Who: Richard(author) and Tim

What: Backpacking turned camping

When: August, 2004

Where: Sipsey Wilderness Area, AL

Note to self:

NEVER TAKE YOUR RING OFF!

        Tim threw my wedding ring in the Sipsey River. After hiking about 2 miles, Tim and I decided to take a break. He made a comment about his hands swelling and his ring cutting in to him. He said he should have went with the comfort fit. My ring is a comfort fit, so I took it off to show him. Tim decided he would just carry his ring on his index finger and I told him it would slide off. To prove his point, he acted as though he was going to throw the rings in the water. Well, his stayed on but mine didn't. We immediately started looking for it. The water wasn't much more than 2 feet deep, but it was nasty. We ended up stopping because the water clouded over and waited until dark to try again. While looking that night, I told Tim a metal detector might work. The next morning Tim hiked out on the search for a metal detector. He had to drive all the way to Decatur and back to get one. We found a beer can on the first try and the ring on the second. Neither of us felt like hiking, so we collected some wood and had a nice fire.

Strange tree with large leafs.

Close-up of leafs.

A cool root that looked like a snake.

Sipsey River - off season.

The rock we stopped to rest on.

The area the ring fell into.

Tim looking for the ring.

First nights fire.

Tim whittling on his new hiking stick.

Richard by the fire.

No-see-um tent Katie made for me.

I may have told her to make it to big.

I bought the sil-nylon tarp in Birmingham.

A different view.

We used a bag to keep the metal detector dry.

Holy $#!?, Tim found it.

I collected some wood while Tim was gone.

One hot fire.

Saturday fire with flash on.

And without.

Coals with the flash on.

And off.

Tim with his new handmade hatchet.

We're still growing young boys.