Inexpensive Lightweight Fruits and Vegetables for Backpacking, Hiking, and Paddling

Food options just keep getting better for hikers and paddlers. When I started backpacking, affordable light-weight fruits and veggies were unavailable. The best I could do were raisins and "dried" apricots along with sneaking in a fresh apple. I am delighted to report stumbling upon a great source of lightweight, low cost fruits and vegetables. Target now carries Simply Balanced™ freeze-dried fruits and vegetables for a lower price than the freeze-dried fruits and vegetables available at outdoor sporting goods stores.

June Hike on the Gibraltar Segment of the Ice Age Trail

While hiking the Lodi Valley / Baraboo Hills Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail last winter, I decided to save a couple special miles to hike with my family. The Gibraltar Segment offers gorgeous views from the hills overlooking Lake Wisconsin. It also leads to the  Merrimac Ferry crossing on Lake Wisconsin, which happens to be a required portion of the 1,000+ miles to have officially hiked the Ice Age Trail.

May Hike on the Springfield Hill Segment of the Ice Age Trail and the Connecting Route to Indian Lake

Clear skies and a cool early morning temperature of 40°F (4.4°C) made for perfect weather to get in a few more miles on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). Parking just off Ballweg Road at the  IAT access point, I first hiked the connecting route between the Springfield Hill and Indian Lake Segments of the IAT. The  morning shade cooled the connecting route, something to keep in mind if hiking this route during summer. After backtracking to the car, I hiked the Springfield Hill segment.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Trip

A wet, buggy canoe trip in the Sylvania Wilderness beats a dry, air-conditioned day in the rat race anytime. So off we paddled, with smiles in our hearts and bug nets on our heads. Our long weekend in the Sylvania Wilderness started out bright, sunny, and buggy.

Backpacking Shakedown Trip at Buckhorn State Park

To prepare for our upcoming Smokey Mountain backpacking trip, our family spent Mother's Day weekend doing our shakedown. We hiked just under a mile to our campsite on Castle Rock Lake. If you're new to the sport or looking to  shakedown gear, Buckhorn State Park is a great spot for a trial backpacking experience. Not far from the car for an easy bailout should things go wrong, but far enough in to enjoy a little more peace and solitude than the campground provides.

Connecting Route from Indian Lake to Table Bluff

Fragrant May blossoms and warm weather made the morning perfect for hiking the connecting route between the Indian Lake and Table Bluff Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. If you like rolling hills and red barns, this is the walk for you. On today's walk I got scolded by a killdeer, said "hello" to passing cyclists, and spotted a coyote near Table Bluff Road. The cyclists got me thinking about leaving a bike at the end of future connecting routes to use for backtracking to the car rather than doubling up on the walking.

Car Camping, Paddling, and Hiking the Meadow Valley and Cave Trails at Governor Dodge State Park

Need a relaxing environment to test out your camping gear in preparation before embarking on summer wilderness adventures? April car camping offers moderate weather and spring's first blossoms without the summer crowds. Looking forward to the weekend, we rushed to head out Friday night after work, getting camp set up just before dark. Governor Dodge State Park is located in Iowa County near Dodgeville on Wisconsin State Highway 23.