Have you ever had a moment when you feel a strong connection to nature? I’ve definitely had that feeling during stays at state parks, camping, hiking, riding my bike or even during runs.
This weekend, I had a particularly amazing experience in nature. I tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time! It really was magical being out on the lake, feeling the movement of the water and finding balance in the movement.
But just hours after having such a peaceful experience in nature, it kicked my ass.
I usually do a day-by-day recap of my weekends, but this time I’m just going to get right to the good stuff….
The BF and I spent our Friday night preparing for an overnight camping trip at Lake McConaughy. We were going to meet the BF’s friend, Tyler, and his girlfriend, Jennifer, who live in Denver. We woke up bright and early Saturday morning and were on the road by 7 a.m. for our 3 hour drive.
A little after 10 a.m., we pulled up on Sandy Beach to join our friends, who had camped out the night before. We were both a bit disappointed because it was cool and overcast. I was ready for a warm and sunny beach day!
But after a short hike and lounging by the lake, the sun finally broke through the clouds! We all put on our swimsuits and got into the water. I relaxed on a pool floaty, the BF kayaked, everyone swam and enjoyed the warm lake.
After a couple of hours, the BF and I headed over to Arthur Bay to go stand up paddle boarding! I reserved boards ahead of time through the Boulder Outdoor Center. When we arrived, we got quick instructions on paddle boarding from Bill (a very surfer-like guy) and we were off!
We started on our knees to find balance on the boards, but we were soon standing and heading out on the lake. It was beautiful. The sky was bright blue with white puffy clouds. The water was calm except for the waves from the occasionally jet ski or boat.
We picked up stand up paddle boarding pretty quickly and even switched boards in the middle of the lake (then switched back when the BF decided he didn’t like my board).
We eventually paddled into a small alcove with water that was completely still. I placed my paddle on the front of my board and did a few sun salutations on my board. It really felt magical! We then paddled back out to the lake and laid down on our boards until our hour reservation was up.
We went back to Sandy Beach feeling like our camping trip was already a success.
Back at our campsite the wind had already picked up, but the sky was still blue and the lake was still full of jet skis, boats, swimmers and catamarans.
Around 6:45 p.m., we put our dinner over the fire.
Just a few moments later, a wind gust sent our canopy flying down the beach. The BF and Tyler went chasing after it.
When they finally returned, it was bent and in pieces. At the same time, our tent was violently flapping in the wind.
We hurriedly picked up our camp chairs, coolers and other items around our fire and placed them inside our cars and tents. As we looked across the lake we could see the storm cloud. There was definitely some tension among our group. We all knew what was coming.
Soon Tyler yelled, “That’s water hitting the lake!” We all jumped in our tents anticipating getting slammed with rain. Our tent was still being moved by the wind quite aggressively. The BF and I stood in our tent holding up the sides and top to prevent it from caving in. He eventually went back out into the storm to push the stakes back into the ground as they had been pulled out of the sand from the wind.
Then the rain came. Water started to pour through our tent’s rain cover. I heard yelling outside, and soon Jennifer and Tyler had joined us inside of our tent. Their tent was destroyed by the storm. We each stood in a corner of our tent to anchor it to the ground. Water continued to flow into our tent, creating showers above us and streams at our feet.
I kept telling myself, “This can’t last forever.” But there was a part of me that thought a tornado was near and was going to take our tent away. I was later told that the swells in the lake were peaking at three or four feet high.
There was a moment when my heart was pounding in my chest and I felt like breaking down in tears, and the BF grabbed my hand and looked at me and smiled.
Tyler also tried to make light of the situation by saying, “You can’t do anything but laugh,” and he started laughing.
After what seemed like hours of being hunched in a corner of the tent with my arms pushed behind me pressing the sides of the tent against the weight of the wind gusts, the storm finally relented.
We quickly exited the tent and removed all of the remaining items from our tent and put them in the BF’s truck. The tent was destroyed. Poles had collapsed from the force of the wind. Holes had been ripped in the sides and in the rain cover. We threw the damaged tent in the back of the truck. Tyler and Jennifer packed up their remaining items and we all drove away from the beach. We stopped at a dumpster and threw away the tent and canopy.
Soaking wet, we drove into Ogallala excitedly rehashing everything that had just happened. Tyler and Jennifer opted to stay in a hotel overnight, but we decided to drive home and sleep in our own beds. It was a long drive, made to feel even longer after being emotionally and physically exhausted from the storm.
I really don’t think I have ever been so terrified. We were so exposed to the elements and there wasn’t a lot we could do. I’m still processing the whole experience, but it definitely made me feel a little less warm and fuzzy about Mother Nature. But there’s no one I would have rather gone through that with than the BF. I trusted that he would protect me from whatever happened, and I felt a sense of safety knowing that.
The BF and I spent our Sunday shaking sand out of everything, trying to recover from our one day of not quite camping and telling family about the horrific experience.
Tell me your experiences with nature – positive and negative!