I'd never backpacked before, and after some extremely rewarding day hikes I decided to try backpacking overnight. Much of spring this year was spent collecting gear and reading tips.
Most camp sites in Wisconsin are car camping sites. After too many search I finally stumbled on Black River State Forest. They allow primitive, off site camping with a free permit and is less than two hours from home.
I went out the weekend of July 4 unsure of what I'd find. If you'd like to follow along, there's a map (pdf) here. I started at the Smrekar Rd trailhead, a nice paved lot off a dirt road and took the ridge trail along the east side of the trails. It's hilly for Wisconsin but wasn't difficult even with my pack. I took trekking poles, and they did come in handy. Crossing through the Wildcat lot, I took the west Norway Pine trail. Both of these trails follow ridges, and there are some decent views if you can get a break in the trees.
Crossing Shale Road, I started around the Wild Cat loop clockwise. This area was very pretty forest but didn't have much for views. My plan was to get past halfway and then find a spot to camp. Every map shows a water crossing at the far northwest end of the loop, and I'd also planned to refill my water. Upon reaching the low spot it was clear it was more of a drainage area that probably is only wet when it's actively raining. I knew there was water back at the trailheads, but it was still a concern.
Pressing on, I covered a bit more distance and started looking for a spot to make camp. Coming up on halfway back to the Shale Road crossing, there was a clear area to the east. I ventured off trail and found a cleared area on the top of a rise. This was near the intersection of Shale and Kling Roads but still well off the road and trail.
I set up camp and sat down to make dinner. This was my first go at making dinner in the field like this, and I'd brought prepackaged freeze dried macaroni and cheese. Boiling some of my dwindling water supplies with my Esbit solid fuel stove, I found the mac and cheese very good.
Being tired, a bit dehydrated and swarmed by insects, I settled down in my tent to laze the evening away and move into sleep for the night.
In the morning, nearly out of water, I settled for a Pro Bar for breakfast instead of the freeze dried biscuits and gravy I'd brought. I quickly packed up and headed off. I made good time to Shale Road and took the middle, shorter trail to the Wildcat trailhead where I refiled my water. Water is nothing more than a hand pump on a well, but it suited me fine.
For the last leg back to the car, I stuck to the western most trail. It was a flat trail in and out of the trees and an enjoyable morning as life came back as I got rehydrated.
Overall my first outing was definitely a success. I had way too much food with me and not enough water, starting with over three liters and having nearly none left at the end of the day Saturday. But I knew where I could get water, so it was a safe lesson learned.
Black River State Forest is a big success for backpack camping, too. For having huge rural areas, Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Iowa are severely lacking in primitive areas like this. I'm glad I found this one, and I'll be back as I hone my pack and push beyond off trail camping and try bushwhacking further into the forest.
That sounds like an awesome experience. Other than "more water," is there anything else you will do differently next time? Any supplies you didn't need or conversely, some that you wished you'd had? Great use of #tripreport , one of my favourite tags!
Thanks! Food was the big one where I overpacked. I had two freeze dried meals, a bunch of summer sausage, a package of precooked, shelf stable chicken, trail mix and three Pro Bars. For one night overnight I probably only needed one freeze dried meal (serves three, but I ate the whole thing), the sausage (lunches) and one or maybe two Pro Bars. I have a small insulated bottle I'll probably pack next time. Initially it'll just be water, but I have some instant coffee I'd envisioned making in my compact stove pot, but that means having to wash it. If I can keep it to just boiling water it will make packing up easier. So making my coffee in my insulated bottle will let me carry it with me. Next time I'll bring a book to read. I killed a little time watching videos on my iPod, but out in the woods it would have been nice to quietly sit and read. I also want to figure out something for camp shoes that are lightweight and pack well. It would be nice to get out of the hiking boots once I'm set up somewhere.
If you are looking for a book to read on a trek, I would highly recommend Candice Millard's The River of Doubt. It's about Teddy Roosevelt's trip down the amazon after he lost his bid for the presidency on the Bull Moose ticket. An awesome account of an awesome man. After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.
Thanks! I hadn't given much thought to books to read while out, and that looks perfect.
Consider reading Ray Jardine. Some of his suggestions are so obvious and helpful. He taught me how to go in the woods for 3-4 nights with a 30-40# pack. Here's my fave: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 I don't use hiking boots any more. Haven't in years. Of course, I am just into pleasant hiking in forests. I am not a mountaineer. For me, I haven't needed them. Also consider traditional mud for your coffee. Grounds in hot water are pretty good in the back country. You may prefer instant. It's a matter of choice. For something else to do, read one of Stephen Forster's books and they will give you a perspective on how some have adapted indigenous spiritual practices to modern times:
Hey, I'm up here in the cheese state too. My outings on foot have pretty well been limited to the Ice Age Trail. Coming from out West, it's weird to adjust to the size of the parks here. On this trip, I doubt it would have been of much use, but for future trips that have better access to bodies of water, make sure to take a filter. That way, you don't need to lug the water around, you can just grab what you need when you need it. Really helps with pack weight, because water should pretty much be the densest thing you are carrying.
