'Glamping,' to be all the rage this summer
Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 3:13 pm
Gabrukiewicz: Glamor camping, 'glamping,' to be all the rage this summer
By Thom Gabrukiewicz // Redding.com
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The third day into a weeklong backpacking adventure, I awoke to the smell of fresh-squeezed orange juice and cinnamon-infused French toast, with real maple syrup. And bacon, sizzling crispy goodness.
My boots lay in the tent's vestibule, freshly brushed and sanitized.
I rang the little brass bell, on the little bit of polished pine, and asked my porter for tea; Earl Grey, hot. Milk and a slice of lemon.
I lay my head back onto the goose-down pillow, its luxurious softness made even more decedent by the 1,500-thread-count Egyptian cotton pillowcase. "I must be dreaming" I say to the wind whispering through the pines.
As it turns out, I am. Usually in the backcountry, I am awakened by the first light of the dawn with the overwhelming urge to relieve myself and the buzz-saw snoring of my compatriots as a soundtrack.
There's backpacking, there's camping and now there's glamping. As in glamour camping. A wilderness camp setting with deluxe comforts as steamy-hot showers, plush-top king beds, triple-sheeted linens and gourmet cuisine.
"The whole concept appeals to the Baby Boomers who still want an outdoor adventure, but clean sheets and a good meal and a fine class of cabernet at the end of the day," said Catherine Boire, spokeswoman for the Sequoia High Sierra Camp, a five-star camping experience within the Sequoia National Forest that will open for its third season June 13. "It has all the advantages, the amenities of a hotel, but it's in the backcountry."
There's 36 private tent cabins, each is about 330 square feet, a modern bathhouse and an on-site executive chef.
The camp is located at 8,200 feet in elevation and there's two options for people to get there: A 12-mile moderately strenuous hike on the Twin Lakes Trail in the Giant Sequoia National Monument or a 1-mile walk from a parking area.
"There's not the option to drive directly to the camp," Boire said. "Everybody starts out on a trail, whether it's a mile with a daypack with just your clothing on your back, or the 12-mile hike that's strenuous, but is just beautiful."
And while you're there, there's plenty of opportunity to mesh with nature. There's several multi-mile dayhikes, including a 3-miler to the top of Mitchell Peak and offers views of Kings River Canyon and the Monarch Divide; and there's fly fishing in creeks and lakes.
Glamping isn't cheap. The 2008 overnight rate for Sequoia High Sierra Camp is $250 a night per person. That includes all accommodations and three meals a day.
"But you know, we're running 40 percent higher the number of reservations than last year," Boire said. "I think people are looking for that outdoor experience, but don't want to venture all that far."
For more information, call (866) 654-2877 or visit http://www.sequoiahighsierracamp.com.
Thom Gabrukiewicz's Outside column appears every Sunday in the Record Searchlight. He can be reached at 225-8230 or tgabrukiewicz@Redding.com.