Scamp: Four Season Camping?

Here in the Upper Midwest, camping season can seem incredibly brief.  Freezing temperatures during May and  September are not typical but also not rare.  

 

There are some fiberglass trailers, like Oliver and Bigfoot, that keep all of the water and waste tanks within the potentially heated portions of the trailer.  Scamp is not one of those trailers, as the waste tanks are beneath the sub-floor.  In my Scamp, the water tank is located on an outside wall under the rear bed.  The plumbing system would not do well during sustained freezing temperatures.

When we camped at Bryce National Park, the temperature dipped into the mid 20's.  Because daytime temperatures rose up into the 50's, we did not end up with frozen pipes.

Even during Wisconsin's winter with temperatures sometimes well below zero, however, it is perfectly possible to camp in the Scamp when it is treated as a luxury hard-sided tent.  That means to keep the plumbing system empty and/or full of rv anti-freeze.  

On our recent camping trip to Iowa, we kept five-gallon plastic water containers inside the heated portion of the trailer, and used those for drinking and cooking.  We visited the pit toilet in the campground and collected kitchen wastewater in a tub before tossing it outside appropriately.  Nothing down the drain.  

We had electric hook-ups, so we were able to stay comfortable with a small electric ceramic heater.   Comfortable mattress?  Yep.  Comfortable dinette for eating?  Yep.  Several reading lights?  Yep.  The Scamp is a really nice tent even without usable indoor plumbing.

Would I use the Scamp in the middle of winter?  Given Wisconsin's liberal use of salt on the roadways, I would be reluctant to take it anywhere and potentially allow road salt to damage the metal frame.  Even during my brief stays on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Scamp incurred some light surface rust on the frame from the sea mist/air.

Lodi Marsh

 

While we were camping in Iowa, the Mobile Skills Crew for the Ice Age Trail Alliance was making improvements to the Lodi Marsh segment.

Previously, the trail moved to the left of the yellow blaze and through some very wet, soft ground.  During the spring and fall, and after any appreciable rainfall, you could count on wet feet while hiking this section.  Trying to go around the wet spots on the trail just led to deeper but hidden wet spots in the marsh.  

The mobile skills crew completed the difficult job of moving the building supplies to the re-route and constructing an elevated footpath leading to higher ground.  I can only imagine how muddy the job was.

I felt guilty just sauntering across the boards a few days later.  But my feet were dry, and I was grateful.

Fairport State Recreation Area

On our past visits to Muscatine, Iowa, we have stayed at Shady Creek, a Corps of Engineers campground.  That option was not available because Shady Creek doesn't open until May.

Instead we chose Fairport State Recreation Area, which is managed by Iowa DNR and open year-round.  The 43 site campground is on the Mississippi River and costs $12/night this time of year for dry camping with electric hookups.  A pit toilet is available. It's a good idea to bring your own toilet paper.  

Once the water gets turned on, the price goes up to $18/night, but showers, toilets, garbage dumpsters and water spigots are available.  

The waterfront is the star of the campground.

We had a front row view of the river from our site.  The interior rows are fairly tight.  The back row is very close to the highway and very, very close to the train tracks, which is only a problem when the train comes through.  On our first night, there were no trains, but the other two nights included several train visits.

There were fewer than six other campers in the campground during our stay.  One family had recently been evicted and was angry at the world.  Lots of shouting, ranger visits for non-payment, etc.  They were in a pop-up camper and were using one of those electric fireplaces for heat.  I know because they first set it up on the picnic table.  Lots of colorful language about that purchase and where it should go, etc.

Another guy got his huge fifth wheel trailer (3 slide-outs) and four-wheel drive RAM 3500 truck massively stuck on wet ground.  He spun all four wheels for so long and hard that I thought he had blown his engine, and that the truck was on fire.  It was on the other side of the campground, but I came running with the news that there was a fire raging under his truck.  Another camper (more usefully) gave him their fire extinguisher, and he eventually was able to put it out the fire, although it reignited briefly.

It turned out that he had set fire to the grass and brush under his truck.  The tires spinning dug quite an impressive trench that he was unable to escape, even with his four-wheel drive in low.  With a straight face, he asked me if I could pull him out.  I told him that I didn't have near enough truck to do that.  The Nissan has a 6000 pound towing capacity, and he wanted me to  pull out his truck and fifth wheel.

A tow truck was called and winched both units out together.  After setting up in his site, the guy never left the comfort of his fifth wheel for the next two days.  That side of the campground will bear the scars of his adventure for awhile.

Wildcat Den

 There are about five miles of of up and down trails at Wildcat Den State Park, which is just north of Muscatine, Iowa.

We started at the Grist Mill.

Julia watching the water fall

The trail then went up and into The Punch Bowl. The temperature was in the 30’s. We didn’t see anyone else hiking.

After our hike we had a beer at Contrary Brewing in Muscatine. The outdoor and indoor seating were packed on a Saturday early afternoon. 

I had a chocolate milk stout that was very good. Contrary is located across the street from the Mississippi River. 

Switching It Up

Weather forecasting is an imperfect science, especially in the early spring. This trip to Iowa was spur-of-the-moment, and we were perhaps overly optimistic about a forecast that included one rainy day and a warming trend with sunshine. 

Friday morning, we were confronted with a different reality.

The only decent weather days ahead would be Saturday and Sunday. We decided to spend those days further south with an actual Mississippi River view at a campground that was new to us.

River Ridge Brewing

A year is a long time to wait for a beer. We first visited Bellevue in April of 2021. At that time River Ridge was in the process of building out its new location on the Mississippi River. When we came back in October, the tasting room was closed. This time, we carefully planned our trip so that we would be in town during tasting room hours.

The foundation of the original building  is literally in the water. 

Rear of River Ridge Brewing

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we finally made our way inside on Thursday, but I can happily report that it is currently my favorite Iowa brewery.

It isn’t just the beer, although my nitro-tapped oatmeal stout was full-bodied and creamy. 

The views from inside and outside of the tasting room are amazing. We saw bald eagles, white pelicans, and egrets on the river.

On the day of our visit, the young woman who was bartending told me that our beers were each $1 off because it was National Beer Day. Four dollars for a pint of good local stout? I love Iowa.