I decided to wait to write this final blog on my solo trip until I got back home safely and I could report that my first trip without a support group is a fait accompli. I arrived home shortly before noon, parked Agatha without wiping anything out, and, unlike my trip to Backbone last year, there has been no derecho. The drive was easy and pleasant with no wrong turns. The only glitch came on my departure. I suppose in anticipation of near freezing temperatures last night, the park had closed the dump station. I bid Backbone's iconic boathouse a fond farewell and headed out. Palisades State Park was right on my way home, so I pulled in there, paid a small fee, and dumped the tanks.
The weather gurus had things flipped a little. Wednesday was supposed to be rainy and Thursday cool but sunny. Instead, Wednesday was beautiful in the morning, turning cloudy but dry in the afternoon. Thursday morning, I woke up to rain with intermittent drizzle. They were right about the cool part. Since I am old, I opted to stick to the roads for my morning hike, foregoing the steep trails carpeted with wet leaves. I encountered three deer who gave me the usual "Who let you in?" stare before going about their business. It was drizzly but still pretty.
The whole stay, the campground was extremely quiet with only five or six other campers, although every site was reserved for the weekend. I read, finally did a little writing, and napped. I did very little cooking because I had stocked the freezer with leftover meat loaf, rice and chorizo stew, apple crisp, and other goodies for a quick zap in the microwave. All in all, it was an enjoyable finish for the season. Now to the saddest part of a camper's year--unloading and storing linens and staples and getting read to winterize.
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