Camperbug

Climbing E-Rock

Halfway between Fredericksburg and Llano, Texas – about 15 miles from either – rises the most amazing sight.  As you round one of the bends in Texas Ranch Road 965 from either direction, this great batholith takes your breath away.  Vocabulary lesson time – a batholith is a rock formation under the ground that has been unearthed by erosion.  Other famous batholiths include Stone Mountain near Atlanta, GA, and El Capitan and Half Dome in Yellowstone National Park.

Comprised of pink granite, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, or E-Rock as it is commonly known, is a great day trip from Fredericksburg or Austin, TX.  The Tonkawa Indians believed they could hear the spirits talking at night, thus, the source of the name.  Geologists tell us today that the creaking and moaning sounds come from the rock heating during the day, and cooling at night.  Still, a hike to the top of E-Rock is an “enchanting” experience for anyone.

There are two ways to see Enchanted Rock:  (1) Walk the 4-mile trail through the picturesque canyons around the base of the giant, looking up at the sheer cliffs and sides sliding toward you, or (2) walk straight up the side of E-Rock.  While there is a “path” of sorts, you pretty much walk up the side, all the while at a serious slant, until you get to the top.  With backpack in place and bottled water in hand, we tackled the rocky rise.

It was fall, and we were amazed to see the wildflowers literally growing from cracks in the great rock.  Reaching the top, the view for miles and miles around all sides defied description.  The total silence, broken only by the occasional voice of a fellow hiker or the screech of a buzzard flying below us, was intoxicating.  Sound a little dramatic?  There aren’t words to describe the peace that fell over us as we sat for a long time atop the granite dome, imagining the messages of the spirits who spoke to the Tonkawa in earlier days.

Hiking straight up E-Rock is for those in excellent physical condition.  Absolutely no knee, ankle, back, or heart problems should attempt the hike to the top.  The walk up is not nearly as challenging as the walk down!

Camping in the park is for tents only; reservations are a serious recommendation.  The park closes to day hikers, particularly on weekends, if too many people show up at once and the parking lot is filled.  You can buy some limited supplies when you check in at the Ranger Station.  Picnicking sites and restrooms are available.  Wilderness camping on the far side of E-Rock is also an option for wilderness lovers.

I have climbed Enchanted Rock twice, both times a blessing of spiritual and natural beauty.  Now, missing the ACL in one of my knees, I’ll enjoy it from the trails that wind around the base.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

Boasting some of the largest natural sand dunes in the United States, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is one of the jewels of the Florida State Park System.  Located just off of Highway 98, the Florida Gulf Coast highway, St. Joseph S.P. is a 2-3 hour drive from Panama City, and just south of the quaint bayside town of Port St. Joe.

Camping is spectacular in this Gulf front location.  The state park and St. Joseph’s Wilderness Preserve encompass the entire peninsula, featuring St. Joseph Bay on the north side, and the Gulf of Mexico on the South. The state park offers 199 improved campsites, along with 8 cabins. Reservations can be made online www.reserveamerica.com.  Over 20 miles of shoreline make this a beach goers paradise.

And what about reservations and the weather…  Tucked away in the curve of the Florida Panhandle Gulf Coast, this area is a target for hurricanes.  Our experience had been that, when a tropical Storm Warning is issues for an area, the State Park in question closes.  Everyone there has to leave, and all incoming reservations are cancelled.  Unfortunately, we have felt like Murphy’s Law has been upon us for the past few years. Three years in a row, we had reservations to camp during scallop season, which is also hurricane season, only to have our reservations dashed by storms with landfall the day of or the day before we were to arrive!  Our positive news is that, in each case, refunds of our camping fees were quick, automatic and trouble-free.

Snorkeling, kayaking and canoeing in St. Joseph bay are all popular activities.  The bay hosts wildlife both over and under the water.  Snorkeling in the clear, fairly shallow waters introduces you to starfish, seahorses, sea urchins, and many different shellfish. The state park has an interesting museum, identifying all the shells you might come across.

