Camping this weekend

I got to go camping at a beautiful spot in Iowa. Most people will tell you there is no places to "back country camp" or primitive camp in Iowa. We all believe the camp grounds are the only option. This weekend I went up to Chain of Lakes Wildlife Management area. Part of the area is County ran and part is State Run. The State run portions can be camped with out a camp site with the philosophy of "leave no trace". We set up camp in a stand of timber. Very sweet spot. We were bushcrafting it so we had tarp set ups no tents. The place had ample dead fall to use as fire wood. It was mostly smalled stuff though. We had pine needle tea, that was yummy. Yesterday morning we got hit with the storm. I heard later that a woman was killed at Lake Macbride camp ground from the high winds. I heard this through a friend but have not read the news yet. The storm was intense but we weathered it and broke camp in the wind.

It was a beautiful place by Palo, Iowa. We only saw one other person while we were there. We saw a couple of deer. In fact one came into camp early in the morning and woke us with grunting noises. We heard coyote, fox, and many many birds. Over all a great time. I almost got an ember using a bow drill but not completely so I lit the fire with natural tinder and a fire steel. Blessings to the family of the lady who lost her life.

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Iowa Weather

Well slap my knee and call me pink Iowa, It's snowing. Yet again I woke up to snow blanketing the yard. It snowed Friday while I was in Des Moines and now it is snowing here two hours East. I am trying to recall if it is normal to have snow this late in the season. Being Iowa I am sure it is, but for some reason it is not sitting with me well. The weather report says it will be 46 degrees today so the snow will not linger long. I am getting nervous for my campout this weekend. Two weekends ago I drove 8 hours, hiked to miles to camp in Southern Illinois on The Trail of Tears down by the Shawnee National Forest. It was beautiful. This coming weekend I will kick off my camping/ hiking tour of Iowa. Let's see how the experience holds up. We had thunder and lightning and I slept in a tarp set up (no tent. Yeah I am a Bushcrafter). It will be interesting to see what the Iowa weather does this weekend. The forecast looks good, but then it does change it's mind moment by moment. When I first moved to Iowa I was told repeatedly, "If you don't like the weather in Iowa wait five minutes." I suppose it is nature's way of making sure all of the new growth has plenty of moisture to start us into Spring.

This is the first year that we are attempting a garden at my house. We have our seeds planted and they are starting to sprout. What a rush, right? We brought them in because of the weather last week. Looks like they will be stuck inside with us for a while. This is one thing to consider when prepping in Iowa. If your life depends on your garden, timing will be important for planting. Looks like I have a lot of learning to do. Gardening is not as easy as it looks on Youtube. :)

Well enjoy the white stuff today Iowa. Hopefully we won't see too much of it the rest of this season. I have the "Hiking Iowa Guide" which is going to be my starting point for hiking and backcountry camping in Iowa. If any of you Iowans know of some great spots to hike/ primitive camp give me a shout. I would love to explore this amazing state. I know we have more than corn fields here, can't wait to prove that fact.

Stay warm and Keep prepping, FreedomFox

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Winter Over Night Review

The over night went great. There were four of us that camped and this guy was woodsy enough to sleep outside. He made Butter Nut Squash soup that was delicious. We also had salmon, cous cous, and zuchinni for dinner. In the morning breakfast was oatmeal and Hot cocoa and chai tea.

Who says you can't eat good while out camping?

The company was great and the dogs were the perfect addition. Two huskies tromping through the snow always makes my day brighter.

We got a break in the weather and had temps in the high twenties to thirties. The over night low was above twenty. We woke up to an inch or so of snow blanketing the campsite.

We camped in the primitve camp ground. There were no other campers there so we had the place to ourselves. There were Ice Fisherman out on the lake just a short hike from camp. There was a pit latrine as well as modern bathrooms a short walk or drive from us, with showers.

All in all Belva Deer County park and lake was a wondeful place to be. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I think I will make a return trip when the weather is warm.

Thank you, Freedomfox

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Villages of Van Buren County

As I mentioned in my last post, there is more to Iowa than people think. Keosaqua and the Villages of Van Buren County are perfect examples of that. Today I took a drive down to a store called, “troublesome Creek Outfitters.” It is a great store with a lot of finds. I picked up a new knife, some fishing tackle for my BOB, and a pocket chain saw that comes in a little tin. I also gleaned a lot of information just talking to the owner. I am planning an overnight trip down to Shimek State Forest. If you get a chance to check out the Villages of Van Buren County it is well worth the drive. Lake Sugema is down there and has a 574-acre lake stocked with fish. It offers fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. This land has a conservation mindset. It was a wonderful day trip and I plan to spend much more time down there.

For information on the area you can check out
www.villagesofvanburen.com
To check out Troublesome Creek Outfitters go to
www.troublesome-creek.com
Thanks, FreedomFox


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Hiking Iowa

“Let’s go hiking in Iowa.” “Really where?” That’s the reaction most people have to the suggestion they might enjoy walking around our presumably flat state. Their impression of Iowa is one founded on underestimation of its landscape. Taught to judge scenic beauty by the grandeur and enormity of landforms, they have no gauge to measure the subtle beauty of Iowa.

That is how Elizabeth Corcoran Hill starts out her book “Hiking Iowa: A guide to Iowa’s greatest hiking adventures.” The truth of the statement still rings in my ears. I was born and raised in San Diego California. When I moved to Iowa I was in mid-twenties. At first I was out of place. After a year of living here I had gone “Home” for a visit. I could not wait to get back. As I flew in to Iowa I remember saying, “My God it is beautiful.” I felt glad to be home.

One of the things I have been getting into recently is Bushcraft. I originally started because I wanted to improve my skill set and practice my survival skills. According to Wikipedia, “Bushcraft is about surviving and thriving in the natural environment, and the acquisition of ancient skills and knowledge to do so. Bushcraft skills include; firecraft, tracking, hunting, shelter building, the use of tools such as knives and axes, foraging, hand-carving wood, container construction from natural materials, rope and twine-making, and many others. These are the kinds of skills well known to our ancient predecessors, many of which are still practiced today as an everyday skill amongst aboriginal and native peoples around the world.” In looking for information on Bushcrfat I came across the Midwest School Of Bushcraft. http://www.midwestschoolofbushcraft.com/

Part of what I was looking into is where in Iowa to practice these skills. In my area if you want to camp you pay $11 and park it at the local county park next to 30 other campsites. I had heard about the Hiking Iowa book a while back. I got a copy for Christmas. It is a very well done book and breaks hiking spots down in a few different ways. One of the Exciting things the book talks about is what Hill calls “Back Country” camping. Terry Barney the instructor for the Midwest School of Bushcraft likes to take groups to the Loess Hills and Stephens State Forest. Hill points out that Iowa has “seventy state parks and four major forests.” Iowa’s landscape changes depending on where you are in the state. It occurred to me that it would be beneficial to learn more about the variety of resources Iowa has to offer.

My suggestion to readers is to start learning some Bushcraft skills and to also start getting to know the terrain. The first key to survival is mindset, the second key is practice. Don’t wait until SHTF to try and learn how to start a fire. Now is the time to start learning and practicing skills. Not only that but it is fun. I never thought I would be excited to be “in the Bush” but I can’t wait to get out there.
Thank you, FreedomFox


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