Pilgrim and a Stranger

Always bring a backpack - or - Can't nobody break wind like yours truly

2012-01-08T15:02:00.003-06:00

Indentured servitude - er - at-will employment took me past Lawton, Oklahoma last week, and as I was burning rubber heading south on I-44 I nearly jumped out of my seat belt when a huge, looming mountain was suddenly on top of me.

Mountains? In Oklahoma? and right smack dab in the middle of the freeway?

Well, the mountains weren't an optical illusion, if their placement was. Some trick of the eye made it appear that the Wichita Mountains were about to land on me. But sure enough, there they were, off to the west, inviting me out for a looksee.

I stopped for a visit on my way home. I started at the Post Oak Lake trailhead, hiked 2.5 miles north to Sunset Pool, then up to the summit of Elk Mountain another 1.2 miles. I scouted for a possible route down the west side of Elk Mt., but turned back after realizing I was out of my bouldering league. With wandering, scrambling, bouldering, and getting lost all combined, I probably walked about 8 miles.

I neglected to bring my standard daypack kit on my business trip, and thus had to make due with supplies and equipment on hand. I did go to Walmart for a cheap backpack (which, incidentally, broke a zipper at the trailhead and will be returned for a refund post haste). The midday high was seasonably on the warm side, but the morning was chilly and breezy. I improvised a windbreaker by cutting some holes in a black trash bag. Worked like a charm. Nobody breaks wind like your humble bloggist.

The scenery was spectacular. What looked like nondescript (if huge) hills from I-44 was actually meticulously sculpted granite, strewn about with convenience-store-sized boulders and cut with small streams and pools. Midwestern winter brown was the dominating color, punched with prickly pear green and a deep blue cloudless sky.

The trails were busy, especially Elk Mountain, traffic for which I was glad: I believe I spent more time off-trail than on. The trails are completely unblazed and unsigned, and at times cross bald rock, making them very difficult to follow. I don't know why the trails weren't blazed, though I suspect a radical wilderness ethic is at work. But blazes do not mar the scenery unduly. Anyway, I was glad for trail company, for as I stumbled my way through the Charon Gardens Wilderness, I was glad to hear distant conversations, reassuring me that I must not be too far off course. This ends my only gripe. Blaze the trails, WMNWR.

I saw longhorns and bison on my drive to the trailhead, but was pleased to encounter them on the trail, too. Just nifty.

Here's the pictures to prove I was there (and that I wore a trash bag as a jacket):

Laugh at your sister

2011-12-09T06:21:00.002-06:00

An extended quote from my latest read:

For the obstinate reminder continued to recur: only the supernatural [worldview] has taken a sane view of Nature. The essence of all pantheism, evolutionism, and modern cosmic religion is really in this proposition: that Nature is our mother. Unfortunately, if you regard Nature as a mother, you discover that she is a step-mother. [But Christianity holds] that Nature is not our mother: Nature is our sister. We can be proud of her beauty, since we have the same father; but she has no authority over us; we have to admire, but not to imitate. This gives to the typically Christian pleasure in this earth a strange touch of lightness that is almost frivolity.... Nature was a solemn mother to Wordsworth or to Emerson. But Nature is not solemn to Francis of Assisi or to George Herbert. To St. Francis, Nature is a sister, and even a younger sister: a little, dancing sister, to be laughed at as well as loved.

- G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Pinnacles

2011-12-02T10:10:00.004-06:00

I had opportunity to clamber around at Pinnacles Youth Park this week. I've posted about the place before. No long trails, but plenty of fun. Leaf-off winter views were more open, if gray. Love that blue sky:

Copan

2011-10-07T13:51:00.002-05:00

I was down in the Copan Lake area, in northern Oklahoma, this past week and got some pictures from a hilltop overlooking the lake and Caney River area. Here are the best of the lot:

There aren't a ton of great trails there, but even the drive on Highways 75, 99, 11, and 20 (to name just a few) is a nice trip.

Hazel Hill Lake

2011-10-05T21:57:00.004-05:00

Sticking with the quick jaunts as I motor up and down the crude pipeline, here's a few quick photos I took with my phone at Hazel Hill Lake, east of KC, just north of Warrensburg.

There weren't "official" trails, but there was a service road and some short fishermen's trails to chase. Maybe someday I'll organize a volunteer crew to build a trail around the west half of the lake. Then again, I've heard that volunteers don't even get paid, so...

1.8 miles, out-n-back, from the dock to the north area access point.

Elk City Lake (reprise)

2011-10-04T15:33:00.004-05:00

Back in southeast Kansas again, I again did a short walk on the Table Mound Trail. Rather than follow the bluffline section, however, I struck south and followed the trail down near the lake, then walked the shoreline to the end of a point. One and a half miles out, and that much back (3 miles total).

I'd been to Walmart and picked up some tasty Italian summer sausage and a roll of gouda. I wished I had more time to sit in the breeze and shade of the point, watching the fishermen trolling.

I retain my general distaste for USACE reservoirs: although it can be interesting to walk on exposed, formerly subterranean geology, it doesn't seem like it's a healthy thing. Shale-stone beaches and hot, stagnant lakewater aren't lovely.

I suppose the damage is done, though. There's no way that, after permanently flooding these Mid-southern and Mid-western drainage basins, they could ever recover, leastwise not in many generations.

Ecological opinions aside, Elk City Lake is a great place to spend an afternoon walking.

Elk City Lake - Table Mound Trail

2011-08-10T21:01:00.008-05:00

Providence is the word Christians use to refer to God's sovereign working of all things according to his will. It's the opposite of the popular notion of "luck," although the two words are virtually synonymously used. It is a matter of your point of reference.

Your point of reference makes all the difference!

As Providence had it, I was in southeast Kansas for work on Wednesday, enjoying the break down of that nasty high pressure weather system that kept the lower Midwest in triple digits for weeks on end. Rather than 108, the day's high was in the 80's, with persistent cloud cover and thunderstorms. Very rare August climes, and especially refreshing after the troublesome heat we've had.

As if that weren't happy enough, Providence also led me to discover a hiking trail that had heretofore escaped my notice: Table Mound trail at Elk City Lake. And I agree with those who say this is the finest hiking trail in Kansas (or in a tie with Kanopolis' Red Rock Canyon!).

I only had an hour after the day's work, but this was a free hour well lived. I stopped by the State Park office to inquire about the trail, but didn't find anyone in the office. So I kept motoring up the road, and found the free access point at the Monument Overlook. This is the north trailhead for Table Mound trail. I hope someday to bag the whole Elk River Trail, a 15 mile stretch along the lake.

The views of the lake are sweeping and beautiful, but more striking are the limestone and other rock formations along the base of the bluff. Scramblers, start your engines. A climber could have a good afternoon pulling himself up the crags, cracks, and boulders. There are a few narrow trail passages that make a chunker like me think twice before squeezing through.

Hope the photos whet your appetite to visit this Midwest gem (click on photos to view at Picasa). I'm really stoked to return someday and spend some time. Elk City Lake is just outside Independence, Kansas, about 3.5 hours south and east of Kansas City. Also near Independence is a Laura Ingalls Wilder historic site and museum (www.littlehouseontheprairiemuseum.com) that I'll be taking the Wife to someday. And since you're not far, the restaurant at the Copan Truck Stop makes perfect hashbrowns and very good biscuits (HT: Josh S.). It's right on US-75, about 5 miles south of the KS/OK state line.

Indiana: Turkey Run State Park

2011-06-30T09:32:00.004-05:00

Well I haven't been walking, or blogging, as much as is good for a man, but I did want to report on a jaunt I took last month, passing through Indiana.

I got good advice from the Midwest forum at http://www.backpacker.com/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi . After a few very helpful post exchanges, and reviewing the time I had available, I settled on a quick walk at Turkey Run State Park.

I only had a couple hours, so I poked around trails 3, 5, and 9. I didn't have a camera (self-limiting factor, as I often spend too much time shutterbugging), but what a wonderful series of gorges, canyons, waterfalls, and hollows! At one location, the Park has constructed ladders, anchored to the rock walls, to allow hikers passage up and down the steep rock canyons.

The weather was warm and humid. I was very glad for the cool caverns and canyons. I was totally floored to find such a dramatic, and simultaneously intimate, place, seemingly plopped randomly in Indiana's corn fields.

The trail map provided at the office was sufficient, but I wished it was topographic, and bigger. The big, fat icons made it somewhat difficult to read with precision.

The park was swarming with kids, I guess a local school field day? I didn't see anybody past the ladders trail, and had the best back-trail scenery all to myself. I wished I had more time, and my hammock.

I asked nice at the campground up the highway, and they let me use their shower after the walk.

Saw a few little brown lizards (skinks?). I heard a few slithers in the grass. Plenty of chipmunks and sparrows.

Stats:
2.84 miles
Total time: 2:11:44
Moving time: 0:52:01

Thanks again, Hoosiers!

Privilege

2011-04-08T09:33:00.007-05:00

Man is a decidedly privileged creature, and he knows it.

Nathan and me, Warrior Hill, BWCAW, 2002

California Part 3: Coop deh Gracie

2011-03-18T22:11:00.004-05:00

Here's the final installment of my California hike logs. And it was the coup de grace.

7.5 (ish) miles on the Icehouse Saddle trail, in the Angeles and San Bernadino National Forests, and Cucamonga Wilderness.

Awesome.

This hike could convince me that living in Los Angeles ain't so bad. Just awesome. The lower two miles were full of L.A. folks, taking their kids up to the mountains to experience snow and sledding and snowball fights. Scouts on a weekend campout. And lots of middle-aged Asians. There were rental cabins, too, perched along the roaring and tumbling creek. Definitely a place to take the family some day.

The upper 1.75 miles, into the Cucamonga Wilderness now, were busy with PCT hikers, daytripper snowshoers, and backcountry skiers. I stopped alongside the creek and filled my water bottle. Delicious mountain snowmelt water, inexplicably fresh. The going was hard, with the snow deepening with every step forward, but the scenery egged me on.

I made it probably 3.5 miles up, with 0.25 miles to go, when I stopped and, thinking I was alone, said out loud, "I don't know if I can go on."

To my surprise, a German or Norwiegan accent responded: "I knooow. I goot theese faaar, and deecided to stop."

A handsome blond-haired fellow was sitting on a rock, about 20 yards off the trail, soaking up the sun and getting ready for his descent back down the canyon.

Well, in his attempt at empathy, he was in effect DARING me to go on, and my American pride wasn't about to let a foreigner see me chicken out in the last half mile.

"I'd be mad at myself, coming all this way, if I didn't at least try for the top," I said.

"I calcuulaaate that it is time to turn around. But you can do what you want," said the nihilist, I mean, the German.

He was right: it was about time to hike back to the trailhead, to avoid stumbling down the mountain the dark. But pride aside, I knew I needed to at least reach the saddle. I really would have felt cheated to turn back so close to the saddle.

I am very glad I pushed on. The next half mile wasn't easy, but I've walked harder miles. The pictures speak for themselves. I enjoyed some Toblerone, a smoke, and a few handfuls of gorp in the presence of God's San Gabriel masterpiece. The view was spectacular. My only regret is that I didn't start sooner in the day. If I had, I could have bagged Cucamonga Peak, Timber Peak, or several other high-elevation points in the vicinity.

The walk down the canyon required some care, especially in the narrow, snowy sections, but the hardest part was done in the remaining daylight. I stopped at Columbine Spring to again sample the living water from these mountains, and again it was quenching in more than a merely physical sense. By the time it was dark, properly, I was again in the lower section of the trail, with its wide and well-worn path.

Upon a blogger's recommendation (thanks to Mr. Schreiner for his very helpful blog), I ate dinner at the Mt. Baldy Lodge. The food and beer were great (especially the potato soup), as was the big fire and lodge-ish atmosphere.

I wish I'd seen some bighorn sheep, and I wish I had my Darlin' Companion with me, and like I said earlier, I wish I'd had more time to stay and meditate on the grandeur. But as a taste, I was satisfied. Lord, would that I may return someday.

California Part 2

2011-03-13T19:22:00.004-05:00

Last week, after a bad day of work, I skipped off to La Tuna Canyon park (not the Malibu one) in Sun Valley. The weather was clearing, and I hoped to get good views of the city, and maybe the ocean. In the end, I got good views of the city, and maybe saw the ocean (but probably not). Smog wasn't the problem, but just normal haziness. But I did make it to the top of Hostetter fire road, and had some awesome views along the way.

Hiking back in the dark wasn't much fun. I was passed by at least 5 nighttime mountain biking parties, and I wasn't wearing high-viz, reflective clothing, nor carrying a decent light. But overall, I'm glad I went, and would make it a routine if I lived in the area. I'd find it hard to complain, having gargantuan views of the US's second largest city, on a regular basis.

California Part 1

2011-03-10T17:25:00.005-06:00

I had work in California over the past week, and I found a few hours to get lost. My first walkabout was at Las Trampas regional park in San Ramon.

I hiked 3.5 miles, and 750' vertical feet, on the Bollinger Canyon trail and the Las Trampas Ridge trail. I took the road less traveled, viz. the more inland trails, and thus missed out on big views of the Bay, but still the country was gorgeous. Green mountains in every direction, on the first of March! I experienced the strong allure California holds out to lovers of everything out-of-doors.

