BWCA 2020

 

Those of you who have visited the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) know that summer trips include cold and rainy days. You come to expect inclement weather days with just enough nice days sprinkled in to inspire deep appreciation. With Covid19, the riots, and stories about how crowded the BWCA might be in mind, our family wasn't super focused on the weather when preparing for this trip. By luck we stumbled into atypical, beautiful warm days, with only a little rain. We've never had an August trip this beautiful before. 

Sylvania Wilderness 2017 Part 2

Loons swam with their chicks calling loud warnings as eagles swooped down from warm, sunny skies. They called mournful calls as night fell wrapping the lake in a blanket of cool darkness. Bullfrogs croaked. Thousands of tadpoles in various stages of development filled the shallow waters along the lake shore. Turtles sunbathed on logs. Wildflowers waved in the breeze. Fungi and moss thrived on fallen trees. Cool green ferns lined serene footpaths. Reflections of clouds on the lake mirrored the tranquil sky. The Sylvania Wilderness gave our family all of this plus so much more.

Sylvania Wilderness 2017 Part I: Loons, Lakes, and Love of the Wilderness

Time in the wilderness is good for our family. It brings us closer together, and closer to nature. For our first wilderness adventure of 2017, we headed north to the Sylvania Wilderness in the Ottawa National Forest in Upper Michigan near Watersmeet. What a luxury to get away from the distraction of work, school, homework, electronics, and evening conference calls. On this trip, I showered my family with attention. I don't care if the mosquitoes bit or how much it rained, I enjoyed every minute with my family in this wonderful place, the Sylvania Wilderness.

Camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park

Lake Kegonsa State Park on Door Creek Road in Stoughton, Wisconsin provides a nice venue for family camping near Interstates 90 and 94 with close proximity to Madison, Wisconsin. With around 5 miles (8km) of well-maintained hiking trails, campground and beach playgrounds, a beach and pet beach, and a boat launch, there is enough easy going fun to keep our family busy for a weekend.

Hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the IAT and Canoeing the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes while Camping at Hartman Creek State Park

Hartman Creek State Park is the perfect launch point for hiking the Hartman Creek Segment of the Ice Age Trail and canoeing on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. The park is located west of Waupaca on Hartman Creek Road, south of State Highway 54 and north of State Highway 22. Arriving just after dark on a Friday evening, we set up camp looking forward to a weekend of outdoor fun.