Bay scallops are plentiful.  These small, tasty morsels can be harvested only during the scallop season.  Running from July  to September,  you need a Florida fishing license www.MyFWC.com; the exact dates and regulations are all spelled out for you at their website.  The Annual Scallop Festival is a special event each August www.Gulfchamber.org.

Bird watching is a year-long treasure at St. Joseph S.P.  Over 220 varieties of birds can be seen annually.   Riding our bikes to the end of the paved road in the Nature Preserve, we saw several people, camera aimed skyward.  The subjects in question were a pair of majestic bald eagles, perched high on the tops of pine trees near the bay.  The Northwest Florida Birding Festival, held in October each year, celebrates and explores the migratory fowl that grace the region www.joe.com.

As a sidetrip, the quaint town of Port St. Joe is a great place to enjoy a scrumptious meal at one of the many restaurants that dot the bayside.  Rentals of small boats, canoes and kayaks for explore the bay waters on your own are plentiful. www.Portstjoe.info If you are a history buff, the Florida Constitution Convention State Museum, also part of the state park system, is not far off the main highway www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

Exploring the breath-taking sand dunes on the 1,750 acre nature Preserve has always been the highlight of any visit to St. Joseph S.P. for us.  Hiking trails traverse the preserve all the way to the tip of the peninsula.  Just a warning – it is all hiking in the sand!  You will get a workout.

One particularly special evening, we had hiked over the dunes down to the Gulf Beach.  The sunset was spectacular beyond description.  It was February, and a cold wind was whipping off the Gulf of Mexico, blowing the sand to reveal shells buried in the beach.  As we sat in silence, listening to the windsong and watching the pelicans go for a last bite to eat before dark, a herd of deer appeared over the top of a dune.  They made their way down a well-worn path to the edge of the water, and drank from the Gulf.  It was the most amazing sight.

St. Joseph Peninsula is a magical place.  If you can pass up the sunbathing, give it a try during the winter and spring.  You will not be disappointed.

Wind Warning Today

Toledo Bend Lake is rated one of the top 5 Bass fishing lakes in the country. 65 miles in length with 1200 miles of shoreline, Toledo Bend Lake, or Reservoir as it is technically known, stretches for 65 miles along the southern border between Texas and Louisiana.  Toledo Bend Dam, which created the lake, is the result of the only public water conservation, hydroelectric power, and recreation project to be completed without permanent Federal Government financing.  The dam itself, located on RR 255  near Burkeville, TX and Anacoco, LA, is an amazing sight in its own right, especially when the water is released and power is being generated.

Fishing is not the only attraction for this beautiful area.  On both the Texas and Louisiana shores, recreation opportunities abound.  One of the newer and most attractive spots for campers is South Toledo Bend State Park.

Located in Anacoco, Louisiana, near the southeastern lower edge of the lake, South Toledo Bend State Park sits on several peninsulas that extend out into Toldeo Bend Lake.   Campsites and cabins mostly sit high atop hills, sloping down to beautiful beaches and lake views.

When the park was first opened, we took our granddaughters on an inaugural trip to the lake resort.  Our campsite was wonderful – sitting high on a bluff with a steep, grassy slope with a path that led to the edge of the lake, or at least what USED to be the edge of the lake.  For several hundred feet out, the lakebed lay exposed to the sun and park visitors.  We were surprised to learn that the water level of the reservoir had been lowered by nearly 30 feet for “maintenance.” Treasures abounded.  Bones of small animals that had long since left the earth, shells of little critters, rocks for the rockhound – all lay there for the collecting.  But most amazing was the petrified wood the area is known for. We came home with a collector specimen of petrified palm wood, the state fossil of Louisiana.

