Big Hill Pond

Took Ben, Alex and Elan backpacking to Big Hill Pond State Park in TN

We set up at Grassy Point right on the lake.  Next time, I will get further from the water to avoid mosquitoes and the way sound carries.
There is a train that goes THROUGH the park and it makes a racket day and night!

I set up right by the water, which I usually don't do (LNT) but it was out of the underbrush, so I wasn't stomping any plants or picking up ticks.  I made up for it by barely leaving the hammock the whole time.  

All night the frogs and fish made racket.  The next morning, there were frog eggs in the shallows!

 My setup.

I check on the Matt Burrito on my way to the little girls tree

A mild early morning walk while waiting on the boys to get up.

Ben loves to hike, camp and spend time with his mom

We did not stay in the shelter, but this is what they look like.  There are 5 of them.

The boys quickly outwalked me.  It was like I was standing still.

The trail, Dry Ridge, had NO water other than the lake.

It also had this mess to get through, I think this is where our ticks came from.  Matt had several, I had one. Ben had 6.

The above is across the lake from the shelter, but you can't really see it in the pic.  But you can see the spot you could kayak to!

The trail goes around the lake, the van is parked above the levee at the far end, on that hill.

I sometimes wonder if Ben hates me.  

I man bunned that mess.  He did not like it. 

I braided it over his shoulder.  He did not even look at me.  Remember Kat?  How she would just shut her eyes instead of acknowledge I existed?  Remember how she was always watching over the kids and trying to raise them as her own?

THANKS KAT.

Back at the start,  Batman did not like camping, but I did!  We will be back to check out another section.