The cross-dressing man on my flight into Oakland, however, gave me the other California experience, which I'm not anxious to repeat soon. He did have a really nice backpack and North Face down jacket. Also lipstick, earrings, and women's skinny jeans.

But I digress. Here's the slideshow.

Cross Timbers

2011-01-27T10:11:00.003-06:00

On the way back from fieldwork in the Flint Hills, I stopped at Cross Timbers SP on Toronto Lake. It's about 155 miles, or 3 hours, from Kansas City. I hiked 1.5 miles on the Overlook Trail, and 3.5 miles on the Chautauqua Hills Trail.

Notes:

It was most enjoyable to get out and stretch the legs again. I wish I could do this on a weekly basis. The sunshine was warm (while it lasted) and a walk in the woods always does the mind good.

I was very surprised to see the whole lake frozen. I didn't dare walk on it, but that's a sight I never see south of I-80. I really love the 4th photo in the album, taken from the Overlook Trail.

Bring cash so you can pay for a $4 daily vehicle permit without driving all the way to the park offices on the south end of Toronto Lake. They take plastic, but I wasted almost an hour paying for my vehicle pass.

I thought of seven reasons to love winter hiking: no orb-weaver spider webs covering the trail; no ticks; no snakes; no poison ivy; no crowds; it's much easier to see a way through the woods when you've lost the trail; thermal comfort is achieved through adding/subtracting layers.

Speaking of losing the trail, the Chautauqua Hills red trail (west) was in sore need of a good raking. Half my walk there was spent searching for the trail, or just picking my own way through the woods.

I saw several non-native invasive species along the trail, including a sofa, a chest freezer (with door removed, how considerate!), and several melted plastic barrels. I marveled at (1) the effort it must have taken to bring this junk out here and (2) the laziness it took to just leave it.

If I ever did backcountry camping at Cross Timbers, I'd be sure to pack in all my own water. I wouldn't try to boil or treat the lakewater for consumption. There are several backcountry sites along the Chautauqua Hills Trail (west).

I saw an armadillo, and scared up a flock of quail. Cool!

Views were nice, though I'm beginning to doubt the wisdom of these US Army Corps. of Engineers reservoirs (e.g., Kanopolis Lake, Truman Lake, Mark Twain Lake, Smithville Lake, and Toronto). The Toronto shorelines were utterly desolate, miles of limestone formations stripped clean of topsoil, and thousands of acres of deadwood washed 200 yards offshore during flood stages. I kept thinking, "I wonder what this would have been like if they'd just let the Verdigris River do its thing, and what benefit is derived from this use of natural resource?" Maybe someday I can research the history and philosophy of these USACE projects.

Gear Selloff

2011-01-14T10:24:00.011-06:00

I recently have been selling off a bunch of camping and hiking gear on eBay, Craigslist, and various hiking/camping interest message boards. I thought it was going really well, until I actually tabulated the numbers.

In short: I think I might have been able to get, optimistically, about $900 for my gear. I've gotten, instead, about $500.

Maybe it's simply the cold water of the reality of hard asset depreciation shocking me out of unrealistic expectations and too-optimistic self-assessment. "I paid $1,400 for all this crap, so it must be worth that much. Right?"

Well, that may be the case, but in addition, I think I'm relearning some other hard lessons, and revealing character flaws, and it's costing me. Because, mainly, of my impatience and ignorance, I think I've really short-changed myself. So, if you should ever be looking to sell your stuff, take your time, think things through, research shipping costs, and read every single bloody detail.

Happy 2011! Blue River hike

2011-01-01T21:20:00.004-06:00

In celebration of the new year, and in hopes of establishing some good new years' habits, the Wife and I went hiking (also, she made some awesome french toast for New Years' breakfast that we had to walk off). So we swept the kids off to Grandpa & Grandma's and headed down to Minor Park, just off Holmes & Red Bridge Rd.

We were running low on daylight, so we only hiked about a mile out and a mile back to the car, but the trails there are quite nice, meandering in and out of sight of the Blue River, and even climbing a few respectable hills to get some nice views of the surrounding valley.

Portions of the trail are open to mountain biking and horse riding.

Links to info:
BRP Trailwatchers
Blue River.org

May 2011 find us walking God's trail, walking with Him, and walking together!

Gear on the brain

2010-12-21T03:05:00.005-06:00

I've been remodeling a house lately. Tearing out old nasty carpet, a full refinishing of 900 sq. ft. of hardwood floors, wallpaper stripping, wall priming, ripping out 3 layers of kitchen linoleum and replacing with VCT. I still have lots to do: replace a bathroom subfloor, install a cabinet/counter and dishwasher, weatherize our drafty windows.

But despite all that filling my head, or probably because I feel I need a vacation, I've had a long walk on the brain. And as such, I've been remodeling my backpack contents, and obsessing over every ounce (on paper) in that pack.

Concomitantly, I took a trip to Denver a couple weeks ago, and knocked around a few Denver thrift stores in search of a down jacket (I didn't find one).

But I had a funny idea: it would be fun, sometime, to spend one day attempting to fully outfit yourself for a multi-night walk in the woods just by visiting thrift stores.

I have seen all of the following at thrift stores over the years:

-name brand wool socks, hiking boots, fleece jackets, and fast-drying, lightweight clothing
-down jackets
-recently trendy (and recently discarded) aluminum water bottles - good for alcohol fuel or water (but not both!)
-old bamboo, aluminum or carbon ski poles - great as trekking poles
-old school external frame packs
-Batman-decorated backpacks (c'mon, that'd be sweet)
-lightweight nylon fanny packs (make great belt pockets) and camera cases
-ultra-cheap "emergency" rain ponchos
-umbrellas
-small, lightweight cookpots
-sombreros - you know it would be funny
-silverware - often lightweight plastic (c-store plastic-ware works great, too)
-CCF sleeping mats - a rare find, but possible
-puffy comforter of some kind - share with a tentmate, and it's probably as light or lighter than your sleeping bag
-tarps and pup tents - also rare, but possible
-insulated plastic mugs and thermoses

I think the only thing you'd really need to get Retail is water treatment. Walmart has options. I've heard of using regular old chlorine bleach as water treatment, but I have no idea how that's done so you shouldn't do it. You might also need to buy a cookstove, although if you can get a small fire going, you might not need a stove. Maybe root through the thrift store shelves for something that can be used as a pot stand or grill. Or you could look for a small sheet of flexible metal and make yourself a small twig-burning stove (something like this or this).

Anyway, it'd be fun to start with nothing but $50 in your pocket and see how far you can outfit yourself at some thrift stores. Then, when you're done, find a hobo and give him the whole kit. He'll be stoked.

All That Wander

2010-12-20T14:03:00.002-06:00

Not all that wander are lost. Well, most of 'em are, they just won't admit it.

Adventure in Progress

2010-12-16T02:00:00.004-06:00

I came across a really neat blog today, while knocking around backpackinglight.com:

Adventure In Progress

Insightful, well-written family camping/backpacking blog. Check it out!

Brown Mountain

2010-12-11T17:02:00.005-06:00

I had a spare couple hours on a business daytrip to Denver yesterday, so I went to Hayden Park on Green Mountain . The thin Colorado air made ascending the 660 feet to the summit a real chore (surely it wasn't my being out of shape). A snowstorm was settling in on the Rockies, so views of the mountains were limited, but the hogback foothills were spectacular enough for this Midwesterner. Would love to have taken in a sunrise or sunset.

Felt great to stretch the legs. I estimate my loop was about 5.25 miles.

Clean Boots

2010-11-29T14:03:00.004-06:00

Had a nice Thanksgiving in Minnesota. We hoped to get E some snow playtime, as she is the recently new owner of snowpants and snowboots, but we were much too busy with visiting, eating, and cleaning up after ourselves.

If we'd had time, we might have stomped around Ft. Snelling State Park, or Minnehaha Falls Park.

Have you been anywhere outside lately? I'm ready to get my boots dirty.

Enlarging the tent

2010-08-20T22:00:00.003-05:00

He made it!
8/16/10. Everyone's doing fine.

Lebanon Has Souvenirs

2010-08-12T16:43:00.005-05:00

Dusting off the backlog, here. We're on pins and needles (happy ones) waiting for our 2nd kid to arrive, so I'm not setting my sights anywhere but home for a while to come.

In March I took a shortcut home from central Nebraska, passing by the geographical center of the contiguous United States.

Click the photo for more.

The landscape lends itself to a feeling of immensity. You feel like you're right in the middle of something. I was there in March. The dreary skies, bare trees, and brown grass look downright martian, as we're currently in the middle of a August heatwave.

It's a testimony to the religious heritage of the Midwest, for better and for worse. God is front and center here, with the prayer chapel and three crosses display and all that. I'm afraid it slides into some of the most stereotypical expressions of sentimental, doctrinally ambiguous, rah-rah-USA-civil-religion.

Still, if only as a symbol of what ought to be, Christ is at the center of the United States.

Done Fiddling

2010-07-23T14:48:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm done fiddling. Check out the new format, new pages, new photos, and let me know what you think.

Remodeling

2010-07-22T13:31:00.002-05:00

I've remodeled the blog, for a number of reasons, to include only posts about outdoor recreation and related issues. Previously, the blog was a personal sounding board, a soapbox for whatever I happened to be thinking at the moment, a "personal page" of ruminations. The blog was essentially about me. That doesn't make for a very good blog.

Further, using webpage analytic software, I find that the main surfing traffic comes from keywords like "Reavis Ranch" and "Hurricane Creek" and "purpose of underwear." Nobody lands here searching for "postmodern dialectic epistemology" or "cultural Marxism" or "What's his favorite 1990's punk band?"

So I'll be focusing this blog on hiking, camping, photos, and related material. You'll notice that there remains a few "opinion" posts, intersections of my outdoor hobbies with faith/politics/culture (see keyword "ETC"). Although focusing the blog on outdoor recreation, I hope nonetheless to "do everything to the glory of God." Within a narrower field, I anticipate continued thinking and ruminating on creation, the fall, the Savior, the Evangel, perseverance in faith, public policy, and the coming New Heavens and New Earth. Hopefully, the narrowing of scope will result in better clarity when making my case for "the hope that lies within."

I hope my 28 readers will keep me bookmarked and subscribed-to, and won't be disappointed in the lack of cultural analysis on this blog. If there was a post from the past that you particularly liked, e-mail me and I can send you the text (I exported the old blog before making all the changes). If you really want it, I can send you the whole .xml file.

If you're looking for excellent cultural, political, or theological discussions, click here or on the "Google Reader Shared Items" on the right sidebar. That's what I'm reading and loving lately.

And if you want to talk life, love, theology, psychology, sin, sanctification, language, abortion, philosophy, pilgrimage, culture, literature, music, politics, or beer, then we'll have you over for pie (or beer, but not both).

Romans 5:1,

Pilgrim

Flint Hills, redux

2010-07-22T09:05:00.005-05:00

Previous Flint Hills love here and here.

This from near a worksite, near Rosalia, KS. Playing with the panorama feature of the new office camera:

360 degreesClick on it for a bigger view

Kanopolis 2010

2010-06-04T11:37:00.003-05:00

See my 2009 photos here.

Walked the Buffalo Tracks and Horsethief Canyon trails this time, and skipped the Red Rock Canyon. The cave was alright, not deep and expansive like an Ozark cave, but cool and shady. The upper Buffalo Tracks creek area was right lovely. Saw an Oriole, but couldn't get a photo. Lots of blue-tailed skinks, turkey buzzards, and ticks. Also scared up a few whitetails, and a reptile which was the size of a large gecko, but the dry-green color of an iguana. Met a kid who'd caught a horned toad. Forced by time to wade a waist-deep creek crossing that smelled a LOT like horse piss (disgusting). Very thankful for their campground showers.

Youth v. Millenia

2010-05-28T09:16:00.006-05:00

I stopped by Pinnacles Youth Park, just north of Columbia yesterday. What a gorge-ous (ahem) little gem of natural beauty! Above are some photos I shot (sorry for the glaring date/time stamps).

I did what might technically be called "scrambling" to get up to the ridge. I'll call it scrambling, as that word makes me sound more youthful than to use a more accurate description, like scuffling, crawling, or dragging myself up the rock.

Acrophobe that I am, I nonetheless did "climb" (again, maybe exaggerated) the namesake rock formations, and found the view and breeze worth all the effort. I doubt I'll ever get the Wife up there, but with some supervision I think it's a really spectacular place to take the kids. Those uninterested in climbing can nonetheless enjoy the scenery from below and cool their feet in the stream.

"Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock!"

Konza Prairie

2010-03-03T10:33:00.005-06:00

I stopped by Konza Prairie yesterday. Superb. There are better photos extant, but here are mine (taken with a scratched-up 2.1 MP Sony and touched-up with Picasa):

I saw Konza's main attraction, but from much too far away to get a good photo.

In Kansas, everywhere is a spectacular vista. Just look up.

