Motor Touring with our boys

Motor Touring.  It's an old fashioned phrase for what we all call a road trip these days, but no matter what you call it, it can be an amazing Saturday of exploring or a real struggle if you're taking your little ones along for the ride. 

Just this past weekend we were struck with a bit of cabin fever and no set plans.  So we loaded up the boys in my Cherokee and hit the road.  We had no destination in mind, but it was time to put the stuffy house in the rearview mirror.

Over the course of the last 2 1/2 years Jen and I have come across this situation on a regular enough basis to realize that there are just certain things that are must haves to keep everyone happy.

For her and I, our smartphones and a cold drink are typically all we need.  I've got a good enough sense of direction, and can form a mental map, so when I've taken left turn after right turn, I can typically get us back to a recognizable route and point us back home.  However, Google Maps is an invaluable asset to have on the road.  Google Maps are some of the most complete maps that are widely available.  They offer the capability to toggle between road views and satellite images, so if you're looking for something in particular you'll likely find it. 

For example:  While brainstorming our preferred route this weekend I opened up our new favorite scavenger hunt game, Munzee.  While looking for a spot to drive by I thought we could roll a few new Munzees into our map.  In fact I found an area that at first glance would yield 2 Munzees in one location, and 3 more just down the road.  However, once I toggled my map over to satellite view I realized the other 3 were likely down a trail.  Given the recent volume of snow we had I decided against trailing those Munzees with the little guys in tow.

Another great app for your smartphone is called Victory Rides.  Geared more towards the motorcycle rider, this is a very handy app for tracking your progress.  Once you're done for the day you can save the map and build up a collection of routes that you've driven over time.

Now the boys on the other hand are bit tougher to keep happy while touring around the country side. 

Robert is nearly 8 years old and very much into video games.  And while I'd much rather him be enjoying the scenery and watching out for animals, I understand that his Nintendo DSI is a true necessity for longer trips.  What's really important is to invest in a nice pack for the controller and the games, because while out on the road for several hours a single game will only keep him entertained for so long.  Even still when we see something cool, we make sure to point it out to Robert so that he realizes why we drive and explore.  To find new and interesting things of course.

Aiden is 2 1/2 and can have his moments, which justify the term "Terrible Two's."  However, just a little forethought and we can avoid most major meltdowns.  First is to take care of the belly.  When driving it's easy to lose track of time and find yourself at 3pm and hungry.  For an adult it's easy to suck it up and just have a bigger dinner in a couple more hours.  That logic doesn't make sense to a 2 year old, so if it's close to lunch, and it has been a couple hours since his last meal.  Chances are you'll be better off finding a place to have a small snack, then pushing it any further. 

Of course what goes in must come out, so even if it's a short trip, don't forget the diaper bag.  Since you're on the road a change of clothes will likely also be a necessity.  On one trip, we had pushed it a bit too far and Aiden's diaper didn't make it between changes.  His body is easy enough to clean up, but his clothes, not so much.  Thankfully his PJ's were in the bag from his last overnight at Grandma's. 

Finally the last bit of advice for the little ones.  They all seem to love to nap in their car seats, and a quiet car can be music to a parent's ears, but again pay attention to the clock.  Just because you're on the road at 5, and he's relaxed enough to sleep at 5, doesn't mean it's a good idea.  A late nap has caused many a night time heartache, which could have been avoided, by getting the little guy up and moving.  Stop the car, stretch, maybe jump into the woods for sec.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

My Sunday Project Day: Deer Bologna

There's almost nothing I enjoy more than a project Sunday.  Working at home preparing a new recipe, or an old trustworthy recipe.  Getting some food processed to be put up for use later on when you can no longer buy the product fresh.

Of all the recipes I've worked on over the years I'd have to say I'm most proud of the Deer Bologna recipe I'm currently using.  This is a sweet bologna with a bit of smoke flavor that I make from a 50/50 mix of venison and pork.  It's reminiscent of Hilshire Farms Summer Sausage that many of us enjoy around Christmas, but the knowledge of the hunt that resulted in this meat makes the product that much more enjoyable.

The multi-day process usually begins by placing the meat to thaw in the refrigerator the Tuesday or Wednesday prior to processing.  I like to grind my own pork, because the plane ground pork available in the stores is simply too lean for my taste.  I always choose a pork butt, with a nice cap of fat on the the top for this recipe. 

