Some Good Days

We’ve had splendid summer weather during the past week:  sunny days in the 70’s and overnight around 50.  Justin is home for a couple of weeks. He seems to be doing much better now.  He earned A’s in both of his summer courses, did his homework on time and kept to a good sleeping schedule.  In fact, he seems like a whole new person.

We had a nice family campfire on the hill last night.  Allie’s magic Iphone camera filters turned Justin into a hipster.  Justin starts his second year of college after Labor Day. I think he has a better understanding of the demands of college and taking a more active role in managing his disability.

Allie finished her summer internship, along with an interview for a three year corporate rotation. She will help me out caregiving for Justin for the next week and then return to Milwaukee for her last semester of college before graduating in December.  We’ve had time to do some hiking also.

Next week is full of checking off “to do” lists before taking off in the Brew Hut the following week.  I know that Callie is ready to go.  Me too.

Southward Bound

Similar to my last couple of trips, there was a lot to do before I could leave on this one. Justin’s Christmas present was two tickets to Mumford and Sons last night at the new Milwaukee arena, Fiserv Forum. Unfortunately, he bought tickets for Sunday night rather than Saturday night and didn’t tell us until about a week before the show. This meant that the concert was on a schoolnight/worknight.

The concert didn’t end until after 11 p.m., and then the ushers unhelpfully directed Justin (who is in a power wheelchair) to exit via a stairway. We dropped off Allie at 11:30 pm and then drove to Whitewater and got Justin ready for bed around 1 a.m. We didn’t get to bed until 2:30 a.m. On four hours sleep, Julia headed off to work and I hitched up the Brew Hut and drove south for warmer temperatures.

Tonight, I’m camped at Comlara County Park near Hudson, IL. The projected low at home was 29 degrees overnight. Here, it’s supposed to be a balmy 36 degrees. I’m not complaining.   There are about half a dozen campers here at this 155 site campground.  The water isn’t turned on, and the bathrooms are locked.  Good 30 amp electrical hookups for $24/night to run my small electrical heater.   And you can’t beat the view.

Spring Breakout

Spring has finally started to arrive in south-central Wisconsin.  It’s maple sap/syrup weather when nights dip below freezing, and the days warm up into the 40’s and 50’s. I’ll be on the look-out for good deals on syrup at the smaller farmers’ markets later this summer, as we are all out after having stocked up a couple of years ago at $12/quart.


There’s been some good ice fishing during the last week or so, but that season has run its course with the ice breaking up. And the birds have started to migrate in large numbers. The sandhill cranes began arriving several weeks ago–even with temperatures falling below zero.  Now, the swans have arrived.  Today, on my walk with Callie, the snow geese were out–dozens of the black-tipped winged birds soaring above the Wisconsin River.

Justin is home for spring break.  He seems generally in good spirits and has re-committed to college.  Justin has spent much of this week catching up after missing a week of school while fighting depression.  He will be back to school next Sunday.

Allie has returned from Mexico with the end of her spring break.  People worry about the dangers of Mexico, but the worst thing that happened to her was a bad sunburn.  There are all kinds of dangers, but we tend to underestimate those dangers right at home and overestimate the ones in other countries.

The snow and ice around the Brew Hut is nearly gone.  I’ve been making some minor repairs and improvements. The powered tv antenna was stuck in the on position, draining the battery, so I swapped out that failed part.  A broken drawer underwent a redesign, and turned into a deep shelf.  The black tank got a new cap. A broken strap holding up the gray tank outlet was replaced.  A propane tank leaky hose was swapped out for one that works.  I upgraded my outdoor cooking stove from a one- burner butane stovetop to a Classic Coleman two-burner propane stovetop.  A burner valve died on the Scamp cooktop–discontinued model without parts.  I’ll operate with one burner inside for awhile until I figure out a solution.

I’m feeling more optimistic about my planned trip south in April with the Brew Hut.  Since I’m a pessimist and don’t want to jinx it, I’ll put the odds at 50/50.  Callie says I’m a Debbie Downer.

Water problem in the Brew Hut

I didn’t sleep all that great last night.  The winds were from the wrong direction and didn’t cool off the trailer much at all.  Finally giving up, I fed Elvis before sunrise and hiked the lake trail.  The mixture of clouds and blue sky produced a startling sunrise.

I used the water jug to fill my teapot and Elvis’ water bowl.  That was enough for breakfast’s needs:  coffee, oatmeal, dishes, brushing teeth.  Then I started getting the Brew Hut ready to hitch up and go.  One of the things I do is to empty the toilet and give it a good rinse by turning on the water pump.  When I flipped the switch, I heard the sound of silence.  Not good.  Back and forth with the switch.  Nothing.  I had a full water tank with no way to get the water to the sink, shower or toilet.  Bad.

