Newport State Park

So as you know I went to Newport State Park MON-FRI all by myself. It was about a miles hike into camp. I setup my shelter first which was my hammock with a tarp over it. Seemed like it would be comfy cozy. I later found out that your feet or your head never got comfy, so I couldn't sleep. I was begging for the sun to come up in the morning. It was really hard to get into, but easy to get out of. I found that out that morning when I rolled out of bed, literally. Confused

I gathered plenty of wood. There was a fallen pine tree so I cleaned it up and chopped it into logs with my special forces shovel. I learned you should put gloves on before you get blisters. Rolling Eyes

Outside of my camp not too far there was a nice feild with lots of rocks, overlooking Lake Michigan. There were small rock cliffs that gurgled as the waves hit them. That's where I did my skinny dipping, because there was a nice deep trench in front of the rocks.

On tuesday I took a long hike around the lower half of the park. It was a really long hike about 9 miles and I was dead after that. Shocked

I also setup my tarp shelter instead of the hammock, but left the hammock up to lay in during the day.

Wednesday was supposed to be a bit of a recovery day from my hike, but it didn't start off that good. I had a head ache from all the smoke, and I was getting a little bored. So I stepped out for some fresh air, and sat on the rocks overlooking the bay. Then there was this girl that came from behind me. She said hi, and hiked past. She came back and I saw her attempting to swim so I gave her advice on where to get in. Unfortunately she wasn't skinny dipping. Sad

Then we talked for a little while and it turns out she's an actor. She said she's been on ER, and Desperate Housewives before. Razz

So if you see a 33 year old girl with wavy blond hair named Jane that's her. Wink

So that cheared me up, because it was getting kind of lonely out there.

Thursday I hiked from 10AM-5PM. I hiked around the northern half of the park and that was about 11miles. I was limping a little after that one.

Friday it's my last day. I tried something today. The feild in front was alive with grasshoppers so I caught one that wasn't so fast. I pulled his head off like les did, and brought him back to be cooked. I put the grill on my fire pit down and put a rock on top to cook him on. There was one problem, his back legs were still kicking, so he jumped off the rock. Shocked

I picked him up and plucked his legs and tried again. Somehow he managed to squirm off the rock and into the coals. By the time I got him he was fully cooked. Laughing

He was charred a little, but not too bad, and the color turned bright red. If it tasted like anything I'd say it tasted like shrimp, but maybe I was associating the color with the flavor. Anyways I don't like shrimp, so It wasn't great. Then I came home, now enjoy the pictures.

I left the pictures as thumbnails for you people with dialup and so it didn't take forever to load the page. Just click them to make them bigger.

Feild out front

Swimming Rock

Camp

Campfire, and wood pile. I collected so much in two days that I still had a few logs, and a big brush pile left over.

Behind my campsite

Figure four trap I made

Me

Beans and rice. Didn't realize beans took much longer than rice so I got "rice cream". Didn't taste too good either. Confused

Feild in front from a different angle

Rocks and wave pictures

Dead bird

Somebody stacked these in the feild in front of my campsite

I wonder why this trail is called fern trail?

Gate at one of the trails

See the face?

Cactus, man, or just a tree trunk?

Look real close

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Great pictures Mystik. Cool

Looks like a really nice place to camp. Very Happy

Can barely see the frog/toad in that one picture....lol Wink

Must have been the first time cooking beans and rice eh?.....lol Razz

Thanks for sharing them. Cool

Yeah, beans take a long time...but I love beans and rice too, as long as they're spiced well. Sausage can go a long way with a dish like that too, and sausage over fire...mmmm....

Great pics too!

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Nice pics, the toad in the last pic is cool. So was this an official camp site or just somewhere in the woods you decided to camp...that conveniently had park benches. Those stone piles might actually mean something, I know that native americans used to make such piles or man shaped piles to mark certain trails and whatnot, unfortunately I can't recall what they are called right now. Me and some of my friends still use similar piles for trail markers.

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

Brian wrote:

Nice pics, the toad in the last pic is cool. So was this an official camp site or just somewhere in the woods you decided to camp...that conveniently had park benches. Those stone piles might actually mean something, I know that native americans used to make such piles or man shaped piles to mark certain trails and whatnot, unfortunately I can't recall what they are called right now. Me and some of my friends still use similar piles for trail markers.