Usually by about Saturday morning I'm ready to start the next step: grinding. After boning out the meat, cubing it, and passing it once through the meat grinder I will weigh out my pork.  Since I'm going for a 50/50 blend with the venison, I remove any pork in excess of the amount of venison I've got thawing.  I like to season this excess pork and make breakfast sausage patties for the next couple days.

The equal parts of pork and venison can now be brought together, and your cure will need to be added.  I use Morton's Tenderquick, at a ratio of 1 tbsp per pound of meat.  If you have used, or have access to "pink salt" or straight sodium nitrate, you'll want to follow the manufacturer's recommendations on proportioning.  Once mixed thoroughly the entire mixture is put up in the fridge for at least 12 hours, I typically will go closer to 18. 

If you've never used these curing agents, don't fret.  I was apprehensive at first as well, but after 10 years of honing this recipe I'm much more comfortable with the process.  As to what they do, they kill off the harmful bacteria, and work to make the meat last longer.  In the end this will still be a cooked product that has been raised to 165 degrees, but it will be a more stable product in the refrigerator.  Think of the difference between keeping a pound of salami in the frig, next to a pound of steak.  They're both at a safe temperature, but the steak will spoil much faster.

After the cure has had time to work, it's time to add the remaining ingredients (see recipe below).  I've changed this list  up several times, and I'd encourage you to do the same.  In my opinion the sugars, and the liquid smoke are two of the keys and I rarely deviate from their proportions. 

The mixture is then stuffed into casings, and I like to give the meat time to rest here as well.  Two things happen:  First the seasonings have time to meld and work well together. Second the pork fat softens the casings making them more supple during the cooking process.

Now into the oven.  If you've done any smoking or roasting you know low and slow is where it's at.  This recipe is no different.  200 degrees for about 5 hours is typical, but I will place a probe thermometer in the meat after about 3 hours.  I also like to rotate the meat so that any liquid created inside the casing doesn't settle to the bottom.  After baking I'll allow the meat to cool in the refrigerator for a day or two, then I'll peel the casings, and slice into disks.  Once sealed into food saver bags they will last for months in the freezer.

My favorite serving is with a nice cheese, like a smoked Gouda, or cheddar.  I've made sandwiches with it, and even cubed it and eaten it with a sweet n sour dip.

Happy cooking,
Scott M


Scott Messenger's Deer Bologna

*Ingredients may be scaled up or down based on your batch size

5    lbs of ground venison
5    lbs of ground pork butt (all fat included)
10  tbsp of Morton's Tenderquick
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c corn syrup
4    tbsp of liquid smoke
4    tbsp minced garlic
3    tbsp of ground black pepper
2    tbsp onion powder
1    tbsp ground mustard
1    tbsp Accent flavor enhancer
1    tsp cayenne
1    c beer

Cube and grind the pork butt, including all the fat, and mix with ground venison.  Add 1/3 of Tenderquick, mix thoroughly, repeat for each 1/3.

Refrigerate mixture 12-18 hrs

Mix all remaining ingredients thoroughly until completely incorporated in the entire volume of meat.

Stuff the meat into fibrous casings and tie off ends hog rings.  Both of these are typically found year-round at many hunting stores.

Allow stuffed casings to rest in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Bake at 200 degrees on a cookie sheet for 4 hours, or until internal temp reaches 165.  Rotate the logs every hour, to avoid a dark streak on the bottom where juices settled.

Once safe internal temp is reached remove from oven, allow to cool slightly on the counter, then place in the refrigerator overnight to cool completely.

Remove casings, slice into lunch meat style rounds, or leave in longer logs.  Vacuum seal and freeze.

An alternative to chili.

As winter blasted the Erie region Monday and Tuesday, and frigid temps locked down the region I found many of my friends breaking out the chili recipes and hunkering down.  Looking for an alternative to chili and I found a recipe for Spanish Chilindron on Hank Shaw's website honest-food.net  

This red pepper stew, has the look of chili, so your mind immediately goes down that path, but once you taste this you realize it's missing the key dried chili pepper flavors.  This winter warmer satisfies your need for warm red foods, but does it in a bright somewhat tangy way. 