Too Many Ups

2010-02-22T16:51:00.002-06:00

One More For The Life List

2009-11-03T13:09:00.001-06:00

HT: baxpax.org

Grey Hike

2009-10-16T09:12:00.006-05:00

EDIT: I should have said a little more. This is from the Smith Creek loop trail, Cedar Creek district of the Mark Twain National Forest. I started at Rutherford Bridge, a little east of Englewood, MO, which is a little east of the Columbia Regional Airport. I only had about two hours to play around, and when I got to the Smith Creek crossing I saw I couldn't cross without getting my feet soaked. So instead I hacked up and down Smith Creek, and found some pretty riffles and changing maples.

I recommend clicking on the slideshow to view in Picasa. Bigger, better images.

Playgrounds

2009-08-20T15:33:00.006-05:00

I must be getting stir crazy. I "published" a spreadsheet of hiking trail destinations in the general vicinity of Kansas City.

LINK HERE.

I haven't made it to all these yet (note the empty Notes spaces). I skipped places I've only heard of and haven't researched, like the Oachita Trail, Rockpile Wilderness, River-to-River Trail, and others. I'd also love to hear of any great places in MO/AR/OK/KS/NE/IA/IL that I haven't listed.

Psalm 95.

Kanopolis SP

2009-06-26T07:04:00.006-05:00

During a business trip, and before my daughter arrived, I stopped by Kanopolis State Park for a leg-stretcher. I've never been able to quite reconcile where I thought I went with the various maps that exist (I picked up three slightly different versions on site), but I think I hiked about eight miles on the Horsethief Canyon, Prairie, and Red Rock Canyon trails.

Very good trails! Horsethief Canyon was pretty, with a couple nice streams cutting through it and vista views of Kanopolis Reservoir. Of course that huge Kansas sky is impressive - late afternoon thunderheads billowed in the distance. Red Rock Canyon was the highlight for me, though: it reminds me of the Red Rocks region near Sedona, AZ!

I didn't have time to visit the cave or prairie dog town. There's a lot of trail there to be covered. After my hike, I put the campground shower facilities to good use. I needed it!

Be prepared for:
- Short sections of sand hiking (tough going)
- Waist deep water crossings
- Ticks galore
- Shady canyon hollows full of poison ivy

Gripe: They don't allow backcountry camping.

Check out the photos:

Kanopolis SP is about 3.5 hours west of KC, near Salina, KS. $4.20 daily vehicle pass.

Sugar Daddy

2009-06-22T15:53:00.006-05:00

6/15/09.

Spring Outings part II

2009-06-07T19:45:00.010-05:00

My friend Andrew and I packed 2 nights on the Ozark Trail, in and around the Bell Mountain Wilderness. Though it rained and rained and rained some more, we were grateful that we had the chance to see the St. Francois Mountains before the really nasty weather tore up that whole area. I hear it's in a bad way right now, and they need sawyers to clean up some trail.

I really wanted to use the word "sawyers."

This was the first of my multiday hiking trips that I would call "ultralight." Without food and water, my pack weight was around 17 pounds. I am a total and committed convert. This is the only way to fly, my friends. It is very worth the thinking and preparing to get your pack as light as possible and do without the luxuries you really don't need. I've never schlepped a pack so easily and comfortably.

Well, here's the slideshow. We used Andrew's Canon digital camera; I took most of the pictures.

Thursday

With a foreboding and soggy forecast, we left KC at 5:30 for the trailhead. We intended to begin at Council Bluff Lake, but when we got there we met a team from the USFS, and a guy whose name was Dan, or Doug - "Mr. Middle Fork" someone called him. He advised we head down to the south DD Trailhead rather than start from Council Bluff Lake. We were thankful for the advice as it saved us 6.5 miles and 2 or 3 hours (twice).

We got to the DD trailhead, and got started about noon. Five minutes into our hike, the clouds opened up and out came our ponchos. I was mostly happy with the poncho solution - mine was made extra long to cover my pack, too, and you'll see in the photos it made a decent shelter from the persistent rain. Andrew had more struggles with his poncho and said he'll look into a rain jacket and pack cover next time.

We crossed paths with a horse packer - Melissa, I think - who had been on Bell the past night, and said there was lots of ferrell hog signs.

We made it to the creek in Peter Cave Hollow by 5:00 - 8.2 waterlogged miles. The creek was really full and flowing well. Immediately, the rain stopped! We set up camp in a flat, rocky clearing next to a beautiful spring. We were so happy to rest, and have a chance to set up our shelters during the rain break. Andrew used a Eureka! Solitare tent and I pitched my poncho as a lean-to using my trekking poles and some guylines. Andrew was also breaking in a new Tinney backpacking stove, and lovin' it. Dinner for me was "A Taste of Thai" coconut ginger noodles with chicken - mm-mm, satisfyin!

A whippoorwill flapped into our camp at dusk and I chased him around with my headlamp for a while. Those birds sure do make a lot of noise - I find it an unsettling song. It sounds nervous, panicked to me.

The rain stayed away through the night, and as I slept under the lean-to, I looked up and saw an amazing display of stars and blackness.

Friday

I have a new favorite camping tool: Starbucks VIA. It was good, and required no filters, press-pots, or percolators. Just add hot water. It tasted just as good as any coffee I've had in the backcountry. Now if only Dunn Bros. would follow suit. It was a good start to our second day.

We broke camp around 9:30, I think, and headed toward Bell Mountain. We reached Ottery Creek and it was moving. This was Andrew's first creek fording experience, and he pwned that creek. It was beautiful and challenging - well up over the knees, and very cold. We rested for a little while (I ate a couple instant hummus and whole wheat tortilla burritos - so, so yummy!), then addressed the mountain.

We had 4.7 miles of steady uphill hiking in front of us, and near the end of it, it felt like twice that many miles. There were lots of great vistas and wildflowers and waterfalls along the way (see pictures), though, and it's a really fun hike for those who don't mind the hard work. All the foggy, misty, cloudy weather obscured the views somewhat, but added a mysterious beauty to the views.

We reached Bell's summit around 5:00, as I recall, and we were pooped. It was the last mile that really wore us out. As Andrew was checking out the views a little way from camp, I saw one of those nasty ferrell hogs tromping through the woods. Ugh. What a dirty animal, big, black and hairy. I'm glad he didn't wander into our camp in the night - my lean-to setup left me exposed to nature, for better and for worse!

Rain showers started coming and going during dinner, but stopped after we'd eaten. I was wolfing down some four-cheese instant mashed potatoes and SPAM! SPAM in a foil pouch! Be amazed, and be afraid. I might, might not eat that again. It was fun, but it might have just been the novelty factor I enjoyed, rather than that salty, mushy ham.

We wandered out to the balds facing southeast and west, and though the views were clouded by rain and fog, they were still very beautiful. Then something unexpected happened: the blustery wind that was blowing around all that rain completely died while we were out there, and we were standing on the top of the mountain in total, absolute silence. It was an amazing experience. "The LORD is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silent before him" was never more palpable as in those few minutes. Really amazing.

6.8 miles.

Saturday

More serious rain moved into our area around midnight, and Andrew was really hurting - I think his ALICE pack was weighing in around 40 pounds. I didn't do a good job of helping him prepare for this trip, either with advice on what to bring or in conditioning. So, while a little something inside me died, I used my cell phone to call the Wife and had her check the forecast. I think that officially makes me a sellout.

The forecast was calling for an 85% chance of rain, and more rain after that. Andrew was near his breaking point, so I tried to give him a light at the end of the tunnel: if he could make it back to the car (15 miles!) we'd hike out today and get a hotel room in Rolla. It was a quickly done deal. So we struck camp at 8:00 and made the long trip back to the car. There were some really fun little waterfalls all along the southwest face of Bell (see the pictures in the slideshow!) and lots of wildflowers (yes, pictures, slideshow). The hike down Bell was easier than up, keeping our morale up a bit, but it was a tough 15 miles.

Not a drop of rain, by the way. Thanks for nothin', National Weather Service.

But it turned out to be the best decision anyway. We made it out, and made it to Rolla, and got ourselves some kind of "St. Louis Style" pizza which was delicious.

Sunday

We crused back to KC in time for church. Sweet.

Spring Outings part I

2009-06-05T12:46:00.007-05:00

I haven't posted any pictures or journals of our springtime outdoor adventures. Just too busy getting ready for little baby Cornmuffin to get here! Thankfully not too busy to take in some "mutually enjoyed society" and great scenery.

I'll start with our 3rd wedding anniversary, back at the end of April. We went to River of Life Farm down near Dora, Mo, on the North Fork of the White River. Only our honeymoon on Superior's North Shore was more scenic and peaceful. Myron was a great and generous host. We stayed in one of the "Treetop Cabins," overlooking the river. The weather was perfect, the dogwoods were in full bloom, and the "welcoming committee" (a black lab named Bo) provided amusement and happy companionship.

We also stopped at Rocky Falls on our way home. Nice, but not too nice.

Here are some photos from that area. I'll add more pictures to the slideshow tonight (e.g., me in a solo canoe and Bo splashing around in the river). If you're looking for an Ozark getaway, I can't recommend anywhere more highly than River of Life Farm.

The Ounce-Counter's Weightless Word

2009-03-25T12:55:00.004-05:00

I wrote this letter to a guy who has some good text and video on the web for stripping down backpack weight. His website is: http://russellweekendadventurer.com/

Dear sir,
I stumbled on your site doing web searches for poncho tarps. I dig the dome-style set up, and I'm also happy to see your use of the poncho you got from Campmor. I'm doing some paring down of my own, and your videos have been a help.

Driving home Wednesday night, I was mulling over pack weight reductions, and it occurred to me that through laziness and lack of discipline I have been adding 3 oz. more weight to my pack than necessary, with an item that is crucial to have, yet even more crucial to NOT have. I was happy to see that you, too, carry along with you this same item.

Like you, I've always carried a Gideons pocket Bible with me. It seems blasphemous to not carry it, as it contains the answers to all the questions nature poses: why mountains? why maples? why elk? why eagles? why thunderstorms and tornadoes? why death and dying? why my longing for bigness and grandeur and beauty? As the Gideons have no doubt printed in the front cover of your own copy:

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

To walk without the answers to these questions is to be lost indeed.

God's Word is crucial to have. But what does this have to do with ounce-counting?

I was convicted of my failures in the discipline of Scripture memorization. I have some passages committed to memory, but as I grow older, they grow dimmer, and I have not trained my mind well to retain what I have learned.

The Word of God is crucial to have, but even more crucial to not have. That is, not have it in my hands, but in my heart. The day may come when I am stricken blind, or Bibles becomes illegal to own (such a day is reality for millions of Christians today). I will need God's Word even more on that day, to sustain me to the end. I need to recommit to memorizing Scripture.

That pocket Bible is 3 oz. that I should not have to carry! I should carry the Word weightless! Not on my back, or in my pocket, but in my mind.

So thanks again for your videos. You have encouraged me to pare down my packload, a benefit to my joy in this world, but exceedingly more beneficial for my joy in the world to come.

The Lord's blessings,

Saturday leg stretch

2009-02-21T20:21:00.005-06:00

While the Wife was catching up with an old friend, I meandered down to Swope Park to try out some trails I'd heard of (thanks Chad and Nate). Before Getting to Swope Park's trails, my intended destination, I turned in to the Lakeside Nature Center and Fox Hollow Nature Trail. That's the nice thing about being spontaneous and impulsive. Pleasant surprises. There are some not-nice things about being spontaneous and impulsive. You'll have to ask the Wife what they are. :-)

FYI, I nearly titled this post "Tampons Not Crampons," in light of all the trash that collects down in the creek hollow, but it's really not that bad. Most of the time.

The Trail was sufficiently distracting to divert me from my intended course (I'll have to try Camp Lake of the Woods next month). It's a 2 mile natural surface trail down, around, and up out of Fox Hollow. There are a couple brief distance-revealing spots (this is northwest Missouri, after all, so the furthest you'll see is about 3/4 mile with the leaves off), but the main attractions are

(1) "What the heck?! Am I still in the middle of a major metropolitan area?!"

(2) "Ah, yes I am: the bridges, train tracks, brick walls, and waterworks infrastructure." But they actually make an interesting contrast with the woods and creek and rock.

(3) The limestone rock outcroppings.

(4) The bleached-bone-like sycamores that line Fox Hollow Creek.

I started from the Nature Center and walked clockwise. I'd say the trail is 90% easy to moderately difficult to walk, with the 0.2 (or so) miles at the start being moderate-to-difficult depending on how much rain we've had. Aside from the feminine hygiene products I came upon ("Daddy, what's that?"), I'd say this is a very family-friendly hike. The litter certainly could have been worse, considering the park's placement along a major city thoroughfare. The rock outcrops could provide kids with hours of mini-bouldering fun. There are even two rock-hopping-creek-crossings to add to the mini adventure.

Here's a slideshow of some pictures I took:

Brickyard Hill and Charity Lake C.A.

2008-12-13T12:51:00.007-06:00

On my way up to Lincoln, NE for work yesterday I took the last exit in Missouri to Brickyard Hill Conservation Area. I'd read about it on the MDC website and wanted to have a looksee. I was already confident that it would be a lot like Bluffwoods C.A., being set on the bluffs over the MO river valley. But there's no substitute for seeing it for yourself.

