We decided to test Colby's outdoor skills early and see if he shared the same passion for adventure that his mom and dad possess, so we took a 9 month old camping! It was Memorial Day weekend, and Colby's first expedition would be 4 hours from home in the mountains of South West Virginia in a beautiful park called Grayson Highlands (near Mount Rogers), an area that both Jen and I have frequented often (usually backpacking in the backcountry). The trip was organized by Gaines and included a total of 13 adults and 7 dogs (at a group camp site). After a rough first few hours in our new giant "family" tent, Colby settled in nicely (he just had to adjust to the tent, which was aided by sleeping with mom and dad the first night- see picture). We went on some nice hikes, one was a jaunt on the Appalachian Trail where Colby got to meet the wild pony's of Grayson Highlands and he also "got in" his nap as we made our way back down the mountain trail, see picture above. The weather was almost perfect (only a few showers), and the weekend was a success, as evidenced by our 3 night stay (we are already talking about Colby's next camping trip to the NC mountains this fall).