Hank's recipe (see below) calls for Pheasant, or some form of wild game.  Since my freezer is far lacking this year, I chose to substitute in dark chicken meat, with skin intact.  I also shorten the simmer time, knowing that domestic chicken will take far less time to be tender.  Having now tasted the dish, I can see where this would be an excellent choice for wild game.

Other than substituting the chicken for pheasant, I followed the recipe as is, and probably would do it that way again  I could see the addition of mushrooms rounding out the stew and perhaps dialing back the bay leaf and rosemary, as the stew was quite fragrant.  The recipe called for stock as needed, and I had gotten my dark meat by boning out 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, so I boiled those bones with seasonings and a couple bullion cubes.  That created a rich, depth of flavor that I really appreciated in the final product.  I ate the stew straight, and Hank recommends some fried polenta, but I could see any number of breads, or even a bed of rice, being a fine addition to this dish.

Happy Cooking
Scott M

Chilindron, Spanish red pepper stew

(as posted by Hank Shaw)

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

3 pounds chicken, pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces

2 large onions, sliced in half-moons

10 cloves chopped garlic

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 jar (15 ounces or so) or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes

2 cups red or white wine

Stock if needed (chicken or beef or whatever goes with your choice of meat)

1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, pancetta, ham, etc.

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

4 bay leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Large handful of dried mushrooms (optional)

If using, put the mushrooms in a container just large enough to hold them and pour hot water over them. Cover and set aside.

Salt the meat and set aside for 10-20 minutes at room temperature. Use this time to chop the veggies.

Pat the meat dry and pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot that has a lid.

Heat the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot. Set the meat aside in a bowl when browned. Take your time and do this right. Add more oil if needed.

When the meat is browned, add the onions and stir to bring up some of the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the onions with a little salt. Cook until they begin to brown, then add the garlic, the cured meat and the mushrooms, if using. Cook until fragrant, then add the meat back to the pot and mix well.

Pour in the wine and turn the heat up to high. Stir and boil furiously until the wine is half gone.

Turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes, the roasted red peppers and all the spices and herbs (except the parsley). Stir well. The level of liquid should be about 2/3 the way up the sides of the meat. If it is low, add the stock. I used the full 2 cups.

Allow to simmer until meat is tender, start testing after 1 hour, I removed from heat after 2 hours.  Wild game will be a judgement call.

Thank you Mr Lincoln

Here's the story about harvesting the largest deer I've taken up to date.  The story's over 5 years old, and I've shopped it around a time or two.  It's never seen the light of day, so I figured what better forum than right here.  I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you Mr Lincoln

I don't normally consider myself a superstitious person, but when it comes to deer hunting, all bets are off.  I’ve got my favorite flannel, and a usual routine that I like to follow.  I pack up early and check my gear often.  Sometimes it seems like good karma is almost as important as the license, so I try to have a positive attitude, and be as prepared as possible.  Well, at least prepared enough to have a good day, without looking like a Polar expedition.

I feel that being prepared means having everything I’ll need from the beginning of my hunt to the end.  Including all of the items I’ll need, should I be successful.  Often if I get to the woods and realize I don’t have a pen, then mentally, my day is shot.  All hunters are great at coming up with excuses; mine tend to revolve around poor preparation.  As if not having a pen, or a piece of string is some kind of jinx that keeps the animals away.

The 2007 deer season was no exception to this.  Like most hunters I packed my field bag and vest a good two days prior to the season.  After checking and double-checking my gear, I finally placed all of it in the vehicle for safekeeping.  Later on while running some last minute errands I came across a head's up penny lying on the ground in front of a grocery store.  Being within 24 hours of the start of the deer season, I had to pick it up, and hope for any bit of good luck for tomorrow.  As I slipped the coin into my wallet, I laughed to myself, thinking that this was a little silly, but what's the harm.

I went about the rest of my day, not giving it too much thought of that penny and I set to completing some yard work while trying to clear my mind, so that I could relax and enjoy the season opener, tomorrow.  As a cleared the yard I came across another head's up penny, lying on the front step of my house.  This was just too much, so I laughed out loud as I placed my second "lucky" penny into my wallet.

I felt that my “lucky” penny experiences were just too foolish to tell any of my hunting partners.  Knowing them, if I did tell them about my pennies, I’d never hear the end of it.  There's always a good bit of ribbing out in the deer woods, and my pennies would be just too easy of a target.