Map here, info brochure here. Photo slideshow below.

In a nutshell, this is a lot like Bluffwoods (Bluffwoods related posts here, here, and here), though I believe the geologic makeups of the two areas are different. I think Bluffwoods stands higher over the valley than Brickyard. But Brickyard Hill makes up for it with Charity Lake, a pleasant little manmade lake running up and down the hollow.

I can't resist: calling these little dammed-up-creeks "lakes" is indeed Charitable.

Well anyway, I parked in the forward parking lot and hiked the lake trail clockwise, striking off-trail to climb the loess ridgeline on my left and have a view of the valley. Nice. I picked my way back down via a small hollow to the upper picnic area and the start of the footpath. The trail is an old road, wide and level. I scared up a couple flocks of turkeys along the way. I wish they didn't blend in so well with all the grey and brown, I could have gotten some good pictures.

The trail moves away from the "front range" of the loess hills, behind another hollow, staying with Charity Lake. At the top of Charity Lake another trail heads north, up the hillside. I took this other trail up the hill, a steep climb, and slippery when muddy. The trail tops the hill and comes into an open field. Tick and chigger hell I'm sure, in warmer seasons, but in December I hiked arachnid-free. There are occasional long-distance views from this hilltop meadow, but mostly I enjoyed the golden prairie grass and big blue sky.

Crossing this field the trail enters another hilltop field, but this one was full of unharvested milo. I'm not familiar with the crop, but it sure looked ripe for pickin' to me. After following the trail around the edge of the milo field a little, I realized if I kept going, I would end up far from my car and have to hike back along the county road. So I turned back and went down the way I came, struggling a little to keep my footing on the damp trail. Trekking poles would have been handy. Nice leaf-off views up the Charity Lake valley/hollow.

The east half of the lake trail loop finishes with pretty from-above views of Charity Lake.

There are several picnic tables, old rusty charcoal grills, and fire rings around the area, and the map shows a primitive camping area near the lake.

The exit is 116 miles north of Kansas City on I-29, just within striking distance for a quick day trip.

What is the purpose of your underwear?

2008-12-09T10:18:00.009-06:00

So we did in fact hit the buy-3-get-2-free sale at Dynamic Earth. Unfortunately I didn't get to tailgate in backpacker-nerd style. The Wife now owes me cold-weather outdoor oatmeal and tea.

Anyway, while we were hitting their loss-leader hard, the salesmen were of course trying to get us to buy stuff that wasn't on sale. They should, that's why they exist. By the glow of their beautiful backlit wall of high-end backpacks, they were pitching the Icebreaker brand underwear. Icebreaker makes 100% pure New Zealand merino wool products. Shirts. Briefs. Socks. Long johns.

"I have decided that cotton will never again touch my skin," said one. "I'm switching all my underwear to Icebreaker," said the other. He even lifted his fleece pullover and invited me to feel his undershirt. Hm. Awkward, but trying to be a good sport, I acquiesced.

The t-shirt I reluctantly touched: $55. The long-underwear tops range from $65-$100. The briefs: $35 each. The socks retail at $20-$25.

I got to thinking: what is the purpose of underwear?

The purpose of my underwear is to protect my pants from dribble stains and skidmarks. Therefore I conclude my underwear should not cost $35 per pair. My underwear should cost $8 for a 6-pack.

What is the purpose of your underwear? Is it worth $35?

Black Socks Friday

2008-11-26T12:29:00.006-06:00

How/where/when/why did the day after Thanksgiving become the most shopped day of the year? And how did it get the name "Black Friday?"

It is pretty nauseating: the fistfights over X-Boxes, Tickle-Me-Elmos, the grotesque spending of credit, the selling and buying of luxuries in the name of Christ as an act of worship to Mammon. Demetrius the silversmith was a chump compared to Sears and Roebuck.

To the best of my recollection, I have never participated in "Black Friday." But I probably will this year, since every man has a price. Mine: Dynamic Earth in the O.P. is having a buy-3-get-2-free sale on socks. Good socks, like Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Dahlgren's.

You can guess what all my family are getting as Christmas gifts. And if my family is reading, no, of course you're not getting socks.

I think I might do something silly, like bring out the camp stove, make oatmeal and coffee or something like that. Therm-a-rests and sleeping bags. Hooray! Discounted socks!

Somebody stop me if that would be lame and/or "a part of the problem." Or, let me know if you wanna come PARTY ARTEMIS STYLEEE AWW YEAH!

Ozark Highlands Trail - Hurricane Creek Wilderness Part 3

2008-11-08T13:46:00.007-06:00

Part 1. Part 2.

Here's a slideshow (click to view in a new window) of Aki's photos. He got much better ones of the natural bridge and the views over Sugar Creek valley than I did.

Mourning Melts

2008-11-04T08:27:00.007-06:00

I'm somewhat conflicted. The our/are mistake is pretty sad, especially since the correct spelling is directly above ("try our pick up window"), but misspelling "morning" by adding the "u" to form "mourning" isn't altogether discouraging. At least he knows its a correct spelling, even if it's incorrect for this message.

Or, maybe they have sorrowful sandwiches.

Ozark Highlands Trail - Hurricane Creek Wilderness Part 2

2008-10-29T13:07:00.010-05:00

Part 1. Part 3.

While the Wife was out in Maine I took our Japanese foreign-student-friend Akinori on a little backpacking trip in the Ozarks. We started at the Big Piney trailhead (milepost 105.5) and hiked to Hurricane Creek (MP 111). I already posted some pictures here, and more are on their way from Aki's digital camera.

Saturday
We left Park U at 05:20, drove down US-71 all the way to I-40, then east to Clarksville, then wandered up to Ft Douglas via state and county roads (got lost once due to a missing junction sign). Between Fayetteville and Ft Smith, the scenery is very pretty.

We stopped at Haw Creek Falls recreation area for lunch (salami, wheat bagels and Borden mini-cheese-wheels) and sightseeing. A very pretty spot. Views up and down the Haw Creek valley were nice, with leaves just starting to change.

Got to the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT) Big Piney trailhead at 12:30, hit the trail at about 13:00. Crossed Big Piney Creek and headed up the steep trail to the top of this unnamed hill. The views off to the right over Sugar Creek were the biggest views of our trek. I could have lingered there for some time. A campsite right on the bluff was inviting, though far from a water source. After about a mile the trail leveled off for another three miles, pretty much just truckin' through the woods. There were a few hints at views over the Big Piney Creek valley, but the trees were still fully clothed with leaves, keeping big views just out of eyesight.

The descent down to Hurricane Creek (HC) was another mile down, with some very steep sections. We reached the creek (MP 111) at about 16:00. We saw two other parties had set up camp in the vicinity, so we set to finding our own place. The views up and down the creek valley were gorgeous. Boulders. Little cascades. Big, steep valley hillsides. A few early leaf-changers. And the first blue sky we'd seen in three hours.

We boulder-hopped across the creek, only to lose the trail on the other side. After another 0.1 mi. or so of rock-whacking (I just made that up) upstream we approached one of the other groups and asked them where the trail was. They pointed up the steep hill. Super. So we bushwhacked up, found the trail again, then decided it would be best to follow it back to MP 111 and take the campsite right next to the trail. Wasted energy and chutzpah. Oh well.

I was worried about traffic (human and otherwise) since our site was so close to the trail, but it never proved to be a problem. We had a nice sandy spot with a great fire ring and good sittin' rocks. Upon arrival I immediately walked downstream a bit, so as to be out of sight of the other parties, got naked and jumped in the creek. Poor Aki. That was way more white than he ever hoped to see. But that bath felt wonderful!

I set up the tent and started dinner while Aki pumped water for us. We had Uncle Ben's Wild Rice with some lemon-pepper tuna "steaks." I thought it was quite good, and Aki said so too, though I found out later he spent most of the trip hungry. He's half my size! How could that be?!

I brought my Hohner "Pocket Pal" harmonica (key of C) with. The firewood was damp but we got it going anyway and enjoyed a couple Backwoods cigars and harmonica music. We went to sleep with the pleasant noise of the creek and late summer crickets.

Sunday
We slept in a little, then had breakfast of tea, oatmeal and oranges. Taking our sweet time to get rolling on the day, we finally were ready for our dayhike around 10:45. We crossed HC again, sort of poking our way along the hillside to an outcrop area with some big crevasses and caves. We hacked our way back up to the trail and set out to find the natural bridge. We found it, and it was very beautiful! A body could spend the whole day in that one spot, climbing the bluff and having a look from above.

We moved on from here, straying again from the trail to a very steep, rocky tributary to HC. There was a pretty little pool of water that seemed to run under the rock to some subterranean cave or stream. With some SCUBA gear we could've gone diving. Anyway, we scrambled up this creek a little, but it became impassable to we who wanted to keep dry feet, so we left the creek and pushed up the bluff, finding a single rock outcrop with a so-so view of the HC valley. It was the only view from above we found all day.

After more off-trail wandering high above HC we came all the way back down to the creek, again joining the OHT. It was about 13:00, Aki was hungry and I was hot. So off came my clothes and into the creek I went.

I'd like to reiterate: poor Aki. I must look like a big, hairy, white pear on stilts.

The water was quite cold but the swimming was good. After putting my clothes back on we had lunch (apples, Nature Valley granola bars, and homemade gorp) and cigars.

I'd read in my guidebook that ahead, around MP114 there were spectacular views of the valley. That's where I wanted to be! We also wanted to get back to camp at a decent hour so we could find dry firewood. So we struck out for MP114 with speed, passing the homestead ruins on Greasy Creek without much investigation.

Now, while the guidebook clearly explains that from Greasy Creek the trail heads up the bluff to avoid some private property, we totally missed the turn and found ourselves, again, far off-trail. And as usual, the solution was unfortunately to go straight up the steep hillside. Another energy- and morale-sapping climb. But at the top we found the trail again, and went on with hope of spectacular views. We didn't find any. Where the trail started to descend again to HC, we turned around and started back to camp. I was pretty disappointed. We should've just stayed back near the natural bridge and Cedar Limb Hollow. Oh well. You can't know unless you go.

We encountered another party on our way back, two nice gents who gave us a pointer about hiking along the creek. We came back at camp around 17:00. Again, into the river I plunged. By now Aki was pretty convinced that I'm nuts. After cleaning off, I found a downed cedar tree that was good and dry, and busted it up while Aki pumped water and sponge-bathed at the creek. Dinner was a Lipton "Thai noodle" thing with more tuna. Not bad, but I probably won't try it again. Our evening fire was awesome, and we sat smoking cigars, playing the mouth organ, and discussing culture, politics and religion til late at night.

Monday
We got up by 07:00, had the same breakfast as on Sunday, broke camp, and headed home. Monday's hike was Sunday's in reverse: a steep mile or so uphill followed by 3 miles of level "bench" walking, then another mile or so downhill. No new scenery, though we did stop again at the overlooks to Sugar Creek. They were still pretty! After reaching Old Silver (my car), we agreed a bath was necessary, so we drove back to Big Piney Creek and freshened up. Back in the car, after wandering our way back to the town of Clarksville (I got lost briefly again) we searched in vain for a Chinese buffet. Bummer. I was sure we'd find one on the way, but it wasn't until Fayetteville/Springdale that we did. That Aki, he can eat. He put me to shame with three plates of food to my one.

Tangents:

This was my inaugural trip with my big Wookey Rubicon backpack. I still have trouble with the interior dividers, but other than that, it's a great backpack. Glad I sold the REI Mercury. The Ruby's lid converts to a very good lumbar pack and though it has fewer auxiliary pockets, I think the pockets it does have are well designed. I never felt sore hips or shoulders despite my 35 lb. load.

We hit a 3-day stretch of unseasonably warm temps, about 5 deg. higher than normal. Daily highs were around 80, nightly lows only about 60. I like my backpacking weather considerably cooler than that, but the creek was plenty cold and I used it twice daily. Perhaps by virtue of being next to a stream, or in the midst of a lingering Ozark summer, it seemed all our firewood, clothing, tent, etc. were perpetually damp.

One of these days I'm going to go as ultralight as possible. I still pack heavy items like apples, oranges, misc. gadgets, extra stove fuel, tent+footprint+rainfly, and extra stuff in case something rips/spills/spoils/breaks. Especially since my trips in the past couple years have been with friends and loved ones with little wilderness experience (except for SG), I've usually packed the kitchen sink in order to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Ultralight, I'm coming, but it might be a while still.

Unless it's cold, I cannot hike in pants. I've tried. I just can't do it. I must wear shorts. This continues to pose urushiol problems for me. I'm open to suggestions.

This was my first experience with these newfangled contact lenses that you can wear overnight. All I had to do was moisten with eyedrops twice a day. I loved 'em.

Wildlife: we saw bear scat but no bear; a very few songbirds; a very few squirrels; a black snake; and lots of small trout in HC.

Maine: nature showing off

2008-10-26T18:36:00.005-05:00

Earlier this month The Wife took a weeklong trip to the Maine coast, where one of her college roommates spends the summers. Here are a few pictures from that adventure.

These are just a few of the pictures from her trip. E-mail her for a link to a bigger collection.