Now the worst case scenario is running through my mind.  Was the water pump dead?  Would I have to return to Rapid City to get it diagnosed, fixed and/or replaced at an rv shop?  Muttering sweet nothings, I lifted up my eight inch memory foam mattress which covers the access door to the water pump.  Can’t see a thing.  Next, I put on my headlamp and stuck my head in further, lifting the wires gently to see what was going on.

One of the electrical connectors to the water pump had apparently vibrated out.  Using my immense mechanical/electrical skills (not), I stuck it back into the slot.  Tuned on the switch.  The pump was working again.  Blood pressure returned to normal.

After I finished hitching up, I drove to Spearfish, South Dakota, intending to stay at the City Campground. Reports on the Campendium website indicated that rates were as low as $10/night off-season.  I guess it’s not off-season yet because the campground was nearly full. The attendant quoted rates of $45 for a narrow RV slot with hookups or dry camping in the primitive area without any hookups for $30/night.  I said no thanks and drove to Wyatt’s Hideaway at Belle Fourche just up the road.

With my Passport America discount card, the rate was half-price and $25/one night, electricity, wifi (serviceable), hot showers, laundry, dump station and fresh water.  Although I’m sure it’s packed during Sturgis Week, there’s hardly anyone here now.  A swift running river runs along the back of the campground and a busy road in front.  Not a nature experience, but I will get my errands done, resupply with groceries and be ready to head out in the morning to Wyoming.

Preparation and Planning

“Plans made in Jello.”  That’s a full-time nomad’s cliché with meanings at multiple levels.  I remember a minister with a similar sermon:  “Man plans, and God laughs.” Things outside our control often influence the best laid plans.


That’s tough for me, as someone with plans, back-up plans, and back-up to back-up plans. My mentor at the law firm liked to tell me in relationship to the practice of law:  Worry about the things that you can control; let go of the things you can’t control, and practice the skill of learning the difference between the two.  I’ve always been one to try to push more into that first category than most people would do.  Planning and organization do tend to increase the limited ability to control variables.

With that in mind, and two weeks before my scheduled departure out west, I’ve been tightening up the specifics of the plan.  As a general plan, I’m going to drive to the South Dakota Badlands, dry-camp without electrical hookups for awhile at a well-reviewed location, and then make my way over to the Black Hills and Spearfish, where I’ll camp for another week.  I have a few possible locations in mind–mostly dry camping.

From there, my plans are highly variable on the weather.  I’d like to spend some time in the Big Horn mountains of Wyoming and meander across Wyoming to northern Utah. The latter part of September can bring snow and freezing temperatures at higher elevations, so I might have to head lower and south before too long. I will play it by ear, but I need to be in Las Vegas in mid-October to pick up Julia for her portion of the trip.

In preparation, I’ve ordered Benchmark maps for the states I’ve mentioned above, and I’ve been researching google maps, campendium, freecampsites.net, public lands maps, and reviews of different places to camp, hike, and drive.

I bought a small inverter to charge my laptop and other small electronic devices not powered by 12 volts.  It has enough capacity to run the small tv also in case the world suddenly changes, and I need to watch the news or something.  My friend Dean showed me how to repack the wheel bearings with grease on the Brew Hut, so that needed task has been checked off the list. He also checked the brakes for me, which provides peace of mind.  I still need to organize space in the Nissan truck and Brew Hut. Packing clothes and planning food provisioning is also still ahead.

Justin has decided not to bring Elvis the service dog to college, which is probably for the best for now. Although having a service dog at college sounds good in theory, Justin and his caregivers have enough to do without worrying about feeding, watering, and toileting Elvis.  Those tasks are mine at home but would need to be performed by someone other than Justin at school.  Justin’s caregiving hours are limited,  Also, because we live in the country, Elvis has developed a bad habit of barking (for a service dog, not a watch dog) when there are strange noises or strangers (rare).  In a dorm setting, that is a common occurrence and a potential behavior problem.  Julia has asked me to take Elvis along, so that Elvis is not alone in the house all day while she is at work.

Taking Elvis on the trip west has pros and cons, but he is good company so we will make it work.  I know that he would rather be on an adventure rather than left at home. We both have worked hard during the last six years, so it’s only fair that Elvis is rewarded also for his own gray hairs. When we return home before Thanksgiving Break and then during semester break, we will both be put back to work for Justin.