As with most other hunter's, I barely slept the night before the season.  Finally giving up the struggle, I got out of bed around 4:15am.  I showered, dressed, and went downstairs to have some breakfast, and watch the weather forecast.  Saying that the weather here in Northwest PA was less than ideal would be an understatement.  We had fog and rain forecast for the entire day.  Undeterred we made the 35 minute drive to my cousin's property where we always spend opening day.  The property is small, but we’ve had good success on the opening day.

The day progressed just as usual, with some shooting on either side of the creek, but no deer through our spot.  By 9:15am my hunting partner Joe, left his tree to push through a brushy area that usually hides a deer or two.  I remained at my favorite tree hoping that Joe, and other hunters, would push the deer my way.  With the rain falling steadily I knew it would be hard to hear any deer approaching.  About 9:45am I glanced over my left shoulder in time to see a heavy antlered buck slipping past me at less than 20 yards.  The wet leaves had hidden his approach, and he has about to crest a small slope.  If he made it to the crest my shot would be unsafe.  Before reaching the crest the buck glanced away, and as he looked away I swung my gun and body into position to make the shot.

The Marlin 30-30 cracked and the deer bolted over the crest of the hill.  I worked the action and then made it up the slope to try and get a glimpse of where the he had run.  Just outside of my wood lot are two fields separated by a road.  All together the two fields span about 250 yards. Even with such a great distance the deer was out of sight by the time I reached the spot he had been standing.  Since I was pretty sure he was hit well, I began the search for blood, but the steady rain made finding blood, a lost cause.  Knowing the deer had to cross a road, I searched up and down the road for tracks, which might give me a clue to the deer's location.

Having no luck finding tracks or blood on my own, I got my hunting partner Joe on the radio, and told him I needed his help in locating a downed deer.  From his location it took him about 20 minutes through wet golden rod, to meet up with me.  Of course this was the longest 20 minutes of my life.  While I waited I searched with binoculars the field edges, hoping for a glimpse of a white belly or antlers.  When Joe arrived, I went over the shot and the deer's possible location.

The deer's most direct line would lead into the woods at the south end of the field.  I entered those woods at the nearest point, while Joe walked the field edge searching for sign.  After we covered the nearest portion and did not finding any sign, I began to lose heart that I had even wounded the deer.  I quietly hoped to myself that I missed clean, and we wouldn’t have a long messy recovery.  As I continued on the south end of the field, Joe crossed the field to begin checking the north side.  Shortly after reaching the field edge, Joe hollered to get my attention.  I began crossing the field and from Joe's body language, I could tell there was a deer down in the brush.  My spirit lifted as I made the quick walk across the field.

His antlers were larger than I remembered, with a standard eight-point rack and a two-inch kicker on the right G2, making him a nine pointer with a fourteen inch inside spread.  He field dressed out just north of 180 pounds.  He was a massive animal.  We made quick work of the field dressing, and let him hang for a short time, while we recounted the story.

I never fail to be amazed at how far and fast a wounded deer can run.  This deer had crossed almost 200 yards in the same time it took me to cover 20.  It just goes to show, in bad weather conditions, you have to take every necessary step to recover the deer you may have wounded.

We loaded him into the van, and made the short drive to our favorite meat market.  After I filled out the order form, I placed the receipt into my wallet.  Upon opening my wallet, I realized, I still had my two “lucky” pennies that I had found the day before.  I laughed out loud, as I thought to myself, "Sometimes superstitions really do payoff."

Happy Hunting

Scott M

Endless options to enjoy a good hike.

How fitting that after all last week of 40-50 degree weather and thinking of camping all week Mother Nature sees fit to remind all of us that it's January, we're in northwest PA, and as long as that lake isn't frozen a lake effect snow event, can and will arrive. 

While many of my friends are bemoaning the return of winter, I can't lie, I'm pretty excited.  And after being demolished by a horrible colds/infections over the last 4 weeks I need to get outside and feel fresh air. 

There's plenty of opportunities, even in the dead of winter with 12 inches of snow on the ground. 

Presque Isle State Park is running their New Year's resolution walk series.  This informational walk series takes place every Thursday night and has a different track to walk each time.  This is such a great way to explore an area many of us visit all summer, but rarely see in the beauty of winter.