Nope is was an official site, everyplace has to be to camp in it around here. You're talking about inukshuks. I saw them in canada. Cool

I think they were just campers. In fact I made a pile of rocks myself. Smile

I just didn't take a picture of it.

Ah the beans and rice. That would be my first time yes. Laughing

I added two jalepenos to it also which made it taste much better, it was just hard to swallow for me for some reason. Confused

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Great pics, looks like you had a great time!

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-Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day.

-Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming, "Wow, what a ride!!!"

Great little place Mystick. No reason to be bored out there, lots to do once you start thinking of things Cool

Make a rucksack, or weave a basket from split spruce roots. The fig-4 looked good.
NO FISHING !!! ........ are you nuts !! Laughing

Even if there wasn't many fish, its a great way to kill 3 or 4 hours.

Cheers.

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

That "cactus" tree trunk is wild! Very Happy

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"The monkeys are throwing stuff at me again."
-Survivorman in Costa Rica

INUKSHUKS THAT IT Very Happy

Thanks, that has been buggin me now for awhile. I agree with Dave, weaving a basket takes up plenty of time...trust me. And FISHING IS AWESOME. even if you don't catch anything...if its not illegal, I would personally have tried spear fishing, because it's a work out too

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

I tried fishing for a little while actually. In the pool where I swim, but there was nothing there. Shocked

The only fish I saw there were two tiny minnows. I tried the floating rapala, then a spinner, but a rock stole my spinner. Sad

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	Mystik Spiral wrote:
	I tried fishing for a little while actually. In the pool where I swim, but there was nothing there. The only fish I saw there were two tiny minnows. I tried the floating rapala, then a spinner, but a rock stole my spinner.

>> Quik Tip : Never try to fish a body of water that you have been swimming in Surprised

even after say an hour the fish will more than likely not show up. Wait till the next day, then fish it. If no results, go for a Swim Laughing

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

loved your picts thanks. finding the frog is like trying to find woldo.

yea I have done those rock piles in Arizona,when I was there. people leave them to show they were there. so me and my family all made one. Very Happy

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Sounds like a good time. Cool

Thanks for the thumbnails. Very Happy

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Using dial-up is like riding a tricycle at Indy.

I think I'll start filling this thread with random stories from my trip, and valuable lessons I learned. Smile

Lessons:

Bring more than two nalgene bottles, you'll be filling them up daily or even twice a day.

Beans take a long time to cook. Laughing

Pullups warm you up instantly. Cool

At the end of 5 days flies love you. Sad

Hammocks are really uncomfortable.

Bring tennis shoes with you or at least make sure your boots are really comfortable.

Check your sleeping bag before you get in it. There could be a nice porcupine waiting for you.

Wear a winter hat to bed, better yet a ski mask.

Change socks and underwear daily. You don't want a nice fungus. I did change them daily btw. Wink

use branches that are average of 2" diameter for a good fire that's bright and hot.

birch bark makes nasty smoke you can't get off your kettle of pot. Confused

rub soap on the bottom of your pot before you put it over the fire and none of the black char will get stuck to you pot, it just wipes clean off. Cool

backpacks make lousy pillows. Confused

Don't worry I'll think of more random bits later. Smile

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Yeah I learned about the hat thing from staying in debris shelters that weren't complete, open tops, large gaps etc, you learn that at those points, clothes become your best friend

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

Great pics, Mystik Spiral Very Happy

eric

Good tips, Mystik. Cool

For the most part, the only way to learn that kind of stuff is to experience it. That's why you should go on test trips before you do serious backpacking/hiking.

Looks like you learned a bunch. Surprised

Just think, you're smarter than when you left. Very Happy

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Using dial-up is like riding a tricycle at Indy.

Actually when I was there I've truely learned the art of being lazy. Surprised

At first you want to run everywhere so you can see everything you can, but once you see everything you think, "well I'll sit here for another 15 minutes, then I'll go over there for about an hour......" Laughing

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Its not laziness, its slowing down to the rhythms of nature...or as modern society calls it, laziness Laughing

But in all reality, that slower paced way is better for your health than rushing everywhere

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

^ I must agree with Brian on this one. Not lazie just a differant pace. In todays time, there is no such thing as slow or kicked back.
Thats why i dont really like todays pace, Hhmmmmmm, maybe thats why i find myself fishing,hiking,canoeing so much Cool

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing