Camping trip.

[Paa_Paw]

Just got back from 2 weeks at Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park.

Yes we camped in a tent, and yes I did all the cooking. Well, each person roasted their own marshmallow but I did the rest of the cooking. Not a single meal was out of a can or box, all food was taken to camp as raw ingredients. I even made Pizza in camp using fresh yeast dough and baking them in a modified BBQ Grill. They were prepared in cast iron skillets (I took 4) which had to be cooled on a pile of wet cloths so they could be made ready for the next use. That night I had the most help, as I made the dough, formed the crusts and did the baking but the three women and eight children assembled the pizzas to suit themselves.

Even managed to get in some hiking. One day I gave the ladies a day off and I took the 8 children all 10 and under, on a nature walk that should have taken about an hour. Between running to the front of the group to rein in the leaders and then running to the back of the group to urge on the laggers; I think I covered well over eight miles even though the trail was less than two miles long. our 1 hour nature walk took almost 4 hours.

Please don't get the idea that I am complaining, actually I am boasting. I am the only man of my age I know that is still capable of such antics.

[xelnaga13]

AWESOME! Every kid should experience camping. My family went often, however, the best trips were just my father and I. Setting up the camp site, tending the fire, cooking cheap cuts of beef over an open fire, and waking up at 3am to see the stars.

Nowadays camping might be the only way to get your family away from their electronics and engaged in real conversation and bonding.

Your boasting is justified! In old age: use it or lose it!

[hammer]

Paa_Paw, that is great to be able to do that kind of stuff at your age or any age for that matter.

We use to camp all the time too. We started with a 35 foot trailer at a seasonal site for several years then went to a 24 foot and pulled it around to different places. As my health got bad I couldn't handle set up anymore we got a 21 foot motor home. It was a old one as we didn't have a lot to spend on it. We use it for about 5 or 6 years and the back axel broke so I took the summer and parted out for scrap.

All I have now is the back of my van set up as a sleeper, and a 8 foot pull behind that has a booth that makes into a double bed and the first 4 feet as you walk in is the galley. It was originally an 8 foot Alaskan hydrolic truck camper that I rebuilt into a pull behind and created storage out of the area that would normally extend over the truck box. This is also my deer hunting home for a week of hunting every fall. It is small, but it works.

I find as I get older my needs are much less, if I go hunting by my self for just a few days I just live in the van and don't even take the little camper! Just my three wheel moped, my guns and porta poddy, and some food and I good to go!

My best time of year!

[Paa_Paw]

Cedar Grove, Kings Canyon National Park; is an old favorite of mine for many reasons.

In WWII gas was rationed and travel restricted so a vacation away from home was impossible. With the war's end, Gas was available and off we went to Cedar Grove. I celebrated my birthday there so I know it was in early July of 1946. I was 9 years old at the time.

As a youth and up well into my fifties the trailheads there were my preferred entry points to the wilderness areas. Now again I camp in the areas accessable by car and in a tent.

Besides being a favorite place, it has other advantages also. There is no cell phone service there and the high canyon walls even make GPS unreliable. Measured from the canyon floor to the surrounding peaks, it is the deepest gorge in the US. It has a granite dome that is actually taller than Yosemites iconic Half Dome. There are Waterfalls and Meadows. The forest, though the most common trees are Cedar, has an incredible variety of trees for the elevation and latitude. The place is just remote enough and has enough campsites that they have never had to use a reservation system. In fact reserving sites is not allowed. The sites must actually be occupied or they are available to the first comer.

The lower Kings River Gorge is a deep V characteristic of a canyon formed by running water while the upper (east) end is a wide U shape due to its glacial origin. Fishing for trout was very good this year in the Kings river and the many tributary streams. Good catches of pan sized trout were seen.

We arrived just before the new moon so the clear starry sky was spectacular until we got near the first quarter when the bright moonlight made the stars more difficult to see.

I guess you can tell I love that place.

[hammer]

It sounds like a very wonderful place Dan, one of God wonders! Where I do my deer hunting is in one of our many state forest. It is near Duluth, Namadji state forest. It has camp grounds no water or electric at $12.00 a night or you can camp free anywhere you can just set up in a clearing.
It has 96,000 square acres of forest with wild life, deer, bear, wolf, and others. The north west side and central area of the state are better for moose and elk but you my find a few in this area but fat chance and as far as elk it is seldom in the west side of the state as well.

My dream has been to hunt Alaska, but given my health that is only a pipe dream now! I am a hunter that eats what I hunt, so I only shoot what I eat!

Bob

[Paa_Paw]

Judy and I took a cruise to Alaska but that is probably as close as I'll ever get to spending any time there.

Fees for camping vary. National Parks do not allow "dispersed" camping though National Forests often do. The National Park entry fee of $20.00 is free if you have either a Golden Age or Golden Access card. The campsite fees are reduced by 50% from $18.00 to $9.00 per night. There is a 2 week limit, but they will ignore it if they have vacancies.

The Golden access card is free and good for life. The golden age card is $10.00 and also good for life. They are good at all kinds of federal facilities. They also have Temporary access passes for people with non-permanent disabilities and now they even have special access passes for service members and their families.

[hammer]

Here in Minnesota, I got a permanent fishing license being disabled that is good for life! That is a nice help! I also have a shoot from the vehicle permit for hunting being I am limited on my walking.
That is why I got the 3wheel moped. My hoveround power wheel chair got stuck in any sand, it was hard to get and wide angle shots from the window of my van.

Life is good when you make the best of things, and work with what you have!


Bob

[Paa_Paw]

Amen!