Fri, 6 November 2009  You don't have to go into the wilderness to get a taste of nature. If you want to just get out there but live in an urban or sub-urban area look into the parks in your region. You'll probably be surprised at what you find. Besides the numerous city parks here in Ann Arbor we are blessed with an extensive metropark system that covers 5 counties (we are lucky to also have State Game Areas and much more, you probably have them too). This time we visited Hudson Mills Metropark and strolled broad nature paths and paved trails for a couple hours. Even though we were about as close to civilization as you can get an urban nature hike can still re-vitalize and give you that little extra boost that makes being outside worthwhile (the excursive doesn't hurt either). Autumn is a superb time for little treks like this. Get out and enjoy.Comments[3] |
Mon, 27 July 2009  I have a confession to make: I like space. I shudder when I look at some backpacking shelters and see that they claim to be suitable for two people and yet have only space enough, or so it seems, for one. To the best of my knowledge I am not claustrophobic but I know that squeezing into a shelter with just 20 or so square feet and only a small bit of headroom near one end or another really gets on my nerves if I must spend hours, let alone days, under the sheltering canopy of fabric. I worry that in such a tiny space something will get wet all too easily as I brush the walls of the shelter. I bemoan the fact that I can wriggle around all long nights but must stay put so I don't bump the walls. I know that in the vast majority of cases I really do not need the space. I shelter alone most times even if I am traveling with a group. I don't have a canine companion I need to keep under cover (though I have thought about that now and then). But I like the ability to spread out. That desire outweighs the urge to save a few ounces of weight (heresy, I know). So when a shelter like the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar comes along I find myself intrigued. Here is a shaped tarp, a plus in its own right since I don't have to have an advanced degree in tarpology, that when even pitched low affords not only ample floor area but copious headroom (i.e., volume). It feels larger than it actually is because of its openness. I can bring a Tyvek floor or a bug bivy to improve my comfort depending on the situation (in either case the weight will likely be similar) and I even have all the extra space I could want should the day come and I find myself sharing a shelter routinely with another person. While MLD claims the shelter can be set up in less than two minutes I doubt I'll ever get that fast. I take longer than anyone I know to set up even the very fast-to-pitch Shires Tarptent Virga. That is just the way I am: blame my vision. However, I have no doubt that in short order I will be pitching the Trailstar much more adroitly than I did in this video. Direct download: 17_Mountain_Laurel_Designs_Trailstar_First_Pitch.mp4 Category: Vidcast -- posted at: 5:02 AM Comments[0] |
Tue, 21 July 2009  The Ann Arbor Art Fairs have been around for fifty years (the original street Art Fair) and I don't think they're going to stop any time soon judging by the number of booths and people I saw milling around thi summer. I enjoyed my wandering around over the 4 days of the Art Fair. I think the secret for my successful enjoyment is to spend just a couple hours any given day. If you can spend some of that time enjoying the Art Fair extras like live music that makes things so much better.Comments[0] |
Wed, 25 March 2009  Rhode Island is the smallest of the fifty states in the U.S.A.. Covering a mere 1,545 square miles, just big enough to contain New York City three times over, the state boasts considerable wonderful scenery. Last fall I spent a few days with family learning that Rhode Island has more than two well known cities and extensive coastline. From the shores of Narragansett Bay to the state forests in places like the Arcadia Wildlife Management Area Rhode Island can surprise you with its variety of flora and fauna. I have had family living in Rhode Island for fifteen years but it was only recently that I started to learn just how varied the state is. After seeing the seals at Rone Point we'd turn our attention to the Escoheag Trail. Being greeted by this sign gave us pause, but we were prepared. The hills and rivers of the pine forests beckoned. We'd leave the Escoheag Trail for the Ben Utter trail and Falls River. We'd work our way to the small waterfall, Stepstone Falls I believe, for a lovely lunch on a crisp autumn day. You could, if you wanted, visit the seashore, a rich pine forest, and river valley complete with remains of old foundations of anceint mills in one day. Comments[2] |
