archbishop
08-01-2010, 06:03 PM
Let me add a bit of background before diving into my review. I spent my teen years in Wisconsin backpacking and camping regardless of the season. (Yep, I've seen 10 degrees F from my tent.) Later my family moved to Indiana and I continued to camp when I could. Then right before I turned 20 everything changed. I got married. I love my wife, but she's not a camper, so my camping days slowed down a bit. Then along came our kids and my camping slowed down a bit more. After several years I was going slightly nuts unable to breath the city air. So I began to hatch a plan. If my my wife wasn't an outdoors person, I would just have to brings as much of the indoors to the outdoors in order to get her to come with me.
I bought a small bit of land up in Michigan. (Fairly short drive for us.) I then started buying various camping comforts in an attempt to woo my out of the city and into the country. I bought a portable toilet, propane shower, screened in dining tent, fold up table and chairs etc. I even rented a bobcat and cleared out a section of the woods so we could drive right up drop all the stuff out the back of the minivan and start camping. Nothing like listening to your kids laughing and shrieking as they run through the forest around you while you cozy up to your sweetheart next to the bonfire.
Or spot in Michigan is great, but it has also rekindled my desire to really hit the trails again in earnest. I started thinking about the day when my kids would be old enough to join me. I've done quite a bit of hiking, but this trip would be especially exciting for me because it has reminded me of the joy of my early days of hiking and I get to share it with my three favorite guys!
And now, onto the review as promised.
My wife gets away every year for a mini vacation with a few girlfriends. It was all the excuse I needed to plan my first expedition with the boys. I choose Hoosier National Forest mainly because I know it pretty well and it's only about an hour so from our house. Grubb trail is just south of Monroe lake and starts in the Blackwell campgrounds. There are several small, interconnecting trails, but this length is only about 3
I bought a small bit of land up in Michigan. (Fairly short drive for us.) I then started buying various camping comforts in an attempt to woo my out of the city and into the country. I bought a portable toilet, propane shower, screened in dining tent, fold up table and chairs etc. I even rented a bobcat and cleared out a section of the woods so we could drive right up drop all the stuff out the back of the minivan and start camping. Nothing like listening to your kids laughing and shrieking as they run through the forest around you while you cozy up to your sweetheart next to the bonfire.
Or spot in Michigan is great, but it has also rekindled my desire to really hit the trails again in earnest. I started thinking about the day when my kids would be old enough to join me. I've done quite a bit of hiking, but this trip would be especially exciting for me because it has reminded me of the joy of my early days of hiking and I get to share it with my three favorite guys!
And now, onto the review as promised.
My wife gets away every year for a mini vacation with a few girlfriends. It was all the excuse I needed to plan my first expedition with the boys. I choose Hoosier National Forest mainly because I know it pretty well and it's only about an hour so from our house. Grubb trail is just south of Monroe lake and starts in the Blackwell campgrounds. There are several small, interconnecting trails, but this length is only about 3