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and the trenching around the tent.

A latrine was prepared the first day and we dug it deep in a site well away from the campsite. We kept a trenching tool at the location and after each use, soil was use to cover the waste. This kept the site from attracting wildlife or insects.

Cutting wood was a daily thing due to the cold temperatures. We cut a lot and left some covered at the site for the next campers to use the site.

We were there for a week and only saw one party pass through on a day hike. No one else was camping (no one else was that crazy). My friend's son and his girlfriend hiked in on Sunday and brought steaks to grill and some beer and that was a treat.

Tragically, since that time he has experienced an aneurysm and has been comatose for a big part of the last year after brain surgery. We visit him often and remember sharing that meal with him in the mountains with fondness.

We got some great photos in the snow and of icicles hanging on the limbs over the river.

It was a great experience, even though coming out of the gorge was grueling. The first half mile is almost at a 45 degree angle and we were beat when we got back to the trail head. We were there before the appointed time to meet the wives for pick-up. When they rolled up, they had hot sandwiches and drinks and it was one of the best meals we ever had.

By contrast, in February 2008, the same friend and I camped in "Brickhouse Campground" between Clinton and Whitmire, SC. There are toilet facilities and we could park at the campsite, so we carried all the gear required to be comfortable.

We didn't use a tent, but set up a huge lean-to of tarps that was enclosed on the back, but open on the front. We extended an awning over the entrance in case of rain during the day so that we could sit outside, but not in the rain.

Our meals were cooked on a two-burner Coleman stove and over the open fire. We had New York strip steak cooked on a cast iron griddle the first night. We baked potatoes in foil with onions, butter, salt and pepper in the dutch oven over coals from the open fire. It was great. Breakfasts were scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, jelly orange juice and coffee.

The last night, we cooked a delicious peach pie in the dutch oven. All the meals were wonderful and we were able to carry everything we needed since we could drive to the campsite. We carried both his and my trucks, so space was no problem. We carried 5 large containers of water, so we had plenty for drinking, dishwashing and sanitary use.

Sleeping accommodations were comfortable since we had cots with pads. I carried a down sleeping bag and a fleece liner and actually got too warm the first night. I had to remove the liner to sleep comfortably. The coldest night was 24 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was very windy, but we were prepared.

There are advantages to both types of camping. Just because you are sleeping in a tent doesn't mean you are roughing it. To qualify for that distinction, there have to be elements of physical deprivation, remoteness, minimal supplies, no outside contact and dependence on your basic survival skills.

I highly recommend roughing it. It doesn't have to be a week. Even a couple of days will get you back close to nature and give you a different outlook on things that you take for granted now. One of the most wonderful things after a cold week in the wilderness is a hot shower. It it the epitome of luxury.

Learn more about this author, L. Woodrow Ross.
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