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Alpha family call themselves "Extreme Campers"
Alpha-1 never stopped anyone from having a good time. Just ask Jenny Faull and her family of extreme campers.
The Faulls most frequently camp in the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. Their camping adventures started with a tent, but quickly graduated to a pop-up camper that would withstand bad weather and could comfortably house the family of six.
THE FAULLS, from left, Doug, Kryssi, Cassie, Ben, Jenny and Kaylee.
In 2006, the Faulls packed their bags for a three-week, 9,000-mile camping trip out west, traveling through Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California.
“The trip was great and the kids were actually upset when we finally landed back in Pennsylvania. They just weren’t ready to come home yet,” said Faull.
To add another notch to their camping belt, for the past two years Jenny and her husband Doug ditched the pop-up camper and began to chaperone senior class camping trips for two of their children.
The class trip leader was looking for a couple who would be willing to go each year, so they now find themselves booked every second week of September for the next four years.
“We hike in from the back side of the Allegheny National Forest and set up camp at the base of the glacial boulder ridge – nowhere near a trail or any semblance of civilization. There are no facilities or even running water, other than the streams,” said Faull.
You might think that an Alpha with COPD would decide to stay behind on demanding trips. But it’s quite the opposite.
“I have to stop and rest now and then; I can only carry about a 50-pound pack. I haven’t tried to climb the rock yet. But other than huffing and puffing, and coughing up a lung at the 5:30 wakeup call in the morning — after sleeping under a tarp in the rain all night — my Alpha-1 doesn’t hold me back,” said Faull.
This August the Faulls took their family trip to Minister Creek in the Allegheny National Forest to rough it out with their Ramen Noodles, summer sausage meat sticks, head lamps, and shovels. They’ll hike about a mile or so deep into the woods until they find the perfect spot.
HAPPY CAMPERS — The Faull family on a rocky outcropping at Minister Creek on their most recent trip.
Extreme camping is definitely not for the Paris Hiltons of the world, especially going for days with no TV or cell phone reception.
If you decide to give it a try, take a few tips from Jenny Faull:
Start small, with shorter, less ambitious trips that won’t be too much for beginners. Always take a compass (small, light, reliable compasses are available for under $10) to head off getting lost in the woods. Don’t depend on your smart phone as a compass. What if the battery dies? Since deodorant, soap, and shampoo attract bugs, be prepared to smell pretty bad before the trip is over. And since there are no bathroom facilities in the woods, don’t forget your shovel.
