Beating Kettle Moraine Wi Reservation Se t Up! TR

“Spalpeen and I did a combo backpack/something of a "car" camp/hang out in Kettle Moraine North Forest July 2-4.

As many know, you have to reserve the backpack shelters through ReserveAmerica (barf! hack!) and it must be done on the phone. Between them and Wisconsin Parks/DNR you are only supposed to have one night at a time at a shelter. FYI, most shelters are on the Ice Age Trail, in both Kettle Moraine North and South units.

Anyhoo, we stayed two nights at the one shelter OFF the Ice Age Trail, in the Zilmer XC area in the North unit. YES, TWO NIGHTS! >8-O

I called in and ReserveAmerica actually let me reserve it under my name one night and Spalpeen's the other. So it would not be the same hiker booking it each night. :-) (Oh yes, indeedy, we paid extra for this luxury)

I don't know that we had to check in upon arrival (you do have to check in at Ottawa Lake in the southern unit), but we did at the Ice Age Trail Center. The lady had no record of my reservation for Saturday night, but did have Spalpeen's for Sunday. Alas! I had my reservation number. So off we went.

And we could hear the woman griping that the same two people would be there two nights. LOL! Too freakin' bad! It is such a stupid system!

So if you want to stay two nights at a shelter, book under different names from your backpacking group. Maybe, say for winter base camping, the extra $9.50 reservation fee is worth it per day. We would have had to move to Shelter No. 1 on Sunday night, which appeared right by a highway. No thanks....

hehehehee... So we have found a loophole in their system. Next I suppose the smal print will say "None of the people in any one backpacking group may stay at a shelter more than one night."

Stupid Wisconsin DNR, anyhoo, bastids!!!

It was a nice, mellow Fourth. Fairly easy hike of around three-quarters mile, I'm guessing, to the shelter. Nice set-up, complete with new toilet close by, hahaha. Also, a spring right there... and very close by a feeder stream for the Milwaukee River.

We hiked some of the trail system, as well as driving to Parnell Tower and going up it for a view of the Kettle/glacier landscape. Also summited Mount Dundee (or was it Dundee Mountain?) The air must have been thin on top, as poor lizs was a little sickly from the effort. lol...

GEAR:

I FINALLY used the TarpTent!! And the final night, July 3-4, there was a whopping good thunderstorm that went through. I'm proud to say we did not got wet, but I still don't get:

1. The mesh is on the ground, but that must be right, correct?

2. The bathrub floor edges really didn't stand up well. Are they supposed to? (I'd think so) Yes, they were shockcorded to the hooks.

3. On the small end, the mesh had dirt all splattered on it, from heavy rain. Best way to clean it?

4. An observation: At first I used a trekking pole at the top recommended height (42"??). But when doing that, the "beak" thing over the entrance doesn't hang taut at all.

ANIMALS

What appeared to be an Eastern Phoebe bird "couple" had babies in a nest inside the shelter. They would fly in and out, depositing food in the chicks' mouths.

Spalpeen (aka "the bird boy") also spotted a hawk with different coloring, but then he thought it was a male harrier.

There had obviously been mice inside the shelter, since there was some pellets on the two sleeping benches on each side. Yep, mice poop and bird poop. Keep this in mind if you think you want to stay inside.

AND the worst of all!!! This family came bopping up the spur trail to the shelter, which we were sitting in front of, didn't say a word and started walking in and around. HELLO!!!! Very, very rude. And then a kid was playing with hiking poles. They were foreign, possibly Serbian. Geez!

Later we saw them eating at a picnic table by the parking area and thought maybe we should sit down at their table and just look at them... well, maybe also motion for them to pass us food. :-)

Fun weekend, capped with nature's fireworks in the form of lightning. Can't beat that. :-)”

“lizs. Yes a bizzare system.

Years before the Ice Age Trail was established, I think I stayed at that shelter just off the road. Late at night some local guys partied at the trailhead just a few hundred yards from the shelter. Sheesh, you'd think they would at least offered us one of their Miller Lites! :-)”

“She's ALIVE!

and she's clever, too! Cool report. Thanks for sharing, lady.

BTW, I was offered a Honey Weiss today. You didn't tell me it was a Lynencugel (sp) beer! Sheeeeesh. I declined before I realized what it was. I'll have to give it a try sometime.”

“No tarp tent cleaning hints????

I need to clean this up S-OO-OO-OO-N!”

“Just blast it with a hose from the inside so most of the dirt sprays off then wipe it with a sponge or something.

Those damn Serbians.”

“Don't monkey unless there is a problem. You may end with some leaks starting.

Don't set it up until after the sun goes down. No one will notice it then.

Thanks for your report. Congratulations on not getting a ticket in Wisconsin during the trip. BTW, coming from Minnesota you were a foreigner in Wisconsin, too.

LOL.
last edited: 7/06/05 9:56:48 PM”