Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

[Hungary Jack]

I've got a long weekend with my daughter in two weeks and I'd love to take her camping only the woods will be crawling with hunters of varying shooting abilities and judgments.

Is there anywhere in Missouri or Illinois that is safe that weekend?

In general, stay away from MoDoC lands during hunting season. Some state parks are safe, including Hawn (great place to camp, though the campground is located in a deep hollow, which will make it pretty cold come morning).

Hawn would be my recommendation. Be sure to check out 2 places nearby: Pickle Springs Natural Area, and Hickory Canyon (a bit farther east on 32). Hickory Canyon is especially cool, and not well known. This link might help.

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/onelove_ ... esgnw.html

[lukethedrifter]

I've got a long weekend with my daughter in two weeks and I'd love to take her camping only the woods will be crawling with hunters of varying shooting abilities and judgments.

Is there anywhere in Missouri or Illinois that is safe that weekend?

In general, stay away from MoDoC lands during hunting season. Some state parks are safe, including Hawn (great place to camp, though the campground is located in a deep hollow, which will make it pretty cold come morning).

Hawn would be my recommendation. Be sure to check out 2 places nearby: Pickle Springs Natural Area, and Hickory Canyon (a bit farther east on 32). Hickory Canyon is especially cool, and not well known. This link might help.

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/onelove_ ... esgnw.html

Thanks. I remember having difficulty getting a site at Hawn during November back in the 90s.

[Freed Roger]

I've got a long weekend with my daughter in two weeks and I'd love to take her camping only the woods will be crawling with hunters of varying shooting abilities and judgments.

Is there anywhere in Missouri or Illinois that is safe that weekend?

Boy that is a tough one. Trigger-happy suburbanites out in the woods with guns is the scary.

Hawn St Pk is still open I believe - probably without facilities. Lots of deer and hunting grounds adjacent to Hawn, but hard to imagine hunters up on the Whispering Pines Trail with the terrain. You can backcountry camp on Whispering Pines. A short trail that is outside Hawn that is pound for pound one of the best - is Pickle Springs Natural Area -also called Trail Through Time. (edit - Lol that HJ covered this all while I typed.)

Klondike Park is G-rated camping along the Katy Trail that has nice features. They offer some cabins too. Plus you could ride bikes to Augusta or taverns in Defiance.

We've cabined in Montauk St. Park one December - it was kind of nice. Anything north of the Missouri River -like Cuivre River I wouldn't go near during deer season. Down south of StL the deer herd isn't as good, but more of the "Winter's Bone" folk wandering around looking for dinner.

I probably haven't told you anything you didn't know already.

I'd never camped this time of year until this past weekend -my gauge read around 34degrees on Sat night. And thats not really cold. I enjoyed it, but definitely learned a few things the hard way -normal water sources are scarce, the ground gets damn cold with just a plain old mat on it, and its a long wait until daylight to go find a place for a cathole.

Also going camping without another person, - this was a first too. Probably, the whole loner-weirdo stigma of doing this kept me from going alone -but that is lame reasoning. So when the two other dudes crapped out I figured WTH.

Yeah -its better to have someone along - but going alone has it's perks. I was definitely more in tune with the surroundings. The dog was a pretty good hiking pal - and wasn't too much of a pain in the arse. Man is he tired today. Definitely would not go in the woods with the galoot on a deer weekend - he'd get shot as a deer in heartbeat.

some pics of camping with the hound

[SHOW]

My survivorman experience was running out of water and having to bushwack down to this shut in creek - about 700 feet below-about an hour RT. Then back up as daylight waned. Only carried the water bottles and filter along -so all the tales of woe ran through my mind, but fear is great fun.


Satanic galoot.



Awaiting sunrise.



re-done Taum Sauk Reservoir




earlier in the week hiking out in Tyson Co Park with Lil Freedette she was ticked about not going camping with me - but I don't think she'd have liked this one - we usually have some luxury side-jaunt on our travels

[thrill]

Great pics, Freed. I really miss fall foliage.

Took my dog and little bro camping Friday. Unspoiler for a few largeish pics.

The mutt was absolutely fascinated with the giant cliff.

[SHOW]

So was my brother. There was some controlled burning going down in the valley below.

[SHOW]

[Hungary Jack]

Mo certainly has some great terrain. The Shawnee region in southern IL is similar, though geologically quite different in origin. I might be there early next week.

Freed, those pics are from Bell Mtn?

[Freed Roger]

Great pics, Freed. I really miss fall foliage.

Took my dog and little bro camping Friday. Unspoiler for a few largeish pics.

The mutt was absolutely fascinated with the giant cliff.

[SHOW]

So was my brother. There was some controlled burning going down in the valley below.

[SHOW]

Great vistas. Where is it? What sort of mutt is that?

When I went down Bell Mtn for water below there are some nice boulders and ledges that you worked down. The galoot was pretty unsure - and I actually had an advantage going down them. But going back up the hill through deadfalls and ravines - I just followed the galoot - he instinctually seemed to know the path of least resistance.

[thrill]

Where is it?

Mogollon Rim

What sort of mutt is that?

Indeterminate. My dad brought him home from a Navajo reservation. He saw him lying on the ground one day, came back the next day and he hadn't moved. He had malnutrition, a staph infection, 20 some ticks and mange so bad all his hair fell off except on the top of his head. I got him all patched up and now he's the best dog I've ever had (and I grew up with at least two dogs at all times).

[lukethedrifter]

Have we talked gear in this thread yet?

What stove do you use? Tent? Bag? Water purifier?

[Hungary Jack]

Stove:
1. Jet Boil - love this thing as it sips fuel
2. MSR pocket rocket - good for melting tent stakes

Tents:
1. Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 - 3 season, 2 doors, huge and under 5 lbs fully packed
2. Tarptent Squall 2 - roomy, superlight, and surprisingly weatherproof[/list]
3. Eureka Backcountry 1 - nice little freestanding solo tent for tall guys, weighs about 4 lbs

Bag
1. TNF Bigfella (a Cat's Meow cut a little bigger) - great all around 3 season synthetic bag
2. Marmot Sawtooth 15% - only used it once and it kept me warm at 20 degrees

Purifier:
1. MSR Miniworks EX - looooove this thing--field serviceable, excellent flow, easy action
2. Aqua Mira tablets - good backup plan

[Freed Roger]

Bag - Mountain Hardware 35 3 season- its a synthetic - nice and comfy. I was cold in it though at 35 degrees- but probably because of the
Pad - thermarest foam-transferred the cold from mother earth right into my body. My REI dividend will be used to get a nicer pad.

Tent -MSR hubba 2 person. I like it. I do need to work with staking it down better in the cold and wind. Maybe skip the vestibule setup with the fly and stake it close and tight to the tent to keep the wind out. I almost regret not getting a 3 person tent though.

Water purifier - Katadyn hiker pro. fits in a nice little bag. 3 uses and haven't had the [expletive] yet.

Stove - I don't have one. Friend has a jetboil. Recently, I used a soup can in the fire embers to boil water. When I got home I was proud to craft a little stand out of some junk that holds the can up a bit and cuts down on soot getting in the water. It works -and it would also allow for a denatured alcohol fire underneath it... but the MSR pocket rocket is on my wish list.

I know you didn't ask - but I really like my new Deuter 65+ backpack. It is really light and comfortable to wear. It looks a little weak with the slim straps and buckles. But its held up fine. would be versatile for a variety of trips, and purportedly can be legal as airplane carry-on (for whatever the hell that is worth)