CAMPING for CHRISTMAS

“Going camping is the perfect reminder of 

how great life is when you are NOT 

camping…” -unknown

I must reiterate how much I LOATHE camping. (Shudder). That being said, it reminds me of one Christmas in California. Students. Nowhere to go during the holidays. “Let’s go camping!”  “In Death Valley!” Cheers all round.  Except for  me. “Woo Hoo,” was my lame reply. 

Dorms were closed . So we trundled off to Death Valley. You remember Death Valley: snakes, scorpions, Spiders, Sand,Heat, Cold etc.I had visions of a  fire back home. Christmas music, treats,  nothing that slithered.

Death Valley was hopping. Trailers, tourists, Us. In that order. We visited Badwater. Home of the Ultramarathon; extreme running thingy.  Right now it was just flat and salty.You could taste the salt when you tried to breathe. I reiterate “tried” to breath…it was warm.

Someone got the great idea to see Zabriski Point before sunrise. Bears the name of one of the first gold rush pioneers, Christian Zabriski. “Woo Hoo”, was my reply. We saw “Manly Beacon” . Before dawn it was dark and cold…..freezing.  You could still taste the salt. 

We were getting a bit bored.  Limited everything and the salt was relentless. One of our gang got a bright idea. Her cousin lived in Lake Arrowhead.  

We were all invited for Christmas Eve dinner, if we could make it by 5:30pm. “Woo Hoo!” I was much more enthusiastic.

The next day we packed up. Threw ourselves in the car and off we toodled to Lake Arrowhead. Only 357 kilometres from Death Valley. 

But no sweat. We’d make it. Five hours of driving. We left at noon, after trying to pack up the tent which blew away at one point.

Two hours later found us at a gas station, the car overheating. We found a hose and poured water into the tank. Poured water on ourselves as well. We were dirty and sandy and salty. 

Christmas Dinner beckoned. Onwards we  went.

A little while later the back car door kept falling open. We stopped at a  one pump gas station. Bought shoelaces to hold the door closed. Off we went again. Realized we left one person back in the bathroom. 

Turned around. Traffic. Went back. Gas Station man was trying to find the key to let her out. She was banging on the locked door.

Off we went again. This time is was after 6pm. But  “Woo Hoo” Anything was better than camping I thought. We made it as far as Victorville.  Expected about five thirty. We were late.  Decided to take a short cut through the village on the mountain. 

The rain started below and turned to snow as we reached the summit.

Stopped at the local diner. Found out where to take the back road. Four of us in a low to the ground Honda. Dirt road. The snow  didn’t let up.   “Woo double Hoo” we were stuck in the dark, on a muddy, snowy,  dirt road.  No light. Nada. It was almost 8 pm.  

Pulled everything out of the car. We jiggled the car. It didn’t budge.  Just in time, a huge truck came careening down the road.  They pulled us out. Back to the diner we went. It must have been 9:30pm. 

No cell phones, remember. We borrowed the phone in the diner. And were told that dinner was delicious, what a shame we didn’t make it……reminded me of that I Love Lucy Episode where they were late to dinner……….

The Diner sold us peanut butter sandwiches for the road.Since we couldn’t go back to the dorms, we decided to go back to Death Valley. Out of the snow and the mud. We managed to get some groceries  and gas, at a convenience store still open on Christmas Eve. 

I think we maxed out a credit card or two. Then we took turns driving, while someone held the back door closed since the shoelaces broke. 

We were just in time for sunrise at Zabriski Point. We sat on the rocks and watched the sun come up on that Christmas Day. 

We all  yelled Merry Christmas  a little louder than each other, to hear it echo off the rocks. We were all silent  with the dawn, as it opened up and spread through the sky. I never thought a  peanut butter sandwich would ever taste so good, on that amazing morning…..

“Such magic there is in Christmas to draw the absent ones 

home, and if unable to go in the body the thoughts will 

hover there….” Caroline Fraser