A few of the things she experienced:
Fish chowder
The sound of seals playing in the bay
Lobster steamed in a bed of seaweed along the coastline
Apple picking and cider pressing
Wolves howling in the early morning
A one-room cabin shared with her two college roommates with no running water or electricity
President FDR's Canadian vacation house
The Green Googley-Moogley
Homemade pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin whoopie pies
Moonlight canoe cruise

Next time you see her, ask her for details. :-)

Hurricane Creek Wilderness Part 1

2008-10-20T08:38:00.004-05:00

Part 2. Part 3.

Hi. We have a lot of pictures to show you, so I figured I'd get started. Last week I did a two night backpacking trip with my friend Aki on the Ozark Highlands Trail in the Hurricane Creek Wilderness. I want to write a good trip description, but until I do, here are the pictures I took with a disposable 35mm camera. Better pictures from Aki's digital camera should be forthcoming, and the Missus' pictures from her trip to Maine will be much, much better still.

Fun with bears

2008-09-05T16:06:00.007-05:00

My dad e-mailed [a picture of a bear sitting pleasantly at a picnic table], with the text:

"This photo captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect wildlife in the US. Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party, as they have apparently learned to simply sit and wait for the government to provide for their care and sustenance."

I replied:

"In a spirit of equal-opportunity criticism, I offer this alternative snark:

'Can we just sit down and talk about habitat destruction like reasonable, grown-up bears?'

Of course then, after you accepted his offer, the bear might tear your face off."

:-)

I still haven't seen a bear in all my outdoor pursuits. I really want to someday. Maybe I'll leave some hamburger outside my tent one night. That was my mom's idea when we were at Yellowstone in 1988!

Zines

2008-09-04T23:24:00.011-05:00

Jeff mentioned a zine I used to write called Chasing Sophia. I think my blogging, such as it is, has replaced the more time-consuming and love-laboring work of writing and printing a zine. There is something, still, about hard copy that I miss.

My first zine was a collaboration with my brother Jacob. In 1996 we'd just moved to Sioux Falls and didn't have any friends except each other. That one was called Starshell. Then I moved away to college and started a different one called Joyride, later changing the name to Chasing Sophia. I also did a collaboration with Jonny called The Sucker Punch Line.

I did post a blog some time ago which was a piece I'd written for Chasing Sophia about Buddhism called "Life is Pain." A former professor of mine told me a year ago that he still uses it for his class on world religions.

Maybe re-publishing those zines electronically is something I can look into. In my spare time.

Anyway, here are some covers from zines gone by.

Ridge Runner Trail, North Fork Loop

2008-09-02T02:12:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago the Wife asked, "Do you want to do something fun for Labor Day?"

I don't think she regrets it, but she is paying for it in bug bites and sore feet.

Sunday afternoon we drove to Springfield and spent a free night in a hotel (TripRewards points are our friends). We enjoyed the hotel pool and hot tub, strolled around Springtown's lovely downtown then had a very good dinner at low-key Italian joint Bambino's.

Monday, after tracking down a gourmet coffee restaurant and waiting til 8 a.m. for Chick-fil-a to open, we drove to the Ridge Runner Trail near Dora, MO. The southern terminus is at Hammond Mill Camp, a.k.a. North Fork Rec Area. I chose the 12 mile "North Fork Loop" as our trail. Here's a 20 photo slideshow:

Trail review: Well blazed and well maintained, but it was lots of hard work for very little natural majesty. There were two best parts:
1. The pine grove section (high, pleasant, aromatic, and no poisonous plants).
2. Swimming in the river when we were finally done hiking.

Lots of poison ivy, never-ending woods, and seed ticks. No sweeping vistas or impressive scenery of any worth-your-while. This is what we Midwesterners call "intimate." It's our fancy word for justifying all that hiking for no grandeur. "The beauty is in the little things." Well enough, but I would wait til the leaves are changing, or til they're off altogether for some redeeming scenery.

The trail was well marked and maintained, with the exception of the mouth of Steam Mill Hollow. We wound up in a patch of stinging nettles and lost the trail. Glad I had my compass and topo map.

National Weather Service says the high was 88 with a dewpoint of 70. Not even close to the hottest day of the summer, but not exactly comfortable for strenuous outdoor activity, either. I drained 3 liters of water, Sue did 2. The activity plus the heat made our lunch of rich Italian food leftovers nauseating so we settled for peaches and granola bars.

At the end of our hike we drove up to the springs near the campground at North Fork Rec Area. This made all that frustration melt away. The spring was beautiful and cold, the river massaging and relaxing. I even saw a couple small trout.

In summary, I'd recommend it during leaf changing or leaf-off for the scenery, or any time if you're hardcore or just like walking in the woods. Go swimming at the spring!

There oughtta be a Flint Hills Trail

2008-06-27T10:52:00.006-05:00

Every few months my work takes me west along I-70, or southwest along I-35, and I'm always impressed by the bigness and beauty of the Flint Hills. And I always think, "There should be a trail through here!"

Run it from Manhattan to Cedar Vale, pass it through Strong City and Cottonwood Falls, Eureka, and the town of Grenola just for giggles. Man, that would be sweet. Access would be difficult to gain, though, since so much of that land is used for pasture. You'd need a lot of gates and have to cross a lot of private land. The risk of someone leaving a gate open and 200 head of cattle getting loose is probably not worth taking for most ranchers.

A multi-use trail would probably be best, to serve equestrian and biking interests as well as hikers.

You can drive through a lot of the best of the Flint Hills: Flint Hills Scenic Byway

The Wife and I stayed at a nice B&B in the F.H. for our 1st anniversary: Clover Cliff Ranch

Other links:

Kansas Trails Council

Kansas Prairie Packers

Kanza Rail-Trails

Trails of Kansas

Pic-a-nick baskets

2008-05-06T15:34:00.004-05:00

See the note at the bottom of this product page from REI.com:

BearVault 350 Solo Food Container

[insert 3 minutes of laughing here]

HT: MOTRAILS

There and Back Again

2008-04-19T12:30:00.014-05:00

EDIT: Seems like lots of folks are coming in off of a Google Search. Welcome! You can see pictures of our hike-and-float at my Picasa web album: HERE

I'd also love to hear about your adventures, so if you want, leave a comment!

-JB

---

Last week my friend S.G. and I did a 3 night backpack/float in the wilder regions of the Buffalo National River (hereafter referred to as "the Buffalo," the BNR, or "the Buff"), hiking on the Buffalo River Trail (BRT) from near Erbie campground up to the Ponca bridge, then floating back downriver to Erbie. What a really great way to see the area! The trip was all I had hoped for and then some.

Sunday: A rough start but a good one
We left KC at noon and stopped for lunch and single-serve condiment packets at QT. We arrived at the Ponca bridge at 5-ish and stashed the canoe. From Ponca we went back up to Compton, and took rough Co. Rd. 19 (impassible w/o S.G.'s high-clearance 4WD vehicle) from Compton to the Erbie horse and caver camp area, near old Erbie church.

Began hike at 6-ish. We walked down to the fords which cross Cove Creek and the BNR. Cove creek was so full (6"-8" above the concrete ford) we thought it was the river, though the flow direction sure confused us. Under the mistaken notion that we'd crossed the Buffalo, we set out in the wrong direction and on the wrong side of the river. Thanks to S.G.'s GPS unit, we figured it out pretty quickly, though we wasted a good 45 minutes of daylight and 0.75 miles on the wrong trail. Once we found the Buffalo ford, we knew we were in for a challenge: it was 2'9" deep over the ford and moving. Boots and pant legs off, we crossed, thinking this would be the most hairy challenge we would face all trip.

Having crossed, we headed up the trail, getting to the Cherry Grove cemetery as the woods were getting dusky. We agreed we needed some more miles, so with headlamps on we night-hiked to the campsite on Dry Creek (below Raney Cove). I was sad to pass so much scenery in the dark, but we really needed to get some trail behind us. We found a campsite with a fire ring at Dry Creek, just above the Boy Scout camp (Camp Orr), so we made camp, ate chicken and cornbread stuffing, and I tried to dry out my boots and pants. We were using the "fastpack" option of my tent, pitching just the footprint, poles, and rain fly, so setup was a little tricky the first time (esp. in the dark) but overall it worked very well all three nights. Approx. 3.7 miles hiked (plus 0.75 backtracking).

Monday: Early birds, a change of plans, and a campsite with a view
Our overnight low was 30 or lower (we had frost on the fly), the lower limit of our sleeping bags' usefulness. We didn't sleep well, so when we both realized the other was awake (ca. 4:45 a.m.) we decided to get up and make a fire. Good call. Breakfast soon followed. We ate basically the same breakfast each morning: hangdog oatmeal, Irish breakfast tea, a clementine, and some breakfast gorp. S.G. was breaking in a set of Guyot Designs silicone bowls and cups, which worked perfectly. I may have to get some for myself. In the growing light we explored our campsite, which was an interesting little area at the foot of a small bluff.

With the sun risen we hit the trail, crossing Rock Bird and Shop Creeks, both very full and very pretty. The views from Buzzard Bluff were nice, the dogwood and redbud were blooming before our eyes and the trees were starting to green. At Kyle's Landing S.G. bummed a stick of Chapstick off a generous man who was getting ready for his day of fishing and we filled our water bottles. From Kyle's we crossed Indian Creek and up, up, up to The Slatey Place and stopped for lunch (Italian salami, cheese, and whole wheat bagel sandwiches). We'd planned to camp there for the night (it would be an amazing place to stargaze!), but a review of the map made us think better of that idea in favor of getting further down the trail.

I badly wanted to explore Indian Creek, having seen some amazing pictures of it, but we'd already come all the way up some 900 vertical feet and didn't want to lose all that elevation. S.G. wasn't feeling so well, too, but he humored me as I tried to find an Indian Creek rim trail that's on the Trails Illustrated map I have. The trail was there, but didn't connect to the BRT as indicated, so only after some bushwhacking did we find it. An hour and a half and 2.5 miles later all we saw were a funny patch of red-green grass and more woods. The moral of that story is either "Never hurts to try" or "Get an airplane." If I ever make it back I may camp at Kyle's Landing and just hike right up Indian Creek from there.

Moving on from The Slatey Place (which was, indeed, slatey), we came down a really rocky, dusty hillside (Kilgore Mt.?) to Beech Creek and back up to Fisher Point, where we found an amazing overlook and campsite. There was a little unnamed feeder creek to Beech which had a waterfall we could see and a waterfall we could only hear, and neither of us had the energy to climb down to investigate further. Our dogs were achin' and we quit for the day. Dinner was a creamy and delicious Pasta-Roni. Approx. 8.2 mi. hiked (plus 2.5 mi. side trip to Indian Creek rim trail).

Tuesday: Big views, small views and a sandy bed
It was another sub-freezing night, but we'd layered up so we both slept better. My lower back was so sore, though, I didn't think I could sit up. After rolling over and doing a push-up, I made it upright. Our campsite got the warming sunlight quickly after sunrise, so it was a much more comfortable breakfast than Monday's. From our campsite we climbed even higher up Fisher Point, meeting the first other trail users we'd seen and coming onto some stunning views of the Buff and Steel Creek campground. Really wonderful! Several kinds of little wildflowers were also beginning to make an appearance. Down from Fisher Point we found another unnamed creek feeding into Steele Creek which had a really great waterfall, easily the best we saw all trip. At Steele Creek campground we met two gents from Springfield who were on day 1 of a BRT thru hike. Eager to get to the canoe at Ponca, we kept on the trail, stopping briefly for lunch (Parmesan chicken salad on whole wheat - so yummy!) where we could find some shade.

Where the BRT crosses under AR-74 S.G. went up to the convenience store at Ponca for sunscreen, a Coke for me, and additionally finding a seal-sack dry bag which later proved invaluable. I continued on the trail to the Villines Farmstead where O.L.S. Minwahjemo was chained to a tree. I found the boat undisturbed and I prepared for launch. While S.G. was away I conversed with a party of four from either the Virginias or the Carolinas. I hammed up my Minnesota accent, which usually sparks conversation, and we chatted about the Boundary Waters, the Buffalo, and all things water and wilderness and Civil War related. S.G. rejoined me, and we shoved off.

I really enjoyed the from-below and up-close views of the bluffs we'd been admiring from a distance. In deep pools the water was a beautiful aqua-marine color and clear in the shallows. What a really pretty river! The Buff was really moving and had many short, quick rapids, and I am not a river canoeing expert. The Minwahjemo is a lake canoe, with a 1" keel other canoeists call a "rock grabber." After about 2 or 3 miles downstream we'd taken on a fair bit of water, so we stopped, unloaded the canoe, and dumped the water. We were both regretting that we hadn't brought our sandals along or stashed them with the canoe. Pressing on, we investigated potential camping spots, finding a very bear-like footprint and eventually a beautiful, sandy site at the foot of Jim Bluff, about a mile upstream from Hemmed-in-Hollow. It really was a gem. We enjoyed a tasty dinner of Uncle Ben's wild rice pilaf with mushrooms and called it a night. 4.8 miles hiked, 6.5 miles paddled.

