Spring Break at Jackson Falls: Part 2 Camp Life
Last week I said I had the great privilege of joining 15
fantastic people on a Spring Break trip to Jackson Falls in southern Illinois.
The sport climbing was simply amazing, but that was just one part of the trip.
The trip also offered a chance for people to experience real back country
camping. Imagine an entire week without running water! No, toilets, no shower,
no sink to brush your teeth or wash your hands in. This was real camping, and I
was diving right into it with no prior experience. The challenge was on.
The first thing I had to get use to was using the bathroom
outside. Since I’m a guy, simply unzipping my pants took care of #1’s, but #2’s
was a whole other animal. Naturally there’s a fear that comes along with the
idea of exposing yourself to the world, but it was a fear that had to be faced.
I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was a cold, and dark night. Before I
headed out I grabbed the bathroom kit. This special kit contains a shovel,
toilet paper and a little bottle of hand sanitizer. To perform this task
successfully, you have to go far enough away from the group to not be seen, but
not too far that you get lost and can’t find your way back. Then when you find
a spot, you have to dig a hole using the shovel and squat over that hole. Afterwards,
you would fill that hole up with dirt and mix the contents together. For a good
jester, you then put a stick on top of the whole so other people won’t dig in
that same spot (or worst, step in it). After wandering around for what seemed
like hours, I found a nice spot next to some fallen trees. Throughout the whole
experience, I thought I was hearing raccoons in the near bushes. This was
definitely not a safe position to be in when flesh-eating raccoons are around
you! Ok, so I’m exaggerating. The experience wasn’t that bad. I actually found
it easier to use than the traditional toilet. 
Being out in nature for that long was like traveling back
in time. It’s amazing what you do and how you behave when you have to think
about the bare necessities. Every day we had to conserve our water use and
measure our food intake. To take advantage of the natural sunlight, we woke up at
sunrise and went to sleep when the sun went down. We didn’t have to worry about
schedules or deadlines. It was just us, and the adventures we decided to go on.
On this trip you also realize the simple things you miss out on in live. Each day we were able to see the sun
set and disappear on the horizon with its orange glow. We saw the billion of
stars at night that lit up the sky.
It really made you appreciate how beautiful
living simple really is.
- Just a thought from Dev. Hill
