Camping in Bear Country

When spending time in nature, it’s easy to lose yourself in the beauty and serenity of it all.  The smell of fresh air, the chorus of wildlife all around and endless views that are a photographer’s dream are there to be discovered.  The tranquility can be mesmerizing, but at the same time, you are at nature’s mercy.  A peaceful hike in the woods can become a fight for your life in a split second if you happen across the wrong animal at the wrong time.  Being out in nature is recreational for us, but for the creatures that live there it’s pretty much what they do for a living.  They live and die there.  They hunt or are hunted, forage for food, defend their territories, and raise and protect their families.  When we enter their domain, we become part of that equation from their perspective.  They don’t know we’re just there to enjoy a walk and take some pictures. They see us as just another animal that might pose a threat, and indeed, some of us do.  Sometimes we can even be seen as an easy meal!  Knowing this, it is up to us to take precautions and remain vigilantly aware of our surroundings.  Common sense and a little homework can make the difference between a fantastic outdoor adventure and getting eaten alive.

Catch Up & Review: 2012 Part 1 – Ocala National Forest

Enough time had passed since we moved to Florida and we really needed to do a good camping and hiking excursion down here.  It’s quite different here, in that summer is not the ideal time for these activities.  It’s really, really hot, and the insects are relentless – a perfect combination for misery!  Winter, on the other hand, is a lovely time to be outdoors for the most part.  Temperatures are moderate and the bugs are greatly reduced. 

So at the end of January we grabbed our backpacking gear and headed up to Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area, in Ocala National Forest.  The trailhead is next to the Juniper Springs Recreation Area Campground where we paid to park our car.  We wanted to avoid any vandalism that might occur at the trailhead, which we read reports of online.  We hiked to Hidden Pond, stayed overnight, and hiked back.  During the daytime it was about 80 degrees, and we were in the sun most of the time.  We wore pants as usual, and worked up a pretty good sweat.

Catch Up & Review: 2011 Moose River ; Wanakena/Five Ponds

In the summer of 2011, our vacation was spent mostly in the Adirondacks, after visiting some family. First leg of the camping trip was at Moose River Plains Wild Forest; we spent three nights there. It was awesome as always. One of the campsites we’ve always wanted to stay at but is always occupied was finally vacant, so we grabbed it. It’s a really pretty spot by the water.

Catch Up & Review: 2010 Part 3 Moose River

For our final camping trip of the year we spent one last weekend at Moose River at the end of August. The campsite we chose had been oddly decorated off to the side. Someone put a lot of effort into this rock arrangement, and they arranged some long grasses on the ground and in the trees. It was very strange, and I have no idea what it means, if anything.

Catch Up & Review: 2010 Part 2 Forked Lake; Lewey Lake

Our next trip was at the end of May to Forked Lake in the Adirondacks.  It is a primitive campground, and all the sites are walk-in or canoe-in.

Catch Up & Review: 2010 Part 1 Central New York; Moose River

We did a couple of day hikes near Syracuse in April, one at Highland Forest and one at Morgan Hill.  After a long winter spent indoors we get a bit stir crazy, so even seeing the little common things gives us a thrill.  We did find a clump of frog eggs in a mud puddle, and also saw a flock of turkeys in the woods.

Long Scenic Hike: Highland Forest

Highland Forest County Park, Fabius, NY 5/31/09
Main Trail 9.2 miles

Pictures-only version: click here

So, we’ve been wanting to try a longer hike and see how we do with greater distances. We couldn’t have picked a nicer day for it; the weather was perfect. Highland Forest is becoming a main attraction for us. There are so many trails to follow, and it is beautiful. I doubt it will ever get old on us. Along the way, we crossed several streams, and encountered a fair share of hills, as well as some mud here and there. We didn’t run into a lot of people, which, of course, is fine with us. We did meet a group of three mountain bikers, who had started their journey several miles away and were pretty muddy themselves.

First Camping Trip of the Season: Piseco Lake; T Lake Trail

Little Sand Point State Campground, Piseco Lake, Adirondacks 5/15 & 5/16/09
Hike: T Lake Trail 3.5 miles (7 mi. round trip)

Highlights: fishing; Common Mergansers (ducks); hike to T Lake lean-to; red-spotted newts; toads; Purple Trillium (a.k.a. “Stinking Benjamin”)

Not-exactly-highlights: black flies; rain; packing up wet camping gear; leaving early

Pictures-only version: click here

In spite of what we’ve heard about the black flies in the Adirondacks from May through mid-July, we decided to go camp there anyway. We prefer to camp away from the crowds. See, we’re not drinkers like most campers seem to be, and as a result their drunken antics and loud behavior tend to be annoying. The whole reason we enjoy camping is because it’s relaxing, and if you’re quiet enough, you’ll see some pretty cool wildlife. Loud drunks tend to interfere with all of that. So we thought we’d enjoy some solitude and take our chances with the black flies. We did our homework, bought 100% Deet, and got bug nets for our heads. I was hoping we wouldn’t really need the nets; they do look silly.

We arrived at the site and it wasn’t two minutes before we were putting on the bug spray… and the bug nets in five, after spraying them as well. Those flies were all over us, and they concentrate around your head – go figure. We set up camp, ate lunch, and took off in the car to tour the area. We located the trailhead for the next day’s hike, and scoped out another campground at Lake Durant, which was beautiful.

Testing

Highland Forest County Park, Fabius, NY 5/9/09
Westwind Loop Trail 3.0 miles

Since acquiring all our new gear, we decided to test it on a nearby short hike before going out for “the real thing.” Highland Forest is a place we’ve always loved and returned to many times for various activities. There are miles and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. For our test run, we took the Westwind Loop, which is about 3 miles long with some hilly sections. We encountered a garter snake shortly after getting started, and of course I had to take pictures of him. He was less than thrilled with our presence. We also saw a small toad later on, who wasn’t bothered by us at all.

Reset

Early Summer 2009

Summer is here, which means we can get back to the outdoors in relative comfort. We’ve been anxious to resume our camping and hiking adventures, and we’re going to approach it a little differently this year. Ken and I tend to go from one extreme to the other; adjustments are necessary, after all! We will set out over-prepared, as opposed to completely unprepared the way we were last summer on Blue Mountain. In reality, one probably can’t be too prepared when out on the trail, as anything can happen, and sometimes does.

Back For More: Bald Mountain

Bald Mountain, Adirondacks 8/22/08
Distance 1 mile (2 mi. round trip)
Elevation change 400 ft.

So, we’ve decided that we like this whole hiking thing, and we’re ready for more abuse. For now, though, we’ll be taking our abuse in smaller, more manageable doses. Bald Mountain is another rocky trail with plenty of roots, and beautiful along the way as well as at the top.

How It All Began: Blue Mountain

It all started with an innocent camping trip at the end of July 2008. We shared a large site on Lewey Lake in the Adirondacks with Adam & Jacqui. We’d been camping plenty before, but not yet in the Adirondacks, which would bring a whole new aspect to camping for us. First of all, they have Black Bears there, which means you must keep your food in your car when you’re not cooking or eating, and definitely overnight. This includes pots and pans, and anything else that has touched food. We followed the rules and saw no bears. That’s ok with me. We also rented canoes and got a closer view of some of the wildlife.