Sat, 17 January 2009  The first geocaching rally was off to a rollicking start on an overcast, snow bound, January afternoon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The energy and enthusiasm of the teams was undeniable. People wanted to win. Even our little team of myself, Laurence and Marla, and Paul wanted to at least not finish last. Lar, Marla, and I have been geocaching for several years but we are hardly power cachers,having logged fewer than 50 finds in that time. Compare that against some folks who likely find that many caches in a routine day of geocaching and you get a sense of how we go about things. Our goal: not to finish 25th out of 25th. Paul, a long time friend through hiking and camping, joined our merry band as we were in his neck of the woods. I never did get an official arrival time but I believe it was just short of an hour. Probably closer to 55 minutes. We finished fifteenth. If I have any regrets it is only that we spent a lot of time in the car and very little searching out of the car. But then driving is not something I relish. Events like this are meant to be social and perhaps the actual searching should be secondary. From that perspective the Geo Rally was a huge success and we certainly had fun. PhotosAdditional photos can be found here. Sites Of InterestComments[1] |
Sat, 10 January 2009  For the past few years I have been fortunate to spend a few days in late December with friends at the rustic Burns Bunkhouse cabins in Waterloo Recreation Area. The rustic cabins, we have stayed in both of them over the years, provide bunk beds, a wood stove for heat, plenty of table and counter space for cooking and eating, and benches. You provide everything else. If you want light after sundwon bring a couple of Coleman lanterns. If you want hot food a couple Coleman camping stoves will work great. And don't forget to bring water or be prepared to get it from the nearby pump and deal with the iron taste. The cabins force a relaxed atmosphere and provide a fine place for base car camping as trails abound. The past few years we have managed to snag a cabin for New Years and this year we had cabin #2 for 3 nights. Having that much time to spend can be a real treat if you are with the right people. It might seem like a lot of time but time has a ay of slowing down without feeling slow on these trips. We can spend time walking on and off-trail routes through the Waterloo and Pinckney Recreation areas. The possibilities for exploration are numerous. With winteryou often get a chance to go places that would be impassible during the warmer months. After all places that are swampy mud during the summer are frozen at this time of year. This year our explorations were a bit more relaxed than they have sometimes been. We only spent a few minutes off trail pushing through pricker filled bush and strolling across Mill Lake. But while we did not do a night hike in a blizzards like we did th ring in 2008 we managed to enjoy our sojourns nonetheless. Sites Of Interest
A version of this video suitable for playing on devices like the iPhone or video capable iPods can be downloaded from this link. Comments[0] |
Fri, 5 December 2008  The Gathering is held at the old Schoolhouse near White Cloud, Michigan. The Schoolhouse, run by the Western Michigan North Country Trail Chapter, has served us well over the years. Although we were expecting iffy weather we knew this would be another fine Gathering. The Gathering draws people for a quick visit or the whole weekend. It also sometimes happens to fall on a couple group members birthdays though this year would not be one of those times. This year marks the tenth gathering and although only a handful of people have managed to attend all the of them, including myself, it is no less special. In fact it is a remarkable testament that the event has endured this long given the size and spread out nature of the group that spawned the event. For various reasons this Gathering would be a bit smaller than some in the past, but quantity alone does not make an event special. Quality is key and the quality of the people at this year's Gathering was high. We spent Friday evening catching up with each other sometimes inside the Schoolhouse and sometimes outside around the fire John and Paul had built. The next several hours, before the weather really began to close in on us, were spent in enjoyable conversation. Saturday would bring a different world. The long hike group which would include me did a hike of about 11 miles. We started at the NCT trail crossing of 11 Mile Road (Newago County) and hiked the trail to it's intersection with the Birch Grove Trail. From there we took the Birch Grove Trail to where it crossed 5 Mile Road. We then followed the road the remaining distance to the Schoolhouse. After a potluck dinner of usual massive proportions featuring everything from homemade pickles to great locally made apple pies we settled down to conversations and play. Play this year included another Texas Hold 'Em tournament and this time a Haan family member did not win. Andy would take home the lion's share of the pot this year with Matt breaking even. The remaining 5, including me, lost our $5 buy in but we all had fun so that hardly mattered. People drifted in and out but eventually the long day would catch up to us all and those of us sleeping in shelters outside would slip on our wet shoes and slip out into the frigid, though warmer than it had been in some years, night air to find our tents and a good night's sleep. We'd spend around three hours on the NCT and within the Coolbaugh Natural Area. This hike is a varied one featuring forest of oak and pine, prairie like areas, areas with ponds and even a couple creeks. When walking the trails in Coolbaugh we followed the red sole blazes that marked the trail. These are soles from countless shoes. Sites Of Interest Additional Photos and Hiking Map Comments[0] |
