Camping While Pregnant: 33 Weeks
Not one to be deterred by either a challenge or an unpleasant experience (I finished grad school, after all, and then went back for a post doctoral masters), we planned a second camping trip for a few weeks later, this time risking a more primitive campsite. We were both feeling the urge to “get away from it all,” so we decided to return to Delta Campground - one of our favorites from the previous summer - despite the lack of running water.
Can I just take a moment and talk about the one literal thing that made camping while pregnant possible for me? As in, I would have flatly refused to go camping without it. It is a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid.
Seriously.
On the list of things that have changed my life for the better is a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid. Add a trash bag and a little kitty litter and you’ve got a low tech toilet for all of the many times your pregnant bladder forced you to roll your pregnant body off of the air mattress onto all fours before slowly rising to your feet and gingerly walking to the corner of the tent where the toilet was located. Or something like that.
Anyway. No middle of the night jaunts through a dark campground to a questionable vault toilet, nervously holding my phone because of course I forgot a flashlight. Or, alternatively attempting to find an appropriate place to squat in the cold night air because I just couldn’t bring myself to walk to the toilet half a campground away. Nope. Not for me. I’ll bring my own toilet, thank you very much. I recommend this strategy in general, but if you’re pregnant or have some other reason you will need to get up to pee approximately 492 times per night, give or take a few, then do yourself a favor and make your own portable toilet. You can thank me later.
Now that I have shared my PSA for the day and possibly the most important information you will read this week or maybe ever, on to the actual camping trip.
We decided to explore a new spot this time - the aptly named Clear Lake. This spot is certainly busy, and for good reason. The unbelievably clear water was so bright blue it almost looked tropical.
Because the lake was uniquely formed from a volcanic eruption, the forest that once stood where the lake now exists is still visible under the surface. The water is much too cold for swimming, but diving is popular here. Seriously Google the pictures, it’s incredible. To preserve the pristine lake, no motorized boats are allowed, but row boats and kayaks are popular. Day rates for rentals are quite reasonable. Not particularly wanting to balance my pregnant body in and out of a boat, we decided to hike the Clear Lake Loop Trail, a 5 mile-ish trail that circumvents the lake. The scenery varied from lakeside views to forested trails to volcanic landscape, all equally stunning.
Clear Lake is a must visit Oregon spot. The following day, we had no specific plans, but set out to explore a bit and find a spot for Brandon to fish before we headed home. We stumbled across one of the dams and reservoirs along the McKenzie River. The only thing we caught were views, but we went home happy.
By the time we took this camping trip, we were beginning to count down our last days as a couple before adding to our family. We knew our lives would be changing and that the next summer our adventures would probably look a little different. So we slowed down and enjoyed the simple moments together, appreciating the beautiful place we get to live and the chance to explore it together.