We got there late on Wednesday night and after setting up the tent we gathered around the fire for dinner around 9pm. We heated up sloppy joes over hot coals in our favorite cast iron pan. There were six of us the first night and we sat around the fire catching up while passing around a bottle of cinnamon whiskey.
The raccoons came out full force that night thanks to a bunch garbage left at the site from previous asshole campers. They were ruthless, ripping into one of the tents and spending the night outside of our tent gnawing on old corn cobs and the garbage that we hadn't picked up yet.
We brought our little ikea french press and a stainless steel kettle. The leftover coals from the fire the night before was hot enough to heat the water for a batch of coffee each morning.
That afternoon, while waiting for a few more people to arrive, we sat under a massive tarp ("tarp city") expertly tied to a group of trees, while it rained around us. This is a picture of the river as the rain stopped and the sun started to come out.
The next morning was warm and beautiful although the night was still marred by the sound of raccoons outside the tent. I wanted to love sleeping outdoors but every sound kept me awake.
After some life changing stuffed french toast, we finally waded into the river. Despite the record heat in Michigan the water was cold, and due to drought in the Midwest, the water only went to about knee high. But we made the best of it.
We spent Friday and Saturday in the river playing frisbee, fricket, laying in tubes, playing rock throw, drinking, laughing and getting sunburned.
The tent that the raccoon ripped into.
Before dinner every night the boys would go into the woods and cut down dead trees for fire wood using chainsaws and axes.
We made massive fires that burned for hours as we listened to music, danced around the fire, talked, laughed, made s'mores and stared at the stars.