Along with our two best friends Rob & Jess, Jason & I vowed to go on a lot more outdoor adventures this summer and I think we definitely succeeded! Between various day hikes and a few weekend camping trips we ventured off the couch and into the outdoors more often than we had in previous years. Here’s a little recap of a recent camping trip we took to Green Ridge State Forest in Flinstone, MD.

A brief bit about the area: Green Ridge State Forest is over 47,000 acres and located in the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains. The forest offers a wide range of camping options (including primitive camping sites) as well as multiple hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty.

For our first trip to Green Ridge earlier in the year we decided to do primitive camping. This basically means that we had to find our own spot to set up camp and backpack with all of our necessary belongings. We kept our car close by to deal with our beginner’s learning curve but overall we had over-prepared for the trip.

For this next trip that you’ll see in this post, we did what I call “Cooler Camping.” It’s not really “Glamping” – there aren’t any special amenities that we bring along, but we do maintain our vehicle and cooler nearby. Basically it means we can bring along some hot dogs and heavier cooking equipment and not have to worry about taking it everywhere. On to the photos!

Jess, Ellie & Rob are ready to go!

After checking in at the registration area we took a walk back to check out one of the overlook areas for the park.

Ellie just can not take anything seriously 😛

It was a great spot for a photo op!

We’re all ready for a hike!

But first it was time to set up camp.

Ellie was ready to go.

Jason prepped the hot dog & s’mores sticks 🙂

After a day spent hiking we settled down to build a campfire and make dinner. We ate a huge pack of hot dogs and a few delicious s’mores. It was your basic camping menu options.

The Next Morning

We woke up early so we could fit in another day of hiking but all I could think about was breakfast.

Getting the fire back up was the first order of business.

COFFEE was the prime directive.

Then this happened:

Jason was the designated chef as he loves using his cast iron skillet. Unfortunately for him, the Shake ‘N Pour bottle of pancake batter did not cooperate.

Luckily, there was still enough batter to make a pancake for everyone and as a bonus I got to watch Jason cook in his boxers all morning.

Overall, camping at Green Ridge was a great success. I enjoy spending the day hiking but what I really love is relaxing with friends at the end of a long day. Nothing but campfire and stars and marshmallows and … man, I wish I was camping right now.

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