Camping near Mt. Tamalpais for Holly's Birthday

Your mom and I were invited to camp in Muir Woods with our friend Spenser and his girlfriend, Holly. They are genuine outdoorsy types and we'd been asking to go camping with them for a while (we hadn't spent a night in the woods since our trying experience in 2009 ago near Big Sur!) so when this chance came up to bust out the tent again, we said why not?

After a quick drive to the coast we let ourselves down a private road to the large campsite Holly had rented out for the weekend. She'd been to this same spot for her birthday the last couple years, as well. 

We'd done some preparation with new sleeping bags and bed rolls, but you never know what you're in for out in the woods like this. Whatever came, we'd do it together : )

It was the start of winter but it was also the Bay Area coast, so it was beautiful. 

Our home for the one night ended up being pretty snug and warm.

That was the place, Camp Alice Eastwood. There was another large group at the second site nearby and they were decked out with a full bar on a table and propane heaters like you see outside on restaurant patios! That's called "glamping," not camping, you see. 

Spenser was celebrating a recent raise at his job and treated himself to a whole new camera body and lens, an enviable 5DIII and the covetable 24-70 2.8II. That's the lens we took to London a couple years ago, and I've missed it ever since. He has been doing some amazing stuff with his camera recently on all their hikes and trips.

Holly is a popular, loving person with a lot of good friends through her times at school and in her profession (she's a water engineer), so the hike was lively and the camp even moreso once night fell. 

After we arrived and settled in, we began a trek up to the so-called "Mountain Theater," a short but upward walk for a few miles. The incline got to us! But we enjoyed the woods around us and I snapped pictures along the way.

Dappled lighting in forests can be a wonderful thing. 

It seemed to come out of nowhere, this massive outdoor amphitheater which looked like it could seat 10,000 or more. We'd made it!

And the view was incredible. You could see all the way to the city. For reference, that tiny San Francisco skyline is almost 14 miles away. We rested for a bit, meandered the rocky steps, and headed back. 

The sun was getting low quickly. It was winter after all, and the light got almost eerie but intriguing.

Your mom is always stunning. There's a special beauty in the outdoors look. 

After getting back to camp, a couple guys got the fire going and the night began. We enjoyed some soup heated on the fire and got chatty as night fell, the chill set in, and the crowd grew.

The night was frigid! We did alright snuggled together, but it's definitely the coldest chill I'd felt in a long time. The next morning, a small camp fire was a bit smoky and it made a cool effect in the morning sun. 

We nibbled on breakfast and said our goodbyes. We'd successfully camped! And we wanted to get more used to it along with hiking. It's always wonderful, so we made a resolution to do more this year.