Sylvania trip, the "clubhouse", Arnold Days

It's the first day of fall-- here in Eau Claire the day is hot and breezy. Leaves are turning color but few have fallen yet, so the effect is glorious indian summer. This is the weather we should have had on the weekend of the 15th, when we were wilderness camping in Michigan with other members of my family! But it didn't work out that way...

For several years now (five?), we've made an annual camping trip to the Sylvania national forest in Michigan, which is only about an hour away from my family's hometown, Rhinelander. My brother Don, a forester, was the one who discovered the old growth location and promoted and organized the first few trips. He couldn't make it this year, but brother John and I decided we didn't want to miss out, and brothers Bob and Bill ended up joining us as well. It was kind of a last minute thing, this year, though.

The camping was chilly; in fact, several locals let us know that it had actually snowed at our campsite the night before. You would never guess that from the picture below, though, that shows it was warm enough for some in our group to actually take a dip.

Not long after this photo was taken, Emma came back to our campsite and begged to go swimming too. Jon thought we should let her try, as long as we had a warm fire and plenty of dry towels and clothes on hand for the aftermath. A more cautious Michael declined to make a similar request...

So Emma took the plunge. She had to swim in clothes, though, as it hadn't occurred to me to pack a swimsuit for 40 and 50 something degree weather. She had a few minutes of splashing around with her uncles (Bob, Bill, and John-- something tells me Don would NOT have joined them had he been around) and Bob's girlfriend Lisa. But it wasn't long before the swimmers headed back to the campfire, looking for towels and a way to get warm again. Emma was shivering but fine once she had dry things on and got in front of the fire. It was a memorable experience for her, anyway!

While most of the group was swimming, the less adventurous of us observed a porcupine waddling past our campsite. Once sighted it bolted up a tall tree, staying there until after dark when we heard it make its final exit. It must have been a young porcupine, since it seemed small. Coco was down by the water at the time it appeared, so luckily there was no direct contact there.

This year we primitive-camped. We loaded all of our gear (as well as seven people and a dog) onto three canoes and paddled across the lake to our campsite. The canoe I was in sprang a leak within ten feet of the shoreline. Jon plugged the little hole with that most useful of items, duct tape. I monitored the hole warily all the way across the lake (I helped paddle, as well-- please don't think I just stared at the hole). Rather nerve-wracking, but the "repair" held up.

Before crossing to our site, at the check-in, we had to watch an educational video about the rules and ettiquette of the campground; we think the Bennett family will enjoy that new little piece of "liberal" red-tape next time they camp with us :). You aren't allowed to bring glass, aluminum, or tin food & beverage containers, are encouraged to pack lightly and blend in with your surroundings, and must leave no trace of yourselves behind when you leave. They recommend that you tie your food up in a tree at night to discourage rummaging bears. You are also advised to bring your own toilet paper and drinking water; there is no electricity or running water, and bathroom facilities are as minimal as they get. An outdoor latrine is available, located a healthy hike away on the other side of a hill. It's a wooden box, basically, with a hole in the center, resting on top of a pit. The photo says it all. Doesn't get much more "primitive" than that!

Despite the effort involved in packing and hauling equipment, then setting up camp, camping itself is remarkably relaxing. Lots of time was spent sitting around the fire, eating and talking. Michael enjoyed exploring the woods around our site, and before long found an ideal play area in a bunch of uprooted trees. This occupied him for HOURS. Emma played with him a little, but she spent a lot of time playing with Coco and socializing with the adults. We had fun combing the beach for rocks and driftwood with Uncle Bobby and Bill. We went for a nature walk and saw interesting things like this tree burl. Jon found a quiet moment or two...

It's at night time when you find out how appropriately (or not) you've packed... we realized that not all sleeping bags are created equal, and that padding under your bag (and pillows) immensely improve the camping experience. We realized that all Bragg (and Hurlburts) snore. Loudly. We realized that the distance to the latrine doubles with each passing hour, and that some critters like to munch on toilet paper. And if your tent is on uneven ground, it is much more comfortable and wise to place your head, rather than your feet, on the incline.

The next day we tore down camp and packed, loaded up the canoes, paddled across the lake (a slow trickle of water from the duck-taped leak made the trip back interesting), unloaded the canoes, loaded up our cars and drove back toward Rhinelander in exhausted relief. Of course, along the way we had to stop at a local tavern to have lunch and watch the Packer game. Bob found us a small sports bar in Eagle River (imagine-- a bar in Eagle River!). We could have had free food if we'd waited until half-time, but we were starved by then and none of us could wait. So instead we ended up with a hefty bill, and were full when the free food came out.

After getting back, Jon continued work on his new pet project: a backyard "clubhouse" for the kids. He is building it out of cedar posts discarded as work on the state's new power line progresses. The body of it is 6 x 6 feet , but the roof really makes it look bigger. He plans to add shutters and a door and build a little table and chairs for inside. The structure was built on top of a palette so that he can pick it up with a forklift and move it, should we ever make it to another house. The kids are very proud of it and Michael has already typed up a sign with club rules:

"PUNISHMENT: tax 25 cents. RULES: 1. If you enter the club there are 3 levels... Jr. Half Pro. Leader. 2. NO SOCCER! 3. FOLLOW THE LEADER"

Cute!! I think this is very nice of Jon to do for them; it was his own idea and he's already spent many hours on it. I think the realization that we have another child on the way (so the house is guaranteed lots of use) has fueled the inspiration. Jon is a very good father to the kids (despite the occasional grumping that seems to accompany fatherhood).

This weekend we went to Jon's brother Eric's bar for "Arnold Days", a 3 night, two day promotion he started this year. Eric had bands in the evenings and organized popular local outdoor activities like volleyball, a horse race, an ATV mud run, and a horse pull. There was also a small flea market and outdoor refreshments (brats and hotdogs). It looked like he had a good turnout and most of his siblings were there. Michael had fun walking around with his older Hurlburt cousins, Alec, Seth and Sam, and Emma helped Aunt Sally walk her cute little dogs around (Buddy and daughter Lisa's dog Holly). We made purchases at the flea market and visited with Jon's parents and siblings. All the brothers were there and actively helped out with things; Phil helped pull ATVs out of the mud with a tractor and Jon helped measure the distances achieved. Eric's oldest son Josh and stepson Brent competed on 4-wheelers. All the competitors and some of the bystanders got quite muddy. It was fun to watch but got cold fast, once the sun went down.