Wednesday: Morning glory, a bucking Buffalo, and blackberry milkshakes
Boy was it comfortable sleeping on the sand! Our overnight low was a much more comfortable 45. The morning light on Jim Bluff was spectacular. The picture doesn't do it justice. We took our time eating breakfast and breaking camp, discussing eternity and Heaven, charismatic cessationism (I'm a cessationist, S.G. is not), and how Scripture lays out a leave-no-trace wilderness pooping etiquette. Sometime around 10:00 we shoved off.

We skipped visiting Hemmed-in-Hollow, hoping instead to make a quick trip to see Hawksbill Crag, the most photographed place in Arkansas, on our way home. Somewhere between the ruins of the Seamster Cabin site and Kyle's Landing we met our undoing. In short, we got turned sideways in a rapid, and we tipped. All our gear went rushing downstream as we desperately tried to stay out of the way of the tumbling canoe and rocks. I kept thinking, "If my head gets in between the canoe and a rock, my head will lose." S.G.'s GPS got smashed and the Minwahjemo took a pretty hefty blow to the port gunwale. Oh, was I frustrated! About a quarter mile down from the rapids we had collected all of our gear except the paddles. Thankfully my camera is waterproof and I'd followed S.G.'s example of tying his GPS to an empty water bottle. But we were soaked, bruised, scraped, and a little demoralized.

A kind solo paddler stopped to check on us as we gathered ourselves. She said she would look for our paddles and meet us at Kyle's Landing. With just our trekking poles to guide ourselves through the remaining rapids, we got on the Buffalo again. Around the next bend the solo canoeist had stuck one of our paddles in the sand -- we were so glad to see that! Floating on down to Kyle's we caught up with her. No sign of paddle #2. We thanked her for her help and continued downstream to where Cove Creek meets the Buff. There's not much to say for this section, except that I think we were both ready to be done for the day. 8.7 miles paddled.

At our pull-out spot we portaged the gear up to the Jones Farmstead, where we loaded the truck and started home. I picked up a book at the Compton convenience store called Rivers to Run: Swift water, sycamores and smallmouth bass. It looks like a good history of the Ozark rivers and communities.

We stopped for blackberry cobbler milkshakes at Smith's in Collins and made it home in time to welcome our wives back from evening church.

The end!

Buffalo National River pictures

2008-04-17T23:23:00.005-05:00

Up-updated: Log's written.

Updated: Until I can get a log written, please enjoy 131 pictures from our trip:

Until I can get a log written, please enjoy 31 pictures from our trip:

From 2008 Buffalo ...

Licensing

2008-04-17T16:24:00.006-05:00

Maybe you can help me think this through. I don't want to fly off the handle about government unless I really have to.

By the way, hi again. I'm back from the Buffalo. A trip log will surely be forthcoming. But in the meantime...

The Wife and I are about to celebrate 2 years of wedded bliss with a 4 day weekend of not doing much of anything except local eating, recreation, and enjoying each other's company. One of the things we'd like to do is take the canoe out for a stroll at, say, Lake Jacomo, Wyandotte County Lake, or maybe Shawnee Mission Lake.

"Not so fast!" say Jackson, Wyandotte, and Johnson Counties. "You need a county boat permit!"
"A what?" I say.
"A county boat permit," they repeat in unison.
"$24 per year in JaCo," says Jackson.
"$26 over here" says Johnson.
"You guys are crazy," says Wyandotte. "Boat permits are a gold mine of voluntary taxation! It's $50 per year in WyCo."
A little nonplussed, I say "Well I guess I'll look closer to home, in my own Platte County. I'm sure they won't..."
I'm interrupted by Platte County shaking her head. "Sorry. There are no lakes with public access in Platte County." I almost cannot make any rational sense of that sentence. No lakes with public access? What kind of crazy world do I live in?
I finally turn to Clay County for some sanity. "Well, we don't have any 'county boat permits' to buy, but if you want to drive your canoe to the access points of our only lake, Smithville Lake, you'll need a vehicle pass for your car." But with a wink, Clay whispers, "But you know, there are some free access points up around the northern part of Smithville Lake."

So there we stand, me and the five counties that make up the greater KC metro area. Of course they all have marinas which are very happy to rent me a canoe for a day of paddling ($8 per hour or $20 per week-day at Lake Jacomo). But after what I just put O.L.S. Minwahjemo* through down on the Buffalo, I was looking forward to a more serene paddle in her shiny aluminum hull.

I used to think Kansas' and Missouri's boat regulations which exempt canoes and kayaks from licensing were a blessing. But I think it just opens the door to counties to stick it to paddlers. What a pain! Every county requiring permits (or not), even for out-of-county or out-of-state state visitors.

What's a paddler to do?

*Our Lord's Ship Minwahjemo. "Minwahjemo" is a transliteration of a Chippewa word meaning "He brings good news."

Reflections in Sawbill

2008-04-13T10:26:00.004-05:00

"Civilization Has Barely Begun"

That's a very, very good photograph from one of the most beautiful corners of our land.

Enjoying the creative, discovery enterprise as we know it, anticipating the discovery which we will know when all things are made new.

Cow's in water up past her knees

2008-03-19T10:53:00.005-05:00

The Buffalo River area has gotten 11"+ of rain in two days. That's a lot. I hope there's not too much damage. I and a couple others have been batting around a spring backpacking/float trip. That might have to wait another month.

From El Dorado to Hannibal

2008-01-16T18:42:00.001-06:00

US 54, near the Butler-Greenwood county line. I'm not sure whose land I was on, but I hope he'll forgive me if I was trespassing.

Riverview Park in Hannibal.

Click on the pictures to see the rest of the pictures from the Flint Hills and Mississippi.

It's been a rough couple of work weeks. But now I'm home, delighting in the society of my God-sent wife.

The Mother of all Team Building Exercises

2007-12-06T09:05:00.001-06:00

FIFTY BY BIKE

This website chronicles the adventures of Aaron & Laura Beese as they undertake a two-year journey to visit and document each of the geographic centers of all fifty U.S. states on their tandem bicycle.

HT: K.H.

Paddy Creek Wilderness

2007-11-19T07:28:00.001-06:00

As Sue alluded, we went to Paddy Creek Wilderness two weeks ago. We followed the trail outlined in Kevin Lohraff's Hiking Missouri. Not spectacular, but not bad, either.

Edit: photos forthcoming... I hate learning new things, like Picasa.

Edit: Forget Picasa. Here are the pictures.

A beautiful old house we saw as we were looking for the Roby Lake access point.

Sue sporting blaze orange. Gunshots were aplenty. Whitetails were not.

A fun little bluff to climb around.

Blufftop views.

The low-lying sun is always in your eyes.

A bit of the Southwest?

Pretty, but poisonous!

A bushel and a peck

2007-11-12T22:45:00.001-06:00

Before Mr. Pilgrim jetted out of town last week, we went on a little day hike. My favorite part of that trip, you ask? Well, besides the free night at a hotel with a swimming pool and hot tub, I'd say the highlight was definitely our pit stop in Osceola. Found an orchard selling pre-picked apples, so I loaded up. Got me a bushel of Jonathans and a half peck of Fujis, and did it all whilst sucking down a chocolate banana milkshake!

Now, lest you think the milkshake was the primary reason for my exclamation, here are some pictures of what G'ma and I did with most of those apples.

G'ma washing apples.

G'ma commenting on what beautiful apples I found.

And proof that it's what's on the inside that counts.

Thankfully, Pa fired up some bacon so I was inspired to move forward despite our discovery that more than a third of the apples were bad. By the end of the day, we churned out five batches of this liquid gold...

**Drool** Homemade applesauce. It doesn't get any better than that, ladies and gents. Grandma's applesauce is, perhaps, the only thing more worthy than a big fat milkshake of being inhaled with both a spoon and a straw. Next year I think I'll buy ten bushels of apples and take a few days off work, so I can make like 150 gallons of the stuff. Mmmm, enough applesauce for every day of the year (and for every wedding, birthday, and major gift-giving holiday, too).

More from the SHT

2007-10-01T09:33:00.003-05:00

I've been in the deep South all week for work and visiting friends, and haven't had much chance to add any more photos from our Superior Hiking Trail trip. So here they are.

"Deliverance" with a Minnesota Accent

2007-09-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

Glad everyone's alright, but this is bad:

Bullies in the BWCA

Makes our encounter with hunters in Arizona seem like a meeting of good friends.

And it makes me consider carrying a firearm next time I go out into the wilderness.

HT: Dad

"Super-ior-endous"

2007-09-16T22:06:00.002-05:00

It was great.

We are pilgrims

2007-09-11T11:59:00.002-05:00

"The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof." Psa 24:1

"Our citizenship is in Heaven." Phi 3:20

Longing for the Day when the "not yet" becomes "already," when every tear will be wiped away and death shall have no dominion, when we are no longer torn between the earthly and the heavenly, and when He will fully and finally redeem all that has been held captive.

Stars Upstream

2007-09-04T13:08:00.002-05:00

For my three readers, I've been negligent in posting about our little float trip last weekend. We floated about 11 miles of the Niangua River in central Missouri, staying at and being outfitted by Mountain Creek Campground & Canoes. It's a really pretty river, and we had Providentially good weather for canoeing and camping. It was kind of fun to be in a canoe doing virtually zero work (juxtaposed with the rigorous work of a BWCAW trip).

Our fellowship with two other families was, I think, quite good, mutually edifying and encouraging.

Sadly we did our float on a Saturday in the summer, and there were probably 600 others doing the same, most of whom were not out to enjoy the river's natural beauty. Large groups of 20 to 60 people gathered on sand bars, often across the river from each other, drinking, cursing, tossing footballs and beer cans, and playing radios loudly. I felt like I was at an outdoor singles bar for about six hours.

I want to do the Niangua (and the Current, North Fork, Jack's Fork, and others too) again, but I don't think I can be persuaded to go on a summer weekend.

Recommended Reading: Stars Upstream; Life Along an Ozark River by Leonard Hall

We also stopped by the Wheel Inn Drive-In for Guber Burgers. Novel, tasty, and entirely reproducible if the urge for peanut butter on a hamburger ever strikes again.

Guber Burgers

2007-08-19T16:03:00.001-05:00

Now why in the world would anyone get rid of something as great as this:

A hamburger smothered in peanut butter

We plan to stop there next weekend.

A really interesting map

2007-08-07T13:22:00.001-05:00

Next time the news talks about how the day's weather is evidence of global climate change,

CLICK HERE

Not only does this give you the information you really want to know, but it offers context. So as the midwest and south kick off a heat wave, not going to be broken any time in the foreseeable future, we can see that most of the rest of the country is statistically normal.

Don't that beat all

2007-08-06T10:21:00.001-05:00

Concrete canoes!

How-to videos: fish cleaning

2007-08-01T13:29:00.001-05:00

FYI:

How to fillet a northern pike.

How to fillet a walleye.

How to fillet a trout.

The one about the northern had me laughing loudly.

Just checking in

2007-07-25T21:17:00.001-05:00

At the moment I'm sitting outside our apartment, waiting for the wife to get home from church, as I've been in Lincoln, Nebraska this week for work, and she has our only set of keys. We've been on one set for about a month now, having lost the other. It's just GONE.

I've been on the road like a mad man this month. I wonder what August will bring.

Here are some pictures from our honeymoon in April 2006. We stayed at Gooseberry Cabins on Superior's North Shore. I'm looking forward to returning there this September with several friends for a short backpacking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail, which passes the Split Rock River as seen above.

Another on-the-way scenic stop

2007-07-17T21:26:00.001-05:00

On my way from the Hannibal area to Springfield, IL, I passed through Quincy, and stopped off at Siloam Springs S.P. Illinois does not require state park stickers for your vehicles. Sweet.

Anyway, these are some pictures from a 6-mile hike I did in about 3 hours. Due to an error reading the map, I totally missed seeing the old Siloam village. Next time.

"And he said yes I think it can be easily done, just take everything down to Highway 61."

2007-07-17T21:06:00.001-05:00

Stopped by Weldon Springs C.A. on my way through St. Louis yesterday. I did the Clark section of the Lewis & Clark Trail, trail time a little bit under 2 hours. The blufftop views of the Missouri River are well worth the easy-to-moderately difficult 2 miles to get there -- I told the Wife that next time we're in St. Louis we'll stop and have a picnic.

Also, never stay at the Days Inn in Saint Louis Lake.

Saved on the AT

2007-07-08T17:30:00.001-05:00

I bought a copy of Backpacker Magazine at the store last night. That's what the wife gets for sending me to do the shopping: impulse purchasing of commercial magazines. Though she is, as I type, carefully reading the recipe for chicken sausage corn chowder provided in the issue. Anyway, there were a couple of letters-to-the-editor referring to a previous issue which told the story of David Lescoe, alias "Injun," then "Saved," a man on the run from the law who effectively thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail.

Lescoe was on the lam when he got 'ligion, but his low-road days weren't over. He kept pushing south, lying and stealing as he needed.

Read the very well written November, 2005 story that ran in The Washington Post HERE.

A few things were quickly brought to the fore as I read about Saved.

1. David's history of false conversions as he used people to get what he wanted not only reminds me of other similar stories I've heard, but of my own moments of two-facedness. I have faked "sorry," knowing I was caught dead to rights in sin but hoping to avoid the consequences. But God is not mocked, and hypocrisy will be found out - mine own has been brought to the light. Lord, make us whole men, worshipers in spirit and in truth.

