry the motel gig. Thanks for sharing dude.

We'll have to do a BD campfest some time

fishstick-er · Jul-19-2007, 11:22 AM

Now somebody is going to get fucked when they try to remove the cone bearing manzanita to build a house. Sounds like a good trip. Glad I have boys.

neatnick · Jul-19-2007, 01:50 PM

good on ya' - they'll remember the trip the rest of their lives.

all the rest comes with the title "dad"

Foss · Jul-19-2007, 02:46 PM

Thanks for the comeback guys. It really was a great trip, and especially toward the end, everyone came together as a team.

Mr. Len · Jul-19-2007, 02:56 PM

Only tried the camping thing one time with wife/teenage girls. One time. After all of the "that's yucky, ants are everywhere, I can't sleep because it's too noisy (Carlsbad State Beach), the squirrels broke into my tent and ate my chips, and lastly (the final straw) I don't like campfire smoke," I gave up.
Good on you for lasting and having fun. Love the pine cone trick.

tsuriya · Jul-19-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt

Oh you are scarin me. How do they forget all that stuff from age 12 to 13? That means mine are gonna unlearn stuff? Great.

Guess that's why I bought a travel trailer so I won't have to worry the motel gig. Thanks for sharing dude.

We'll have to do a BD campfest some time

Kurts got it right. Travel trailer is the only way to go. Just did a two week trip that ended in Yosemite. I don't think I heard one squawk out of wife or kids.

I'm on for another BD campfest. We did one last year at Irvine. Kids had a blast. Of course dads (and moms) were hurting the next morning.

CHAD YOU ARE THE MAN!

oozacgt · Jul-19-2007, 03:42 PM

Sounds like you had a good trip! Belknap is about 30 minutes down the hill from our cabin in sequioa crest....did you do any fishing there? Thats some beautiful country eh?

Foss · Jul-19-2007, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oozacgt

Sounds like you had a good trip! Belknap is about 30 minutes down the hill from our cabin in sequioa crest....did you do any fishing there? Thats some beautiful country eh?

Hey Zach,
We passed Sequoia Crest on the way to Belknap. Magical country, good fishing there too. The biggest trout I caught, not very big, was at Belknap. Had a hook jaw like a chinook salmon but it had some red on it. Probably a stupid corvina :-/