Asbury woods has well groomed hiking trails that runners and dog walkers love spring summer and fall, why not explore them in the depth of winter?  The trails are still there, it's a great workout to break trail through the snow, and the blanket of white actually helps animals to stand out in the woods, so you're likely to see more animals this time of year.

Wintergreen Gorge hiking trail is an underdeveloped gem on the edge of the city.  The small public parking lot on the north end will likely keep it this way, and the topography doesn't exactly lend itself to easy going hikes.  The main trail is a mountain biker/cross country runners dream workout, buring legs and lungs.  Having grown up within a couple miles, I've had the opportunity to explore minor paths, and the place is amazing, and has so much potential.

To mention a truly underdeveloped public space:  Six Mile Creek Park, in Greene township is fundamentally unknown, and still stuck in the development phases.  Zoom in a Google Map on the area of I-90 and Station Rd, and all of a sudden you'll see a large green swath named Six Mile Creek Park.  How underdeveloped this is, is quite unfortunate, because this park could rival Asbury woods/Brown's farm area for public trail access and vast natural space preserved for public use.

One final property, or group of properties of note are the State Game Lands in northwest PA.  Yes these are areas typically used by hunters, but the reality is, they are public lands open to anyone.  Each one typically has well-developed parking areas, and several have nice trail systems that you can easily hike and explore.  SGL 109 has multiple access points along Rt 97, and SGL 218 is easily accessible from Rt 8 and has multiple paved parking lots for your use.  Hunters can and are using the areas, so it would be a good idea to throw an orange cap on, and be respectful of the area you're sharing with them.

I could go on for days with different areas, but I'll save those for later blogs.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Winter Camping and Hiking

There's a dusting of snow on the ground, and just like the first couple days of this week, I've got camping on the brain.  It's been years and years, but I have several very fond memories of camping in the snow. 

Yesterday I talked about managing a campsite, and all of your supplies around the site.  When it comes to winter camping, everything has to be taken up a level.  In the winter there's an added variable that even if you do everything else right, can hurt you.  Of course I'm referring to the cold.

Our bodies are heat producing machines, but without the proper gear you can find yourself in a world of hurt very fast.  My very first experience winter camping is good evidence of this.  The very first trip I can recall was a late winter campout that was actually in someone's yard.  That yard happened to be about 50 yds off of Lake Erie, but all the same we did actually have a warm house to escape into should we find ourselves in trouble. 

We had an old 8 person tent, so we dug down into the snow to reach the frozen ground.  After placing a large tarp on the ground, thus began our insulating process.  Really that's the best way to approach any cold weather outing:  Layers of insulation.  So what is insulation?  Sounds rhetorical right?  Understanding how insulation works, and what makes for good insulation may save your life someday.  Insulation must work to capture heat.  That heat may be generated from a fuel source, like an electric heater or even a propane lantern.  Or that heat may be from your own body's metabolism, breaking down food to fuel your body.

Our tarp on the ground helps to create layers of air pockets.  Trapped air is actually an enormously efficient insulator.  If you have a down jacket you know what I mean.  The downy goose feathers trap a layer of air around your body, which is heated by your body, thus keeping warm air closer to you. 

After staking the tent down the remaining steps of pitching a tent are familiar to the rest of us.  Now even though snow is frozen water, it actually serves as a fine insulator, helping to keep body heat in, just witness igloos and other shelters that are actually built exclusively of snow.  We used the snow we removed from the bottom to begin to pile up the sides of the tent.  This was just a nylon tent, so it's not going to bear the weight of a lot of snow, just enough to firm up the bottom of the tent. 

Our next layer of defense was to place a blanket down under our sleeping bag.  It might seem to make more sense to layer a blanket within the sleeping bag, but remember that sleeping bags are built to keep your body heat in, so in this case the folded blanket serves a better insulating factor outside the bag, insulating us from the cold ground.

Now speaking of how the sleeping bag works.  A sleeping bag has layers of insulation to hold warmth in, but if you pack layers and layers of clothes on your body before you crawl into the bag, you are working against the design of the bag.  To some this may sound crazy, but I've done it for years, and never had an issue.  I cut down to the gym shorts, and maybe a tank top.  I've slept outdoors in sub 50 degree temps in a sleeping bag and nothing by my skivvies, and woke up warmer and more comfortable than people who were wearing half the clothes they brought. Remember that the bag was built to hold your heat in, allow the bag to work, by letting your body heat up the air space within the bag and you'll have a more comfortable night's sleep.

