the best one however, to which we refer as the "best meal ever", actually happened at the end of the very first day. It was an odd combination of events, but let me try to explain.

- It was several years ago
- It was the first trip that most of us had gone on in a looooong time
- Most of us had 40+ lbs. on our backs (for an overnighter, we hadn't seen the light yet)
- It was one of those days in the Ozarks, in the spring, where it just rains ALL day
- The trailhead was on the other side of the creek and the large rocks to walk across had
washed away a month before.

So, we wandered up and down the creek for a couple of hours, not realizing the strain we were placing on our legs and joints by walking back and forth in sand. We eventually decided to just ford the creek and subsequently soaked ourselves to the bone.

Needless to say, we spent the entire day completely soaked, energy zapped, and walking in a downpoor. Once we finally arrived, we ate an entire summer sausage, a block of Velveta cheese, and a giant box of Triscuits.

It was AMAZING how good that meal tasted.