Black River State Forest

The Black River Forest is 68,000 acres of public land in Jackson County, which is about 2 hours northwest of Madison, WI and two hours southeast of Minne-apolis, MN.  The area is home to wolves, bear, elk, wild turkey and other critters. I headed up there last Thursday night in the Frontier, pulling the Brew Hut.  It’s likely my last trip of the season.

The days are getting much shorter.  I arrived at Castle Mound campground a few minutes after 7 p.m., and it was pitch black.  I was nervous about towing the trailer for the first time in the dark and setting up in the dark also for the first time. Aside from four whitetail deer straddling the entrance road to the campground, I didn’t have any problems.  In fact, thanks to pull-through sites, I didn’t even have to back up the Brew Hut in the dark.

After self-registering and paying my fees through the envelope slot at the closed office, I hiked around in the dark through the campground loops.  There were only a couple of other campers.  Back at the Brew Hut, I unwound with a couple of Spaten Octoberfest lagers, ate some pepper jack cheese & crackers,  and read a few chapters of Game of Thrones.  The campground is fairly close to Hwy 12 and I-94 so there was some truck/road noise, but I slept well, waking up Friday to the sun starting to rise and temps in the 40’s

I decided to warm up with a hike instead of breakfast.  The Castle Mound Nature Trail is about a two-mile hike that includes some ups, some downs, and some very nice views of rock formations and forest.

A steep set of stairs leads to the observation deck, where, unfortunately, a wasp nest awaited.

An instant after I stepped from the last stair to the deck, several wasps landed on me.  A single sting to my left hand cut short my visit to the top.  I rarely get stung and was a bit ticked off at my luck.  I prefer a good cup of coffee for my morning wakeup.  Still, I managed the header photo and one more before hiking back down.

 
Some bacon,, eggs, hash browns (from scratch), and fresh brewed Dominican Republic coffee soothed my pain.

After breakfast, I hiked the Perry Creek mountain bike/hiking trail, which was an in/out trail of about 5 miles round trip.  The trail had been recently mowed and was in good shape.  I didn’t see a mountain bike the whole weekend or more than a handful of hikers for that matter.   On this hike, my only company was a hen turkey who was too lazy to get off the trail to escape from me.  She did seem to be annoyed that we were going the same way.

Dinner was tostadas with seasoned pork, cilantro and raw onions, washed down with an inexpensive red wine from Portugal. I found some firewood left by the previous occupant of my campsite for a nice bonfire to end the evening. 

Kohler-Andrae State Park: A Short Trip to Wisconsin’s East Coast

Earlier this summer, my son was scheduled to take part in a Disability Leadership retreat at a local college for a five-day stay.   Someone new to his personal care was going to help Justin during the week, so we were hesitant to leave on our own adventure until a successful overnight had passed.  I spent Sunday afternoon getting the Brew Hut ready for travel for what we hoped would be our first extended trip. 

Day One:  After not hearing from Justin and assuming that all was well, we hitched up the Brew Hut and were on the road by 8 a.m.  We drove by way of Columbus, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, arriving at Kohler-Andrae State Park at 11 a.m.  We didn’t have reservations. Our backup plan was to try other Lake Michigan shoreline campgrounds within an hour or so.  Because it was Monday morning and most of the weekend campers had left, we had no problem securing a site with electric hookups.

I last visited the beach at Kohler-Andrae about thirty years ago.  At that time, I remembered the beach being wider and the dunes being barer, but my recollection may be flawed or perhaps influenced by beer.  I think my last visit was during college and after dark.  I probably didn’t do much hiking, but that’s what we do now.

The third photo is the way that I remember the dunes, but a helpful, informative sign explains that human and animal activity causes erosion that leaves the sandy scar.  When I was a kid, we loved to run and jump off the dunes without giving much thought to the consequences of our fun.   On this trip, I did not try to relive my youth, break an ankle or scar the dunes.

Informational signs warned against straying off the boardwalk trail but also provided knowledge:

That evening, we drove into Sheboygan and had a fantastic meal at Harry’s Prohibition Bistro on South Pier Street.

The appetizer special was mussels pan seared and finished in a reduced red wine sauce with lots of garlic.  Often, ordering seafood in Wisconsin is a mistake.  Not this time.  The chef stopped by to see if we were enjoying the dish, saying that he was going to make some up for himself before leaving for the evening.  The main dish, pizza, was very good but we probably could have stopped after the mussels.

After dinner, we meandered up and down the Sheboygan pier.  It was a gorgeous night.

The Brew Hut

Our 16 foot Scamp now has a new name, courtesy of my wife Julia.  It shall be called the Brew Hut.  Last weekend, we hitched up the Brew Hut to the our Nissan Frontier and went on a two day adventure along the Mississippi River.

