We said, "Let's do it again" potluck hik e

“Well, we said we'd get together again so how about March. Bring a dish for the group and we'll have an after hike meal.

How about high noon?

John Muir Trail again or would you like to head over to the other one.

I really haven't done any research yet just wanted to get this on the board.”

“Hutchster, you're the same weekend as a potentially big backpacking trip in Kettle North from "the other side." (check the Midwest forum)

That trip has a ton of participants and a waiting list. As KMN only allows 10 people to a shelter, there was talk about having some people maybe camp at a nearby campground.

Course, as we know, people drop out as an event gets closer. I may or may not go. While most people are hoping for snow, I'm hoping there is NOT snow. LOL!

Check it out over there. And if you end up being interested in that, ask firebug what plans are....”

“is down”

“I'm in as long as it's a go!”

“I'm a maybe for this. Depends on the kids' visitation schedule with their dad. Can you give me a nearby town so I can do a general mapquest to determine my drive time? I might want to spend the night and hike the next day as well.”

“I'll tell you what my group of PNW hikers do on beach hikes where the hike in is mostly level. I say mostly, because on some hikes, you have to go through a forest to get to the beach.

We take this opportunity to make big dinners. We agree on a particular dish like tacos for instance. Everyone will bring in their own meat to be cooked, and then bring in an extra item, like peppers, the taco shells, spices, etc.

On one hike, one of tt's finest camping cooks, strider, had everyone bring in their own whole hicken to roast over a hand made spit over a campfire. Everyone brought in a side dish or contributed to side dishes.

Some items have been corn on the cob cooked in the campfire which was the best corn I ever had. It was slightly toasted. Strider has made stuffed onions in the campfire along with roasting garlic. He roasts the whole garlic head, then the garlic becomes soft and gets mellow where you can spread it on bread.”

“It's the Midwest forum on the backpacker mag website. That hike's been planned since last fall.

However, there are obviously extra hikers around to go on this, so that's muy cool!

To the Kettles we will go!”

“Maybe we'll check their itinerary and make sure to cross paths. An overnight is cool with me too if there is room at a different shelter. We can plan as we go but how does the date sound?

I was mostly afraid that although everyone was enthused to get together again, it wouldn't happen just cause we didn't organize it.

Thanks lizs I'll check out that link you sent.”

“Hey DH!!!
I am in for the day thing if it happens that way and if I had my pick I would say try another trail in the KM. I always like to check out new areas, but I will go with the group. Just a suggestion here, maybe we could start a little ealier?
See ya later./
Randall”

“Hutch, you're in Kettle Moraine South. The other trip is in Kettle Moraine North, which is around an hour north of Milwaukee. Two different areas.

It looks like you have takers on this one, so that's great. A number of Milwaukee area people are on the other trip that might otherwise go to this. For me, KMN is a bit closer. I've hiked and biked more in KMS and we did an overnight at shelter there last summer. Also a little exploring of KMN, too.

But... there's always another time down the road when hopefully a whole big bunch can meet up.”

“Hey Dhutch sorry but I am a ringleader on the northern trip will have to miss this one”

“Ok,
KMS not just KM.lol
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey Randall how the heck are you?! :-)
Don't forget to let me know if you are playing Stage Left Cafe in town, K?

Earlier is fine with me too and I'm with you on doing the adjoining trail.”

“Ok, I'm curious about this...is Randall a comedian or something :p”

“No, It's music. We didn't get a lot of time to talk about what kind but I'm thinking of becoming a groupie :-)”

“Dhutch,
I think were playing there in April, not sure just when though. I,ll get back with ya on that.
See ya later.
Randall”

“I want to see you too Randall.”

“You guys didn't hike the north segment of the loop of the JM Trail, which is the best part. That's about 1/2 of the trail and it's a lot better than the southern loop. Also there is the connector to that other tail system whose name I can't remember. Anyway, sounds like fun!”

“... except I'll be hiking in the Grand Canyon during that weekend so I am out!

It's a great idea!”

“Emma Carlin.”

“Re: "On one hike, one of tt's finest camping cooks, strider, had everyone bring in their own whole hicken to roast over a hand made spit over a campfire."

I think we may have met on that hike lipstick - "misery under tarp"? I was there with Annie & Connor (bugbite & mancub)...
I remember many a night of game hens over the spit at the beach...”

“I am having a hard time with the last two posts, are they on the right thread? maybe a software problem, LOL
See ya later.
Randall”

“Emma Carlin is the name of the trail I couldn't remember.”

