Enchanted Rock Trip Report Circa 1986

[Terlingua50337]

So I was at my Mom's place last weekend and in the shed out back I stumbled across my first pack, and as I went thru each pocket memories began flooding back about my first backpacking trip.

I was living in Shreveport Louisiana and me and my college buddy decided we were going to get into backpacking so we jumped in with both feet. First stop: Red River Outfitters. They were located near Centenary College in S'port (that's how we used to spell Shreveport). The year, 1986. They hooked us up with everything (Lesson 1: an outfitter will sell you everything) a greenhorn needed, packs, dehydrated food, cooking utensils, etc.

Me being most recently from the Hill Country and Joel from El Paso he left the destination up to me and I decided on Enchanted Rock. We bought everything we thought we'd need, loaded our packs, threw them in the back of my old Chevy and away we went. We didn't need a map (Lesson 2: topos, topos, topos!). I mean shoot, I knew where ER was.

After a 6 or so hour drive we found ourselves at the Park not really knowing what to do next so we found a Ranger and told him we wanted to pack in. He told us about the primitive sites on the far side of the rock, we agreed, paid our fees, took the park map (LOL!) and the adventure began.

First order of business, water. We got our collapsible 5 gallon water bag and filled it up (Lesson 3: never put all your eggs, or water, in one basket). Carrying that 5 gallons of water was like trying to carry a 50 pound watermelon!. there just wasn't any  good way to tote it. We traded it off until we got where we were going to camp for the night and hung it in a tree, cooked supper and went to explore the rock. Getting back to camp we found the bag was nearly empty, the valve didn't hold (Lesson 4: never, ever, trust an unused collapsible water bottle). We had enough water for the next morning and then it was decision time, back to the other side of the rock and wrestle that bag of water again?, or fill it up from the pond. We chose the pond, I mean why not? We had iodine tabs (Lesson 5: filter? I don't need no stinkin' filter).

Long story short we came out a couple of days later pretty dehydrated because that was some nasty water and tough to drink!

It's said God takes care of fools and drunks and we were certainly fools. We were just plumb lucky not to have gotten seriously ill.

So what about y'all? What was your first backpacking trip like?

[Ray52]

No ax or machete???  For a first timer you sure packed light.  I had both for my first overniter in western Arkansas.  And a  clean pair of Levis for each of the 3 days! 

[RichardM]

Ah yes, I remember my first Boy Scout campout in Echo Canyon (then known as Becky's Crack) at E-Rock. I recall being tempted to drink some of the cool, clear water flowing in the creek after the recent rain. Then our Scoutmaster pointed out a couple of large cow patties in the stream just a little upstream from us. Cured that temptation pretty quick!

For our drinking & cooking water, the younger members of the troop were sent back to carry in water in empty plastic milk jugs, two gallons per boy with one in each hand.

P.S. I still have my old mess kit and silverware around here somewhere.

[SA Bill]

1976...I jumped in with both feet and did an 8 day group trip through the Weminuche Wilderness in CO. Got the runs about the 3rd day and was lucky to survive the rest of the trip. Back then about the only "medicine" for the runs was Pepto Bismol and no one had any...so I just suffered. My pack weight was right at 60 pounds and at the time I probably weighed 135lbs so I was carrying almost half my body weight. My boots were the ubiquitous very heavy all leather thick Vibram soled hikers waterproofed with Sno Seal boot wax. Even though I had aome physical problems that first trip, something stirred in me and I did more trips and continue to do an occasional backpack trip even now 35 years later. Never did another long multiday trip after that first one though.

Here's a pic of my buddy Ethan (on the left) and I on our second backpacking trip to the Weminuche area. Note the high tech external frame packs with gobs of stuff strapped to the outside. Still...we survived many trips that way.
   Bill

[Quatro]

Although not a backpacking trip, your trip report brings back memories of my first trip to Enchanted Rock, maybe 1970.  It was a privately owned campground at that time.  The best part was the campfire in a large teepee that Orrin Bonney set up. Maybe 20 people inside if I recall correctly. The west side of the creek was the domain of cows.

[Raoul Duke]

That is an awesome story.

Mine began in the 6th grade in Boy Scouts, ca. 1982.  I found Colin Fletcher's "Complete Walker" in the library, checked it out, and was immediately hooked.  I had a paper route and saved up enough money to buy a cheap external frame pack from Best Products.  My Scout troop decided to do a trip to Pedernales Falls.  We crammed about 6 kids in our Scout Master's Toyota Wagon (not a seatbelt in sight) and headed up for an overnight trip.  I lashed my Coleman sleeping bag to the pack, filled it with clothes, and was off.  Fortunately our Scout Master took all group gear on his pack.  We just carried water.  We hiked two miles in and camped near the river.  It was the longest two miles of my life.  The cheap straps cut into my shoulders and nearly killed me.  We slept out under the stars that night and hiked back out the next morning.  I remember the hike out being more pleasant. 

In retrospect, my Scout Master was not very skilled.  I remember he encouraged us to drink unfiltered water out of a creek feeding into the Pedernales River, saying "the moss filters the water for you."  It's a wonder none of us got sick.

I was dead tired after this trip, but knew I was hooked.

[alan in shreveport]

   Great story Terlingua ... the pictures of the messkit and "silverware" jarred my memory.   My first and second backpacking trips were at Philmont Scout Ranch back in 1969 and 1971.  Great expierence for this city boy living in St Louis at the time.  I live in Shreveport now - Red River Outfitters is gone now - and Campers Corner is closing Dec. 24.  Luckily theres Bass Pro and the Internet.
   Alan

[Terlingua50337]

We didn't take machete's but hatchets yes. I took my book, Brown's Wilderness Survial with me. Still have that book and a couple more by him. Got it at Red River Outfitters. I'm telling you they sold us everything! Man I remember Joel packed in his hammock tent, an old canvas surplus one. That thing weighed a ton! I don't know what our packs weighed but we had everything parachute cord tied to  it that we couldn't put in them. I had an old Coleman cotton fleece sleeping bag. I need to find the pictures from that trip and scan them to digital. I'll find them when I go to Mom's for Christmas. We carried in Sterno cans for cooking. What a joke those were!

Come on QS, don't be shy.