Day One:  

Our respite caregiver for our son Justin arrived at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.  Because our campsite wouldn’t be available until 3 p.m., we planned to hike most of this day at Wyalusing State Park, south of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where I had camped and hiked by myself earlier this year.

The two hour plus tow was my longest to-date, and there were some challenges.  The road, State Hwy 60, was curvy and hilly.  Plus, my newly installed driver’s side mirror extension extended the width of the truck, so that I needed to be more aware of the road’s center line. When we arrived at the state park, I couldn’t find a good place to park the truck/trailer.  All of the stalls that we saw were designed for a single vehicle.  No double vertical stalls.  We ended up driving down to the boat landing and parked in one of the truck/boat trailer stalls close to the Mississippi River.

Starting from the bottom of the bluffs, we hiked from the boat landing up the Sentinel Ridge Trail (1.6 miles), down the Old Immigrant Trail (2.6 miles), up the Old Wagon Trail (0.8 miles), and back down Sentinel Ridge (1.6 miles).

We were sweaty and tired, but the bugs were not as bad as we thought they might be.  From here, we continued south, eating a hearty lunch at a bar in Bagley, and towing the Brew Hut to Nelson Dewey State Park. At the top of the bluffs at the state park, we hiked several short trails (lots of mosquitoes), adding  another mile or so to the day’s total.  We then drove to the  Grant River Corp of Engineers (COE) Campground, just south of Potosi, Wisconsin.


Unhitching and setting up camp went smoothly.  We drove back into and stopped at a little winery to buy some wine, cheese, and crackers.   Back at the Brew Hut, we chowed down on our cheese, crackers and some strawberries we had purchased at a stand in Bagley.  It was hot, so we turned on the Brew Hut’s air conditioning system for the first time.  It worked fine, and cooled the trailer off to 72 degrees at the low setting.

We had been warned about the trains running close to the campground, day and night.  Julia and I both like the sound of trains, but have never spent the night so close to the tracks before.  When a train came through, the whistle rang loud and clear, and then the trailer and ground shook a bit  as the train roared past.  I slept ok; the air conditioner provided some white noise.  But a storm came through with lots of thunder and lightning.  Not the most restful night.

 Day Two:   

In the morning, I cooked pancakes (a Julia favorite) on the cast iron skillet inside the Brew Hut.  I brewed up some fresh roasted coffee with the cone filter and water just off-boil.

We did not discover any hiking trails near our campground, so we took off in the Nissan after breakfast for nearby Dubuque, Iowa, leaving the air conditioning on in the Brew Hut at the campground, so that it would be cool when we arrived back later.

In Dubuque, we found a hiking/biking trail along the Mississippi River between the casino and the industrial park. We walked about three miles round trip, and then drove a little further, finding a free parking spot a few blocks from downtown.  As we walked towards City Hall, we discovered a wonderful Saturday morning Farmer’s Market, spreading out several square blocks around the City Hall.  We walked up and down past the stalls, buying a few munchies and drinks here and there. During our stroll, we discovered a brew pub with a sour beer event beginning at 11 a.m.

As the Farmer’s market began winding down, we headed back to Jubeck New World Brewing for the special release of the barrel-aged Golden Sour, dry hopped with German Huell Melon Hops.

Julia mentioned to the brewer that I was a home brewer, and he immediately took me on a tour of the brew room next to the bar.  He was very cool, and it’s always fun to be around someone enthusiastic about his craft.  Some sour beers are over the top, but this sour was refreshing and delicious.

Feeling like we caught Dubuque on a really great day, we headed back across the bridge to our campground in Wisconsin.  That afternoon, we took it easy at the campground, watching the Mississippi River make its way south.

After using the campground showers, we drove into Potosi for a planned visit at the Potosi Brewery restaurant for dinner.  I had a Reuben sandwich and a Grapefruit Hefe beer, which is another wild/sour beer.  It was more sour than the Dubuque beer, but the wheat softened the overall taste.  I liked it, although I liked that morning’s beer better.

We had planned to stay for the scheduled music in the beer garden, but a passing rainstorm resulted in the event being canceled.  The rain stopped after a short time, but I guess it was too late to bring back the band.  By the time we arrived back at the campsite, the skies lightened, and the temperature dropped into the low 70’s–very pleasant and no air conditioning needed in the Brew Hut. In the cool night air, I slept like a baby–until the first train roared past.

On the next day, I fixed a quick egg scramble with asparagus, toast, and coffee.  The trip home was uneventful.