Turkey Weekend Pt 2 - You have just died from giardia

The cabin was a 0.9 mile hike from our car. We brought only the essentials on our journey - sleeping bags, clean underwear, and a few cases of beer (there were other important items too, but nothing worth explaning further). The area surrounding the cabin was absolutely stunning. Hardcore backpackers and families alike frequent the area - impossible hikes and slow winding paths wrap for miles upon mile across the virginian "wilderness".

We really lucked out. The leaves were still contemplating seasons and varied in their shades of brown, and the temperatures had yet to reach the subzero digits that I'm accustomed to facing on turkey weekend. Our cabin was located in a spot i fondly call, "Little House on the Prairie-ville". It was in the middle of a small clearing on the top of a slightly-slanted hill. Our front porch housed a little stone fireplace and table, which was unfortunately a little too welcoming to weary travelers who would park themselves in front of our cabin, unaware (or ignoring) that we had rented the place for the weekend. The inside of the cabin was surprisingly roomy. We had a wood burning stove, four bunk beds, and a giant table in the middle of the room. The outhouse of death (the smell will haunt my dreams for weeks) was a minute down the path, and a spring on the bottom of the hill provided us with water for cooking and any beverages that didn't include booze.

One major item we were without was electricity. The windows in the cabin plus the doorway gave us some extra light during the day, but at night we lit our room using candles (and ocassionally turned on the lantern when playing a round of flip cup). The darkness caused us to make it until 11:30 each night. When it gets pitch black at 7pm, it's hard to tell the difference between 10pm or 3am. Our main source of entertainment when hanging out in the cabin was a homemade version of oregon trail i created using a deck of cards. The game was complete with such gems as "Joker - You have just died from dysentary. Finish your drink." or "10 - Civil War breaks out. Round of flip cup ensues." There were only really two things i feared during the weekend - ending up face to face with a bear and getting giardia. It's all fun and games until someone gets a gastrointestinal virus.