-eng- Camp With Mom And My Annoying Friend Who ... !!exclusive!! -

I had to jump in to help him get his footing, forgetting that my phone was still in my pocket. (RIP, electronics).

It was in that moment, watching Leo try to skip stones (and failing miserably), that I realized something. His energy, as grating as it could be, kept things from being boring. Without him, we would have just hiked in silence. With him, every mile was an adventure—even if it was a loud one. S'mores and Solutions

If you'd like to hear about more outdoor adventures or need tips on how to survive a trip with your friends: for difficult campers Best spots for family hiking How to fix a lopsided tent -ENG- Camp With Mom and My Annoying Friend Who ...

My mom stayed a few paces behind us, taking photos of wildflowers and letting us bicker. Every time I felt my blood pressure rising, she’d point out a hawk circling overhead or hand me a piece of jerky. She has this way of grounding the situation, making Leo’s antics seem less like a nuisance and more like a comedy show. The Incident at the Lake

When we finally pulled into the campsite, the air smelled like pine needles and damp earth. It was perfect—or it would have been if Leo hadn't immediately tripped over a root and dropped his phone into a patch of stinging nettles. I had to jump in to help him

The next morning, we set out for Eagle’s Peak. The trail was steep, winding through dense thickets of ferns. I wanted to soak in the silence, to hear the birds and the rustle of the wind. Leo, however, wanted to talk about every movie he’d seen in the last three years.

That night, we gathered around the fire. The smell of woodsmoke filled the air, and the stars were so bright they looked like spilled salt on a black tablecloth. His energy, as grating as it could be,

We went through an entire bag of marshmallows. Leo burned every single one of his until they were charred black husks. "It’s the smoky flavor," he insisted, charcoal smeared across his cheek.

While my mom calmly set up the "Command Center" (her name for the dining fly), Leo and I were tasked with the tent. Now, I’ve pitched a tent dozens of times. Leo, on the other hand, treated the fiberglass poles like they were alien technology.