Now after having that wonderful night's sleep, you came to camp to explore, right?  Hiking in the winter woods is simply magic.  I've been to areas, where I've hunted and hiked for years and years, but once the snow flies, it's a different world altogether.  Thriving out in that world takes preparation, but can be done very comfortably. 

First is to fuel your body.  When cold, your body will burn calories 15%-20% faster than normal, so you've got to feed that furnace with high quality, slow burning fuel.  Think complex carbohydrates.  Grains like oatmeal, and grits are a great choice particularly because they are warm entering your belly giving you a great psychological edge.

Next is your choice of clothing.  Bundling up like Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story is tempting, but 100% the wrong idea.  You're trying to go for a hike, right? So you body needs to move.  Then once it is moving, your body is going to generate even more heat and just like in the tent you have to manage that heat.  Some heat you need to contain, while other heat you need to dissipate.  Here I like to let my body do the instructing.  When too warm, I want layers to remove.  Then if I cool off I can replace those layers.  That's why I always dress in layers.  A tight fitting base layer that will help to move moisture away from my skin and evaporate without cooling me off.  Next a looser, insulating layer, like synthetic fleece or wool.  Either choice will capture warmed air and hold it close to your body.  Finally your outer layer.  All this layer needs to do is to keep the outside, out.  If it's raining or snowing you want your outer layer to shed that precipitation as quickly as possible.  That outer layer doesn't need to be highly insulated, just moisture resistant.

Following this formula, I have comfortably spent hours out in the exposed elements.  While tired at the end of the day, I've never found myself in a compromised situation.  Now don't let the cold temps scare you off, get out and explore, you never know what you may find.

Happy Exploring.
Scott M

Why Camping?

It's not always a direct question.  More often it's a look, but it always happens.  If I'm talking about a camping trip I just went on, or a camping trip that I'm currently planning, someone will give me the look. 

The "why camping?" Look.

As if it's fundamentally absurd to leave the comfort and amenities of your permanent residence, just to go to a non-permanent, even a movable residence, for a couple nights at a time.   A place where you have to work to just get along.  You have to gather wood, water, maintain a fire, safely handle and prepare food without refrigeration, or at least from a cooler, but again you have to manage that process as well. 

So why go through all that?  It's hard for me to explain without being a little rhetorical, but I go through all that in order to go through all that.  It's about surviving on simpler terms.  I don't need to worry myself with the ephemera of life.  I need to worry about keeping my food cold, my fire hot, and my head dry. End of list.

When camping there's always something to do, and those things have real implications.  If I'm at home and I leave food on the counter, fine, I've got more in the freezer.  If I'm camping and food spoils, well one meal is going to be a little thin.  The focus on survival, breaks you down to a very primitive self.  It wipes away the nonsense of the modern world.  I don't worry that I have 70 channels and nothing to watch because there's wood to be gathered, a fire to be tended, and a trail over there that I haven't walked down yet.

That unknown trail is the real other reason to go camping.  The ability to explore the unknown, and particularly the wild places of this Earth.  My family and I love to hop in the car and roadtrip to find a new park or diner, but just like being at home, if plans fail on the road, there's an easily accessible back up plan.

In the woods that is not always the case.  For me knowing that I'm a visitor in this wild place helps to ground me and make me more mindful of my surroundings and how I'm going to move through them.  I'm not going to blindly leap over that log or creek, because failure in the woods is often catastrophic.  Now, if I  re-read that last sentence it sounds overly dramatic and frankly a little pessimistic.  Injuries happen, and you do need to be mindful of your surroundings.  However, instead of allowing that anxiety to weigh you down, allow that mindfulness to lift your spirit, to focus your attention on the REAL. 

Mindfulness in the woods have lead to some of my greatest experiences.  A doe and two fawns within 20 feet. A flock of turkeys meticulously picking bugs while moving through the undergrowth 30 feet away. A fresh bear track within 50 feet of a fresh coyote track.

Now-a-days, I have the distinct pleasure of teaching two young boys these skills.  With time and patience I believe they too will appreciate wild places and the simplicity of life at a campsite.

Happy Camping

Scott M