But the collection from the exposed lake bottom was not to be the most memorable event of this trip.  Late Saturday afternoon, a gentle wind started blowing off the lake up the hills to the campground area.  As the afternoon moved toward sundown, the wind increased.  We decided to pick up any loose items we had outside.  There was no rain, and there were no clouds.  Still, the wind kept getting stronger and stronger.  The wind was now blowing at a sustained 25-30 miles per hour.  It was strange and frightening, to say the least.  Our granddaughters were huddled in their bunk room, afraid that they would be the stars of the next Wizard of Oz tale.

With the wind howling around us, we decided to bring the awning of our trailer in.  Hmmm….  Should have thought to do that several hours earlier!  As we were undoing the guide ropes that held it tied to the ground, a strong gust of wind caught the awning, and ripped one of the support arms from the trailer wall.  Barely holding onto the other arm, we managed to roll the injured awning up before it flew over the trailer, and left us altogether.  We drove the four hours to our home with the damaged awning tied to the side of the trailer with bungy cords. Even though we worked at repairing it several times,  the connection was never the same.

The moral of this story:  Believe every tale any seasoned RV owner has ever told you about awnings, and err on the side of caution if you even THINK wind might be an issue.

Camping Brings Families Closer

The Army Corps of Engineers operates Campgrounds on some of the most beautiful waterways in the United States. One of our favorites for many years has been Lake Ouachita near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lake Ouachita is a special place for us. Our children, and now or grandchildren, attended summer camp at Camp Ozark, just outside of Mt. Ida. All of their lake activities, such as skiing and riding the giant banana took place on Lake Ouachita. During one of those summers, our son received his scuba license diving in the clear waters.

Twenty-two years ago, when our own children were in summer camp nearby, we tent-camped on a rocky point that extended out into the lake, giving us the feeling we were the only people there. We watched sunsets rivaled by none, and floated leisurely in the cool lake waters next to our campsite. This was Denby Point, a Corps of Engineers Campground in the Ozark foothills on Lake Ouachita.

Denby Point had always been a special place for us. Hiking trails were beautiful. The lake was clean and clear, just perfect for swimming, boating, fishing, or whatever you could figure out to do on water. Arkansas quartz deposits protruded from the high banks of the lakeshore, literally littering the rocky shoreline with crystals. When our granddaughters started going to camp like their father had so many years ago, we knew, having graduated from a tent to a 32 ft. fifth wheel, that Denby Point was a place we wanted to return to.

Here was the plan. We would set up our RV in Denby Point. Our son and daughter-in-law would pick up their girls on the last day of summer camp, and they would all join us for a night of camping and family time in Denby Point. While our granddaughters had camped with us many times, it would be our daughter-in-law’s first time camping with us. This really needed to go well.

And all WAS going well, as we watched the sun start to set and got the campfire started to roast the hotdogs. In the distance, where the sun should be making a spectacular exit, clouds had moved in. You could see lightning, and hear faint thunder. It was a spectacular show; it was a LONG way away.

We were not worried. In what seemed a second or two, the storm was upon us. The wind blew; heavy rain pelted on the RV roof. The lightning flashed like fireworks all around us. Needless to say, the campfire and hotdogs were long, lost memories of what might have been. We were all huddled inside the camper, having quickly rolled in the awning and picked up anything that could fly away. With a really loud, oh-so-close lightning strike, all the power in the campground went black. Flashlights were now the order of the day, and any operations in the RV were on battery power. Dinner turned out to be sandwiches.

It was about then that we learned how frightened our daughter-in-law was of thunder storms.
Finally, the storm passed. The ranger drove around to let all of us know that the bathhouses would be closed until the power came back on, because they relied on pumps to bring water to them. All water was cut off in the campground, so we had to rely on what was in our reserve tank. It was deadly dark outside; with the passage of the storm, the winds subsided, and it got hot.

About midnight, the ranger came around again, letting us know that the power outage was not local, that the entire 5 country region was out, and we probably wouldn’t have power until the next day. About 3 am, our battery power, that had been operating small fans and some limited AC, gave up the ghost. It was a L-O-N-G night.

