After a lot of planning, the weekend that my wife, our son and myself were going on our camping trip was finally going to be here this weekend.
We were going up to the northern part of the Adirondack mountains, near the Ausable Chasm for a long four day weekend.
We had all our camping equipment and my son was so excited to be roughing it with his parents.
My son, Rich, just turned 18 and he was really looking forward to it. My wife, Denise, was looking forward to being up there with her son and having some quality mom/son bonding. I was just happy that they were both happy to be going.
My name is Robert and it was my idea and me and my son did all the planning and getting everything we would need.
Two days before we were to leave, my boss called me into his office and told me that I had to go to Texas this weekend to work with a client to secure their business. I practically begged him to send someone else but he insisted I go because I was the best he had. I told him I would go.
When I got home, I got my son and wife together and told them the bad news. My wife said we should cancel the trip but I told her and my son to. go. I told them that I would be back by Monday and we still would have a few days together.
They agreed and my son, who used to be a boy scout and an eagle scout, said that he will take good care of his mom until I got there.
I left on Friday night so I could meet with the client the first thing Saturday morning. I told my wife and son to have a nice trip and I will call them late Saturday.
My wife and son were leaving very early Saturday morning to drive up to the mountains to get there by late morning.
The weather was supposed to be brisk but that was normal for mid October.
Denise and Rich drove up the Adirondack Northway and got to the area we selected around 11:00 a.m. They unloaded the truck and set up camp. They finished unloading in time for lunch.
By this time, the weather started to change a bit and it was clouding over.
Rich put on the radio and the weatherman started talking about possible snow, which would be a little early for this time of the year.
After lunch, Rich and Denise took a hike along the trail, taking selfies along the way. My son, who is a very conscientious young man, brought with him his handgun that he uses for target practice, just in case they ran into an animal, since there are wild animals up there.
They hiked for almost three hours before they got back. Soon, it was time for dinner and Denise cooked up something on the portable grill.
After dinner, they just sat and looked up at the stars and talked.
I was able to reach them by cell and assured them that I would make it up there by Monday. Denise told me that they are talking about snow. I told them that if it started snowing, to pack up and leave. Denise said that is what they would do. Then we said goodnight.
When it was time to call it a night, they climbed into their sleeping bags in the tent and called it a night.
Sometime during the night it started snowing. Rich woke up first and saw the snow piling up when he poked his head out of the tent. He immediately woke up his mother and they started packing their stuff. Unfortunately, the snow was coming down pretty heavy and they decided there was no way they could drive out now.
Rich told his mother to stay in the tent while he searched for a better camp site.
After about an hour he came back and told his mother he found a small cave that they could occupy until the snow let up.
They moved whatever they could to the cave and settled in.
My wife tried to call me but the cell phone wasn't working.