2. Mr. Nicholls' seemingly genuine surprise and pain at Saved's post-conversion lifestyle. Nicholls seems as stereotypically Ned Flanders as a person can possibly be, and I admit I've grown wary of men who use schemes to get people in the door so to tell them the Four Spiritual Laws and get them to say the Sinner's Prayer. I would think Nicholls just such a cynic, if not for his concern that Christ's name was being dragged through the Appalachian clay as Lescoe lied and stole his way to Georgia. It is a sad thing when the followers of Jesus malign His Name, and Nicholls knows that Jesus is worth honoring with obedience.

3. The hurt pride of AT thru-hikers puts me on my heels a little. The Post story shows high moral outrage and judgment on the part of the AT culture. Here's one of the comments in my copy of Backpacker: "The matter of David Lescoe's redemption is between him and God. But he's certainly no thru-hiker." The title is revered, hallowed, if you will, and they're indignant at having been abused, as though of all people they should never be so badly treated.

David Lescoe might be Saved indeed, or he may not be. I don't automatically rule it out, since the Gospel is the same to the saved and the lost: repent and believe. New followers of Jesus do not always immediately experience freedom from enslaving sins. But I think that if Lescoe is indeed saved, that instead of leaning on Romans 3:23 in this time of incarceration, he would be exhorting us all with 1 Corinthians 10:12:

"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."

Smith Creek Loop, Mark Twain N.F.

2007-05-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

I got to complete the Smith Creek Loop at the Cedar Creek trail system, in the Mark Twain National Forest just south of Columbia.

I went the counter-clockwise direction, starting from Rutherford Bridge. Within 10 minutes I saw the best of the hike: the views of Cedar Creek from the high bluff. I counted three campsites, all within the first 1.5 miles.

I ran into some trouble on the north portion, where the trail comes back down to Smith Creek from Boydsville. The map shows a bit of a spur or extra loop when crossing the creek, but in reality the trail just makes a direct cut across. I probably spent 25 minutes re-tracing my steps and bushwhacking my way to the right path. No harm done, and I got a couple nice pictures.

Not counting that diversion, I think I did the whole 5 miles in about 2.5 hours.

Twin Owls Loop, Rocky Mt. N.P.

2007-05-16T11:24:00.001-05:00

For fear of overwhelming my four readers I've been delaying a few posts. Well the gloves are coming off now! Here are some photos of a (woefully short) day hike I took while in Colorado for work. I hiked a very short segment of the Twin Owls Loop, up to a little pond they call Gem Lake.

BWCAW fire

2007-05-14T07:07:00.001-05:00

Ham Lake fire update from Thunder Bay, ON

(They have different names for the fire)

BWCAW fire

2007-05-11T10:25:00.001-05:00

Ham Lake Fire story

Ham Lake Fire Map

So far nobody's been hurt. That fact (thankfully) places this in the category of "What a bummer" rather than "What a Tradgedy."

It's a bummer. That's a lot of good forest up there. But fires happen, and forests grow back. If there's one thing I'm growing convicted of, it's that there's no such thing as "pristine." I'm all for saving very large tracts of land for public use and enjoyment, but a suburban housing development is just as natural as a bird's nest.

The story alludes to the blowdown of '99, but I don't have a good enough handle on my Cook or St. Louis Counties' geography to know if the blowdown trees are in the fire zone. It looks like our family favorite Nina Moose River area is a safe 60 miles away from the fire.

UPDATE: Here's a LINK to some good MN DNR maps.

Mile marker 1

2007-05-04T13:54:00.001-05:00

I put off doing a First Wedding Anniversary post until I got the pictures back from our little trip to the Flint Hills. We stayed two nights at Clover Cliff Ranch, a working ranch and bed-n-breakfast about half an hour west of Emporia.

A few phrases to sum up the trip: rural privacy, gracious hosts, yummy breakfasts, Flint Hills scenery, (re)learning Rummy, and Watusi cattle.

As one of the other guests said well, "It's not every day that you have the run of 5,000 acres."

The anniversary day was mostly spent driving home and unpacking, but we found time for a walk in the woods, a game of cribbage, and anniversary wedding cake.

I'm a rich, rich man. Thanks, Lord.

Gear

2007-04-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

ALPS Mountaineering

An outdoor gear manufacturer based in Missouri. Their gear looks very "standard." My guess is they don't strive to be innovative, or hard-core, or ultralight. The upside: price. You won't pay $350 for a backpack, $50 of which actually buys the materials, $5 of which pays a Chinese man, and $295 of which is paying overhead and design.

They're also looking for gear testers. Ooh, that's tempting.

Arizona pictures

2007-03-24T13:15:00.001-05:00

1. Sue next to Reavis Creek.
2. Sue and Joey at Reavis Ranch Trailhead, Apache Lake.
3. Junction Reavis Ranch Trail / Reavis Gap Trail.
4. Our campsite.
5. Sue enjoying some Hangdog Oatmeal.
6. Joey with some rusty iron implement. Possibly a tiller.
7. Sue, Joey, and the Sun, all smiling now.
8. Skies clearing on the Superstitions.

Arizona Adyssey

2007-03-24T08:47:00.004-05:00

EDIT: Seems like lots of folks are coming in off of a Google Search. Welcome! You can see pictures of our hike from FR212 to Reavis Ranch at the Hike Arizona forum: http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=3450

Many of the same photos, but several more, are also HERE and HERE.

I'd also love to hear about your adventures, so if you want, leave a comment here, or join the Hike Arizona forum and leave your story!

-JB

...

Continuing the Arizona Adyssey. Please pardon the details. They'll come in useful as the epic rolls on. See pictures above.

Day 5: After our lovely hike at Cave Creek, we returned home to grandma's beloved tortilla pizzas. While preparing for departure, I dropped the digital camera on the cement garage floor. No more digital for us.

Day 6: After a slow start to the morning (looking for Walmart, get disposable cameras, find grocery store, misc. items, it's amazing how much time errands can consume!), we made for the Superstitions. Highway 88, Apache Trail, wound its way along the sheer faces of the mountains, through the historic little tourist trap Tortilla Flat. Our trailhead was to be FR212 and the Reavis Ranch Trail. We arrived at noon, and were ready to hit the trail at 13:00, about three hours later than I had hoped.

Some back story: While planning this trip, I researched and prepared for four backpacking trips: Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness, Pine Mountain Wilderness, Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, and Superstitions Wilderness. Weather in Arizona is a difficult character to predict, and even up to the evening before our departure, I had not decided which destination would be best. A snow storm was being predicted for Friday (Day 7), nearly certain to leave a few inches of snow anywhere in Arizona above 6,000 feet altitude. So, spooked by the weathermen, I chose the lower altitude Reavis Ranch hike.

(Sidenote: Who controls the weather? Who controls how I'll react to the weather? Who knows why the weather is even an important character in this story at this point? Only the Author!)

Our destination was Reavis Ranch, the abandoned farmstead of "The Hermit of the Superstitions," Elijah Reavis. His apple trees still reward November backpackers with yummy, juicy, and fibrous! apples. I had called the ranger's office and confirmed that the spring was flowing (picture 1 above) - water is, you know, kind of important. And I'd read that there are many suitable campsites in Reavis' little mountain hermitage. The area also provides several tangential day trips that would make it an interesting place to park for a couple nights. If I ever make it back, I'll be sure to visit Reavis' Grave.

The Ranch is a ten mile hike from the FR212 trailhead, the first 5 miles being a gradual, but relentless, grade up to Castle Dome, followed by 5 miles of up-down-up-down through Windy Pass and Plow Saddle. Ten miles, and we weren't hitting the trail until 13:00! We made the first eight miles well. The terrain was beautiful with majestic views of Apache Lake (picture 2 above), mountains unfolding layer after layer on the horizon, a pasture full of bright blue songbirds. But by mile eight, our unconditioned feet began to grow very weary, and the daylight was beginning to fade. We made it to the north end of Reavis Ranch, where Reavis Ranch trail meets Reavis Gap trail (picture 3 above), just before sundown and found a nice campsite near the creek. The trees are thick along the creek, and the gnarly old sycamores and pines, while offering structure and shelter, also brought shadows (picture 4 above).

We began setting up camp in the growing dusk. I built a small fire and Sue began making dinner. As I was unfurling the tent, from the dark greyness out past our visibility's reach came a scream. A blood-chilling, bone-curdling, wet-your-pants scream. "YEEE-OW!" We froze. Then my conversation with the darkness began:

"Is that you, Ish?" asked a man's voice. I estimated him to be 30-50 yards away, probably on the trail.
I hesitated.
"No!"
"Ish?"
"It's not Ish!"
"Oh. Have you heard any dogs come through here?"
"No, no dogs. Haven't seen a thing. Except a deer"
"You saw a deer?"
"Yeah, saw a deer, but no dogs."
"Oh. Well, we're tracking a lion on that mountain behind you."
I turned to look, as if I would see anything except more grey darkness.
"Oh."
"So what are you doin' here?"
"We're just camping, backpacking."
"You come up, which way did you come up?"
"Came up Reavis Ranch Trail."
"Oh, yeah, I know which trail you came in on, you're parked up there [trails off]. Are you alone?"

This question was a turning point in the conversation, for me, at least. I'm leading my beautiful wife 20 miles into the wilderness, I'm chatting with a hunter I can't see, who I assume is poaching mountain lions (the environmentalists have so brow-beaten me that I immediately assume that if an animal isn't a squirrel or a mosquito it is certainly an endangered species - only later did I learn lion hunting is a perfectly legitimate activity in the Superstitions), my conversation partner has a gun, and he has a friend named Ish who is also roaming the mountains, also armed. What do I say?

"Negative."
"Alright. Well, if anyone comes through here, tell him I went this way."
It's all darkness to me.
"Ok."

Sue, perhaps a twig-snap from weeping uncontrollably, helped me finish pitching the tent, sat down in the tent, and did not move the rest of the night. I was now on alert, for sure. I don't think I was terrified, although the thought of two hunters agitating a mountain lion didn't weigh lightly on my mind. That's what frighteded Sue the most, the lion. She had seen tracks on our trail in, but had bravely dismissed them as a sign of danger. I was now a little concerned about the lion, a little more concerned about the hunters.

"Do you want dinner?" I asked.
"No, I just want to go to bed," Sue replied.
"I'll make dinner," I said.

We'd just hiked 10 miles and I knew we needed to eat. Sue had prepared amazing dehydrated meals for us, so putting some water to boil and making chicken-n-stuffing was easy. We sat, prayed, and ate a hot, filling, delicious meal before finally laying down for the night.

God was not absent. Sue slept well, better than I, in fact. I layed my little hatchet next to me in the tent. A friend later laughed and reminded me, "Never take a knife to a gun fight, J-bob." True enough, but a man has to work with whatever he can.

Day 7: We woke to a beautiful sunrise over Reavis Ranch and weighed our options. Breakfast was delicious "Hangdog Oatmeal" (oatmeal plus crushed dried bananas, walnuts, and brown sugar) (picture 5 above). The first plan was to hunker down for the coming storm, explore the ranch area, visit points of interest, then hike out on Day 8. But after the previous night's excitement Sue wanted to leave. And I knew that, hunters and mountain lions aside, we would be better off getting at least partway closer to the car. But I was very uneasy with the idea of another 10 mile hike. I knew my body was hurting from the trek, and I assumed Sue's was at least as weary, and a muddy trail makes hard travellin'.

We agreed that we should see the Ranch ruins, so we made some coffee and strolled down the trail. There was a cowboy camp along the way: nice fire ring w/ logs for benches and a rudimentary horse pen. We came across some rusty iron farm implements (picture 6 above) (how did Reavis get these heavy iron pieces way up here!?!), followed by the foundation and ruins of Reavis' home. After some poking around, we went back and broke camp.

At 10:00, just as we were donning our raingear, the rain and sleet started. The 5 miles back up to Castle Dome was difficult, to say the least. The precipitation wasn't constant, and the trail wasn't impassably muddy, and we were plenty warm and dry, but it was cold, wet, and windy, and we were sore. By Castle Dome, the precipitation stopped, and the skies were clearing (pictures 7 and 8 above). Like the day before, we made eight miles without much pain, but the final two miles to the trailhead were grueling. Our bodies weren't fit for this. We made it back to the Subie, and back down to the Phoenix area before sundown. We stopped for a hamburger, then drove up to Camp Verde, AZ, and got a hotel room.

Days 8-12, next time.

Arizona pictures

2007-03-22T16:26:00.001-05:00

Ok, here's a few from the trip, in this order (click images to enlarge):

1. Our Sunday morning view from the motel parking lot in Tucumcari. We'd left the Midwest behind in the night and woke up in a Western!
2. Joey pinned to the ground by a barrage of giant arrows.
3. Sunset on the Mogollan Rim.
4. Sue's-eye-view on the Cave Creek Trail.
5. Joey at Cave Creek.
6. Sue at Cave Creek.
7. Century Plant on Cave Creek Trail.
8. Massive Saguaro on Cave Creek Trail.
9. View froom under Window Rock at South Mountain Park, Hidden Valley Trail.
10. South Mountain Tunnel, Hidden Valley Trail. Believe it or not, 6' Joey walked through without having to stoop at all.