“Should we change the date? It seems that many are busy this weekend. Call out your availability so that we can schedule. Jimmy san can we camp? It would be super cool to make this an overnight. I'll check too.”

“that would be cool, I am hiking that weekend but the potluck sounds great, how bout weekend of March1the week before I will be at canoecopia”

“I am confused spalpeen. 3/4 is the first Saturday in March?? When is canoecopia? What is canoecopia?”

“Camp where? This is a great idea.

You can't camp off of the John Muir trails but there are tons of drive-in camp sites in the area that are mostly unused in the winter.

Another option that just came to me. One can't camp on the John Muir trail however there is a shelter off of the Ice Age Trail just west of the western edge of the John Muir trial (IAT shelter #3). It would be a simple map and compass exercise to find the shelter and I am pretty sure we could camp there. So we could have the potluck at the shelter at John Muir and then those that wish could camp off of the Ice Age Trail, at the shelter.



Note: I have never seen this shelter. But it's due west of that little lobe on the western edge of the John Muir trail so it would be easy to find with a compass. If this is the same as the other IAT shelters it will be neat.

My understanding is that camping is permitted at these shelter but that there isn't any water at some of them. You can't camp in the Kettle Moraine OTHER than at these shelters or the drive-in camp sites, at least that's my understanding.

The shelters have a fire ring so I am thinking fires are permitted.

I do know that a permit is required to camp there but I don't know who to get it from or how much it costs.

It is possible that we can't park overnight at the John Muir parking lot in which case we would have to find another place to park the cars. Duffin Road runs right next to the shelter so there might be options. If we park in the State Forest there is a parking fee if you don't have a sticker.

Just an idea.”

“I Googled this. Note the reservation # and details. I don't know how dated this is.

http://home.comcast.net/~cmorhiker/KettMorainePhotos.html”

“Ooooh I like it. I noted the phone number and will give a call this week about the camping.”

“March 3-5 is the Kettle Moraine North trip.

March 10-12 is Canoecopia, I believe. A huge show/expo on canoeing and more in Madison. A good number of people go to that.

Spalpeen?? Who knows what he's trying to say/ ;-) ;-P”

“I don't know what I am trying to say. This communication thing is such a novel idea, thought I would give it a try,I should just stay primordal and howl at the moon”

“lol, I'll interpret. "Those weekends don't work for me, but I'm interested if you change the date."

How's that?”

“Can you tell me how to insert the Jpegs into the post as you did above? I am trying to do the same thing on a nother trip and canot get it to happen. Any help would be great.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Hey thats a cool idea. Would we still be dayhiking? I could make the day hike thing, but as I alreday have two overnights schedlued in March, I will have to pass on this one.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Let's make it so people can do either depending on their schedule. Sound good.

Keep us posted on the April thing. Sounds like a hiker night on the "town".”

“randall: paste the URL to the image into the post and then highlight the text. Click on "Img" or put [img]http://...[/img] around the URL.”

“I could not get it to work. I posted the pic in one of my albums and pasted the url, highlighted it and clicked image. It ended up looking like this
Damm, why can't you just cut and paste.
See ya later.
Randall”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/pictures/users/randall/ayskk08k/h6kqb0r.jpg


last edited: 2/07/06 10:01:02 PM”

“Right-click on the jpeg and use this as the URL. I think you are getting the wrong URL. Good luck!”

“Damm, I am so challenged. I will try it again. Thanks for your help.
See ya later.
Randall”

“I haven't heard if anyone wants to move the date but I have the number to make a shelter reservation as soon as we confirm who wants to camp.

Shelter 3 looks like an easy west bearing once the trail turns from NW to East. Should be able to find it easily. Yay, a little bushwack would be awesome!”

“I'm still good with the date. I would still just be there for the day thing though.
See ya later.
Randall”

“Cool, thanks”

“Dayhike only for me :)”

“Not much interest unless it's off your radars. Since so many are doing different hikes, I'm going to cancel and we'll try at a later date, hopefully for an overnight.”

“Aw, shucks. I understand, though. If we do it in late March or April I'll camp.”

“I am always up for the overnighter, but perhaps we should start with the potluck and move on to the overnighter. We could use the potluck as an opprotunity to plan the overnighter. Might be fun.”

“I am in for this the dates just don't workany new date?”

“Not yet, any votes?”

“April sometime?”