I got the chance this weekend to take a short, random night out, and took advantage.

I live in an area that is far away from any commercial air service, and yet I had an obligation to take a very early flight Saturday morning – 5:30 am from an airport 2 hours from home.

Rather than get out of bed at 1:30am (I mean, why bother going to bed, right?), I searched and found a Virginia Wildlife Management Area (WMA) only a half hour from the airport, and made plans to go camp there the night before.

I threw my sleeping bag into my backpack – I’ve got that about 90% packed at all times, so I can get it and go with minimum hassle – and my clothes in an overnight bag I’d take on the plane, on the trip. I had dinner with the family, then set out to reach the WMA with just enough sunlight to find a campsite and get set up.

I arrived at the WMA gate about 20 minutes before sunset, and set off down the main entrance road looking for a suitable backcountry spot. I found a large level area – but after a bit of searching it became clear that this wasn’t going to work. The area was pockmarked with low depressions bearing the tell-tale dark coloring that indicated the frequent presence of standing water. It appeared to be dry now, but this broad, flat expanse of forest was essentially a large intermittent swamp.

I used all the available, remaining “day” searching fruitlessly through the swamp. By the time I gave up on it, the sun had gone, and twilight was now deepening quickly into darkness – but I really didn’t have an option other than to seek higher ground.

I went back uphill, toward the car, to an area where the contour lines on my digital map were much closer to one another, but where the trees were larger, the ground was dryer, and the forest still relatively open. I wound up going into the woods right in front of my car, up a small rise, and seeing a makeshift fire ring made of pavers and some open areas with a very gentle slope. Bingo.

The tent went up quickly as the mosquitos started buzzing and biting, so I got a small fire going – an irresistible improvement to the overall ambiance that had the pleasant side effect of deterring the biting bugs.

As night took hold, the woods came alive with the sound of tree frogs, crickets, and katydids. Nearby, a barred owl started calling to another distant one, at least a half mile away.

Just like that, I was in my happy place. Stress evaporated, except of course the nagging concern about missing my pre-dawn alarm or not leaving enough time to get to the airport. But that aside, this was infinitely better than a hotel room. Surrounded by the noise of the forest, I slept well as the temperature dropped to the low 60s… And I successfully woke up long before sunrise in a light fog, packed up in the dark, and ultimately made my flight.

This was clearly not an epic journey, but it was a quick opportunity to get out and recharge. I managed to get some tent time without taking quality time away from the family.

Trips like this can work wonders. You just have to think broadly and creatively about how to fit adventure into the normal routine. When you do, the rewards are exponentially bigger than the effort you had to put into the trip in the first place!

Get Out There