Arizona pictures

2007-03-22T16:22:00.001-05:00

Time for Arizona pictures! Here we are with the grandparents. Thanks to cousin Kevin for taking the shot.

This was after an enjoyable dinner out. I had to insist that we give grandma a break from serving us!

Next time, I'll remember to get the classic "Everyone In Front of the House" picture taken.

Bluffwoods

2007-03-22T16:19:00.001-05:00

One more from Bluffwoods. I was out there on a snowy day, and this ridgeline trail was fun to hike. I didn't have a chance to photograph Turkey Ridge, the jewel in the crown. Perhaps next time.

Bluffing on Arizona

2007-03-22T08:44:00.001-05:00

Apologies for the delay in finishing the Arizona odyssey. I'm currently trying to clean up the blog, and my e-mail addresses, trying to synchronize the two, etc.

In the meantime, here are a few pictures. First, some from my trip to Bluffwoods C.A.

Again, I'm still a N00B at this stuff. Apologies for the clumsy layout.

Arizona Adyssey

2007-02-27T22:40:00.001-06:00

Welcome me back from vacation.

Day 1: Leavin' a rough winter week behind for sunny Arizona. Pack the Subie, drive to Tucumcari, New Mexico. Stop off north of Oklahoma City to wash the salt off the car. OKC residents were also flocking to the car wash, but they were washing off a strange rusty-orange colored material I later discerned was ... mud? That red Oklahoma clay is amazing. Sue-diddly-eudinym courageously navigated the dangerous highways of OKC. We'd never seen so many semi trucks in our lives!

Day 2: Tucumcari to Tempe, Arizona. Sue, a driving fanatic as well as a fitness nut, handled the Albuquerque metro traffic with ease. Began seeing that amazing southwest U.S. scenery, complete with mile-long choo-choo trains. Came down AZ 87 to Payson, saw the most amazing sunset on the mountains. Also saw elk. Arrived at grandparents' in Tempe.

Day 3: Decompressing. Went to REI (just a mile or so from grandparents' house). I familiarized myself with Tempe/Mesa/Scottsdale geography. Had a very good Mexican food lunch, had a very good grandma Leona ham dinner. Went to Goodwill, found a great piece of gear for some friends back home. Watched One Night With the King with grandma. Reviews: not bad, but the book is better.

Day 4: Short hike at South Mountain Park in Phoenix. Saw a javelina, several trail running afficianados, and a pack of wild hiking retirees (30+). Were mocked THREE times for our bamboo ski poles - turned - hiking poles ("Where's the snow?!?"). Not phased in the least. We found them at the Independence Goodwill for $3 a pair. So you can have your $100 "trekking poles," gear snobbies. The afternoon was a very productive team-building exercise. That's code for "we had a bad argument but worked it out, sought each others' forgiveness, then went out to dinner with grandparents and cousin."

Day 5: Left home at 9 a.m., arrived at Tonto National Forest Cave Creek Ranger Station at 11 a.m. Realized we'd left hiking boots and camera at home. Do it all again. At Cave Creek trailhead (not to be confused with the Cave Creek Recreation area) at 1:30 p.m. Great 4.5 hour hike on Cave Creek trail. Saw a few geckos, some songbirds, but otherwise not much wildlife. Plenty of cacti and a pretty little river canyon.

To be continued, pictures hopefully forthcoming.

Bluffwoods

2007-01-23T21:33:00.001-06:00

I went to Bluffwoods Conservation Area (c.a.) on Saturday.

Best hiking trails within 1 hour of Kansas City! I started on the Turkey Ridge trail, rustling up 5 of the noble birds for which the ridge is named. The ridge could be reached from the other end of the c.a. via the connecting trails (Maple Falls and Lone Pine trails), but by starting on the Turkey Ridge Trail you cut about 2 miles out of the trip, if you're willing to climb the bluff on a steep series of switchbacks. So within 10 minutes of starting, I'd already seen the best part: a great view of the Missouri River Valley below.

I investigated the Lone Pine and Maple Falls trails, too. Nice Missouri woods hiking. I lost the Lone Pine trail and had to do some bushwhacking up the bluff to get back, but was happy to be romping through the woods. There are some interesting old ruins to be found, too. And I was pleased as punch to be caught in the 4" snowfall as I made my way through the c.a. Made me wish I had XC skis or snowshoes!

I've gotten conflicting info on whether primative camping is allowed throughout the whole c.a., so I need to contact the Conservation Dept. on that. But I do intend to return soon to show the wife the views from Turkey Ridge.

If I ever get the time, longer attention span, and instruction needed to turn this blog into something awesome, I'd love to be able to record hikes with maps, photos, logs, etc. Til then

CLICK HERE

Baking soda?

2007-01-08T09:06:00.001-06:00

More backpacking wisdom from Backpacker.com:

Baking Soda Solutions

Eight reasons to pack Arm & Hammer

December 2000

There are high-tech products to smooth almost every aspect of your hiking experience, but some of the best "camp helpers" come from simpler times, when outdoorsy folks relied on home remedies. Such a solution is baking soda, which does much more than make bread rise.

Foot freshener: Powder your dogs as needed, or sprinkle soda into your boots to control odor.

Toothpaste: Mix with a pinch of cinnamon for flavor. Place a pea-size amount on your brush.

Breath freshener: Gargle with a solution of 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to eliminate the garlic odors from last night's dinner.

Antacid: Quench backcountry heartburn with 1/2 teaspoon in a cup of water.

Insect bites, minor burns: Mix baking soda with a small quantity of water to make a paste. Apply a light coating to the bite or burn area. Also works on windburn, poison ivy, and oak.

Dishwashing: Add a small amount to dishwater, or if water is in short supply, use a dash of baking soda with a damp sponge for scouring. For scorched pans, coat the bottom with soda, add water, and boil on low heat to dislodge burned particles.

Body odor: Wash hands with soda after cleaning fish to remove lingering odor. Sprinkle baking soda under arms, and on stinky clothes and sleeping bags.

Food odors: To avoid stale odors in canteens and food containers, soak them in a baking-soda-and-water solution before storing.

Topo map and a compass

2006-12-11T13:33:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to increase my understanding of overland navigation.

CLICK HERE for another gypped tip from Backpacker.com and the U.S. Army.

First aid for your gear

2006-11-29T17:35:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd start ripping off the backpacking tips from Backpacker.com and post them here. Y'know, just because.

---

This ultralight all-purpose repair kit will fit in your glove compartment.

June 2003

-Duct tape for hole patching, tent pole splinting, emergency bandaging, and more
-Multitool with a knife, pliers, and screwdrivers
-Seam Grip, a waterproof urethane rubber glue that works as a seam sealer and patching compound
-Small flashlight with spare batteries and bulb
-Waxed thread, like dental floss
-One medium and one specialty needle for sewing One-inch-wide nylon strap with buckle
-Tent pole sleeve (a standard 3-inch, aluminum tube that splints broken tent poles)

"I bent my wookey"

2006-11-22T17:33:00.001-06:00

I ran across a fledgling USA pack maker today:

Wookey

Their stuff looks pretty solid.

An afternoon out of doors

2006-11-03T09:46:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we hiked about an hour and a half on the Smith Creek Loop in the Cedar Creek Trail system, in the Mark Twain National Forest near Ashland, MO. We wanted to catch some fall colors before the leaves dropped and I was curious about backcountry camping opportunities there.

We started at the Rutherford Bridge, a footbridge crossing Cedar Creek at the dead end of Englewood Rd. It's a high suspension bridge which at some point in the past may have been for train or auto traffic, but no longer. Across the creek the trail runs uphill to the loop closure point (see map). Someone laid hay across the clay-muddy trail, which was at first an annoyance but proved helpful. We turned right at the loop point, sticking close to Cedar Creek, and were rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The trail moved downward toward Smith Creek.

We crossed dry smith creek and headed uphill to a small cave at the top of the next hill. We stopped here for a snack and poked around the cave a bit. There was a great campsite up on top of the cave, carpeted with moss with a nice view of the hollow.

By now we were running out of daylight so we headed back. I can't wait to spend a couple days hiking the whole system.

U.S. Highway 24

2006-10-24T20:56:00.001-05:00

I spent a couple hours on US-24 today, between Moberly and Hannibal.

The trees were warm shades of red, yellow, and brown. The fields had been harvested and the long grass was golden, waiting for winter.

US-24

I sang Larry Norman's song, "Great American Novel" as I drove, stopping on

Don't ask me for the answer, I only got one
That a man leaves this darkness when he follows the Son

And I was deeply grateful that the Son had called to me, "Follow Me."

On US-24 I passed the Stoutsville Baptist Church, with a paint-on-plywood sign:

REVIVAL: OCT 27-30

How did they schedule an outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

On US-24 I passed VOTE NO ON AMMENDMENT 2 signs. And I passed VOTE YES ON AMMENDMENT 2 signs. And I hoped that the "NOs" would have it.

And I marveled, even with bewilderment, how the same highway that runs through rural forests and farmlands becomes Kansas City's Independence Ave. with its pushers and pimps. I thought about the Desiring God Conference where John Piper and Tim Keller called for Christians to return to the urban ruins of our cities with the light of the Gospel. I admit that I love the simplicity and safety of the country, fresh air and quiet nights, but pray that I will gladly leave them behind for a better treasure in the age to come.

As far as I can tell, US-24 runs from Pontiac, MI to Vail, CO.

Green Hills of Platte

2006-09-23T18:09:00.001-05:00

Yay! A new nature preserve in my neighborhood.

Green Hills of Platte

Not a bad little place to go for an hour or two. The Wife and I didn't see the cabin where Ms. Day lives. Next time we'll find it and look in her windows.

Spurgeon on cabin fever

2006-08-20T20:32:00.001-05:00

He who forgets the humming of the bees among the heather, the cooing of the wood-pigeons in the forest, the song of birds in the woods, the rippling of rills among the rushes, and the sighing of the wind among the pines, needs not wonder if his heart forgets to sing and his soul grows heavy.... A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind's face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best.

"Heaviest the heart is in a heavy air,
Ev'ry wind that rises blows away despair."

The ferns and the rabbits, the streams and the trouts, the fir trees and the squirrels, the primroses and the violets, the farm-yard, the new-mown hay, and the fragrant hops—these are the best medicine for hypochondriacs, the surest tonics for the declining, the best refreshments for the weary. For lack of opportunity, or inclination, these great remedies are neglected, and [a man] becomes a self-immolated victim.

C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students

Bigfoot is my homeboy

2006-08-17T01:54:00.001-05:00

These commercials are particularly tickling to me.

Messin' with Sasquatch

Skip the intro. Click "Watch the commercials." Laugh. Thank me.

"Made in France" just doesn't have that ring to it.

2006-08-12T10:17:00.001-05:00

I found this piece by Paul Graham interesting: Made in USA

Ironically I was searching the web for made in the States boots. I think I've decided that my next pair of hiking boots are going to be Danners.

Well anyway, the Paul Graham piece. I'm not convinced that Europe is the end-all-be-all of fashion and function. From conversations with people I know who have lived in disparate parts of Europe (Spain, Norway, Germany, as well as my own three weeks in Germany in 1996), I know that Europe ain't all that well meaning, high-rent Americans make it out to be.

Graham said many photos of America are nature shots, not city shots. OK, but can't we surmise from this another American value? Our land. Especially those of us who grew up in rural areas, in the midwest or the south or the Rockies -- the places these pictures were taken. So we'll trade a relatively boring house for being able to see a sunset or a smallmouth bass or fields of soybeans and corn.

Another factor: we're basically still pioneers. Or at least many of us aren't more than two or three generations removed from the people who busted sod and built a life for themselves and their families. Old Hans Svenson wasn't thinking "How can I make this farmhouse a little more stylistically inspired?" when he set up shop on the prairie. Graham's right, we probably value utility over design, but first things first. (OH! you need to read Giants in the Earth - great book about Norweigans settling the prairie)

Well anyway. It provoked more thought than that, but I'm going to the eye doctor now. I'm reviving my old black-rimmed glasses!

The Camping Cough

2006-08-02T12:41:00.001-05:00

I'm getting that itchy, burning sensation again. No, not athlete's foot. Cabin Fever, the Camping Cough, Backpackeritis.

I recently ran a "How valuable is your blog?" query (evaluates how much traffic your blog receives, and therefore its advertising potential). Mine's worth $0.00. But whoever might happen by:

I'm looking for a 20-to-50 mile stretch of trail for backpacking and camping, with mostly moderate grades and a decent supply of water.

Yeah, I know, "Good luck." But how else am I going to get the Wife to leave civilization with me?

I don't care if you call it Frolf

2006-07-14T15:51:00.001-05:00

I'm goin' disc golfin' at Waterworks. Seeya.

High plains drifter

2006-06-12T23:31:00.002-05:00

When travelling I-70 across the high plains, don't stop for dinner at the TA Truck Stop in Limon, CO.

I took one bite. Didn't quite register. Second bite, blech, is it really this bad? Third bite, "Could I have my check?"

Thankfully McDonald's was still open.