The next morning, the campground was emptying quickly. Our son and daughter-in-law and family had been out of there at daybreak. As we approached the dump station, we learned it would be closed, as there was no power to pump the waste water. In the end, we still love Denby Point, and our daughter-in-law still loves us!

The moral of this story: Sometimes, there’s just nothing just nothing you can do about it. Things happen!

A great guide to Corps of Engineers campgrounds is Camping With the Corps of Engineers. You can make reservations online at www.recreation.gov.

Beginner’s Luck

There is a first time for everything. A trite phrase, but true.  For the hunter, there is the first time he (or she) shoots a duck or a deer.  For the runner, it‘s the first real race.  For the baseball player, it’s the first time up at bat, even though he or she might only be 5 years old.

For the young family looking for outdoor adventure and quality time together, it is often the first camping trip.  Unless one has been passed down to you, you have to buy the tent.  And then, there are all the camping supplies – the ones you THOUGHT you needed, the ones you DID need, and the ones you REALLY needed, but didn’t get.  There are sleeping bags, bike carriers, outdoor lanterns, and everything made by Coleman.  What is a new Igloo to you is a familiar friend for every raccoon for miles around.  So much to know – so much to learn.

Our first camping trip was no different. We bought a Eureka tent that was guaranteed for life, and rated for high winds and snow.  OK – we lived in South Louisiana, but we wanted to make sure we had all bases covered.  (If Eureka had known what was coming, they probably would have asked us to share our luck with another company!)  For food, we had cokes, bread, hot dogs and bacon.  What else would you need?  It’s a camping trip….

It was October, and the leaves were turning.  We chose a beautiful campground, Clear Springs Recreational Area, located in the Southern Mississippi hills, halfway between Natchez and Brookhaven off Highway 84.  It was a special place where we had camped as children with our own parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  There was a great trail for hiking, a perfect lake for fishing, and lots of raccoons to leave leftover hotdogs for, (so totally against the rules – sorry!), and a really clean bathhouse.  We chose a campsite on a slope  near the edge of one of the beautiful creeks in the campground. It was perfect!

Setting up the tent took over an hour;  we were on a learning curve.  And someone should have told us about using a ground cloth.  Sleeping bags in place, dinner went off without a hitch – it’s hard to ruin hotdogs for a 2 and 5 year old.  After a really successful first campfire that chased away the chill of the October evening, we headed for the sleeping bags.  All was well…

Changes, they are a-comin’……….

Around midnight, thunder rumbling in the distance was sending a loud message that changes were coming.  Clear Springs is a retreat nestled in a cove in the hills.  We could hear the storm moving all around us, but couldn’t see it’s approach.  The thunder woke the children; both were ready to “go home now.”  The storm moved rapidly toward us;  the rain started.   As the storm came over us, winds literally howled around our tent.  I believe it’s the first time I had ever actually heard “howling” winds.  The sounds of trees falling in the hills all around was terrifying.

As we huddled together, just waiting for a tree to fall through our new tent, we felt the dampness seeping into the floor.  Had we waterproofed the tent seams?  Hmmm… No one told us about that.  Were the sleeping bags waterproof?   Should we have set up camp on a down slope near a creek?  So much to learn in so little time.

We stayed in the tent, water literally flowing through it, our sleeping bags soaked through, until the first light.  When we surveyed the damage, we realized we were in the natural drain path for the campground to the creek!  Who knew?!?

Finally, with dawn’s first light, we gathered up all of our wet gear, rolled up our wet tent, and threw everything in the back of our truck.  The two hour ride home was wet, cold and miserable.  A lesser family would have thrown in the towel…. and the tent, and the sleeping bags and everything that went with camping. But we persevered.

We have continued, for many years, to return to Clear Springs with our children, and now, our grandchildren.  The tent has been passed on to our son; and yes, it is still in good shape.  Remember that lifetime guarantee? Our Coleman stove is still in use, and our Igloos still keep things cold.  For us, camping is now in a 32 foot Fifth Wheel, complete with AC, a microwave, and satellite TV.  But the camping experience is still the best.