I have a filter! It's new to me, like everything else here. As I explore more outside of Wisconsin it's disappointing how little open space we have here. I suppose it's a consequence of fairly flat land. If it can be farmed, it is. The only backpacking, primitive camping I've found in Wisconsin is Black River State Forest, Kickapoo Valley Reserve around Lafarge and Northern Highland American Legion State Forest far up north. KVR has a fee, but I'm probably going to try it soon just to try something different. There are some options in the national forests up north, but I haven't figured out the rules or places to go yet. I first gave the filter a go at Donald County Park near Mount Horeb. A full loop is about six miles, and the last time I was there I did the outer loop and then a smaller inner loop for about eight miles. The Deer Creek runs through it, and I tried the pump out there. It seemed to work well. I haven't been yet this summer, but I also like Governor Dodge State Park. There's a fee to drive in, but the horse trail is 12-15 miles, depending on if you do the full loop or cut a little off. Still, it's nothing like getting into backcountry.
Great first trip! Thanks for sharing. Last summer I returned to the cheese state with my 17 yr old son and we joined a friend to spend a couple of nights on the Wisconsin River. While the river was low, the trip was gorgeous. We had two big dogs with us and had a ton of fun. I prefer back country camping - I have been doing it for decades. You should be proud of yourself. congrats. The main thing is to have enough fun that you'll go again. Every trip brings new insights, and skills. well done.
I'll definitely go out again. I'm trying to work up to some overnights in the Adirondacks in New York. I've traveled out there a few times and found the area addicting. Even just one or two nights overnight would let me cover so much more area. So I'm starting with some simpler hikes closer to home to get my gear all figured out. On the Wisconsin River were you camping on sand bars? I've canoed on the river and set up lunch on the sand bars but never camped. I never really considered camping until recently because my experience growing up was car camping with sites packed next to each other. Backcountry camping appeals to me so much more.
The first night we camped on a sandbar. The second night on a peninsula. I have a spot in the Adirondacks that is a favorite, about 50 miles west of Burlington, Vt. It's off the North Fork of the Bouquet River. There's plenty of places to swim. There's a short window in late July and early August where the mountain run-off is warm enough to go all the way in, and that's when I love to go. Backcountry camping is my personal sanctuary. It's when I get away from all the demands of life and have a chance to be part of nature. I don't go for aggressive hiking. I find a beautiful place and stay there for a few nights, doing light day trips or just hanging out in solace. Sometimes I take a dog. Sometimes a very close friend. Or alone. That said, safety is a concern when you are in the back country and especially if you are alone. I always tell someone where I am going and when I am coming out. I give them the name and number of the closest ranger station in case I don't call when I am supposed to emerge from my wilderness quests. I also took Wilderness First Responder a couple of times so I had the basics for first aid together.
Thanks for your trip report WanderingEng. A thought about bushwhacking BRSF - there are areas that look okay from a little distance but once you step in whoa you're in a swamp jumping from hummock to hummock or even worse an actual deep bog capable of trapping you underwater. Hopefully your topo map would indicate these areas. There are some wonderful higher ground areas in BRSF though, some the terrain is highly varied making for awesome views. One place from a ridge you look down across a half mile pot hole. Years ago there was a lookout tower near dam 17 SW of hwy54 & n settlement road but last time I looked it was down. Maybe the tower got rebuilt I haven't been BRSF for over 3 yrs. Edited to add that some of what I said above may apply to the adjacent county forest land rather than technically within the state forest, especially the bog, which is on the west side of the forest. I am trying to remember the name of the road coming down from hw54, I am getting Wildcat/Spangler Rd. When I looked down into the waters of that bog it blew my mind. The water was perfectly clear to see a jumble of (cedar?) logs dozens of feet deep. Scary and beautiful, like much of nature.
Yeah I started to say 'exists' but that sounded like I was insulting the state too much. One question -- an early trip I'm planning is a drive up Lake Michigan, along the UP and over to Mackinac. Ever done it? Is it easy to drive within a stone's throw of the lake so I can look at it while I head north?
Once you get north of the Wisconsin/Michigan border at Menominee/Marinette, highway 35 has nice views of the lake while you drive. I haven't taken highway 2 past Manistique, but there are some nice views in places up to there. If you're exploring, you might take 183 down into Garden, MI. I was there once a few years ago, and it's very rural, very off the beaten path. That peninsula is nice and has some nice views of the bay.