Legalectric

Don’t really know why, but Little Missouri State Park is my kind of campground, much like Craters of the Moon in Idaho. W first came here during COVID, September 2020, when this area was 95-97% infected, no one wearing masks, but North Dakota campgrounds were open, so wearing a mask if out and about was no problem! It was our first long trip with the Starcraft 15rb, and LAST, because at 11 mpg, no way. It was perfect to stay in, great office on wheels, but, that 11 mpg was a deal breaker.

Yes, that trailer’s level. And it was a little harder in a tent, no scissor jacks to even things out!! The view from site 13, on the edge of the campground and the valley was perfect, so I grabbed 13 again this time.

Now 6 years later, we’re back in a tent. Not the HUGE inflatable camp-hosting tent, but the pretty big Wawona 6, one that’s been around with us, test run at Rice Lake State Park, first season camp-hosting in Frontenac, up north to Clubhouse Lake, out west to Craters of the Moon, Bessey campground in Nebraska Nat’l Forest, and the long delayed Superior Circle, just the south part. It works fine, but the vestibule has no floor and gets flooded too easily (really soaked at Pancake Bay Provincial Park, joys of a site right across from the water. Oh well… it fits in the Prius with everything else, even Maisy!!

It rained setting up, mild, but rain, and just as we started putting the poles in, before the rainfly was up. But not a lot, it was easy to towel dry, and as soon as we got the rainfly on and guy lines staked out, the rain stopped. Sun came out, very windy, so it dried quickly. But later in the day, serious rain, over an inch in less than an hour, and continued lighter rain, and very high winds lasting for 2 days, so strong it was pulling the tent out of shape and zips didn’t want to!

What joy not to be stuck at the desk, with time to just veg out. It was Maisy’s first road trip, and she seemed to love it, very attentive, preferred to have the window open a bit and sniff and sniff. Sniffer was working a bit too well during the rain and wind, having to cook inside the vestibule (it was SO windy, had to use the campground shelter Tuesday).

Maisy loves corncakes, as do I.

Alan doesn’t like driving like I do, so we broke up the trip out and stayed for a night at Buffalo River State Park, not one I’d noticed before (We’d had at least one transmission meeting in Glyndon, must have been CapX 2020, more than a decade ago, not remembering it!). The campground itself was a parking lot, green for sure, but no growth between sites and way too close together. On the outside of the loop, some had wooded area behind, others facing the road in with prairie grass inbetween.

The non-electric tent sites beyond the parking-lot campground were excellent. Well spaced, most had tent pads — only issue was no water spigot, except for one in the middle of the site across the loop road, and folks were camping there, so tacky to use, and it had an orange bucket, so is that a warning? Here’s site 39, and yes, a different set-up, trying out the smaller MUCH easier to set up and tear down for just an overnight stay, and it wasn’t bad! Perfect weather, sleeping pad held air, and Thermocell kept those bugs away. Set-up, snooze, tear down, and on the way, well, after finding breakfast, which wasn’t easy:

Here’s a review from Stinkleberry Farmer, got my attention in search for parks up that way, needed one for a quick stop, and that’s our site at 22:25, #39. I always search for campsite youtubes (a good distraction from PUC dockets!) and do a “drive through” to find a site. (One review was folks saying so far from the interstate, and so far to drive ~ 1 mile from park limits to campground! OK, 1st world problems! SNORT!). Highly recommend, and the trails seem good, Alan and Maisy checked out one down to a pond, and there are many, and flat, not like the extreme undulations of Frontenac or Whitewater! Alan thought it’d be a good stay for a couple days. Also found a great restaurant in Fargo, Benedict’s Morning Heros, the Gravlox Benedict was _____________(your superlative here)!!

Haven’t been out camping much post-leukemia, and so no campground reviews! OVERDUE!! So here’s another!

Ah, the life of a Minnesota DNR camp host! It’s been chilly, in the 30s at night, but it’s workable.

The first year here, in the Wawona 6, a 60 mph wind took out my staked and guyed screen tent, wadded it up, and stuffed it under the car.

So much for that. I put up a tarp and that blew down a couple of times — the weather was INTENSE, wind and rain made for a rough few days!

Given the need for a bathtub floor, not a dirt vestibule, I tried Inflatable #1, but the short sidewalls were a royal back pain. Having a floor in the 2nd room sure made a difference, but those sidewalls… and the tarp was a problem too, blew down 3 times (but I got pretty good at putting it back up):

So this year, I bit the bullet and solved both problems, a tent with high sidewalls and more usable space, and a clam-style kitchen tent.

All the comforts of home, particularly all the cooking paraphernalia one could possibly need — a pretty big fridge that doesn’t use much electricity; a small cooler wrapped in reflectix with ice cubes from yesterday holding up well; Primus, butane, and a Trangia knockoff for stoves; Cobb & Skotti grills; a toaster/convection/air fryer contraption; electric kettle; full set of cooking doo-dads; dishes & silverware (don’t have cups or glasses!); bowls and pans for every occasion; water and dishwashing set up (though we have 2 dish sinks at the showerhouse):

Camp hosting means free camping for a month with very LITE duties, I do really like a shiny bathroom sink. And just yesterday, I was told our pit toilets are the best ever smelled and seen! Seven ticks so far, 5 on me, 1 on my pillow, and 1 at the top of the entrance of the tent. None yet on Maisy, which is good.

Camp host? It’s a little of everything, helped a guy put on his rain fly yesterday. The hardest part is helping folks navigate the DNR Reservations system on their phones — “reservations can be made online or by calling 866-857-2757.” I sure can’t figure it out on a phone!

A few folks stop and stare at the tent, and I invite them to check it out. The only downside I’ve found with this tent set up is that when packed up, they’re bulky and heavy, ~ 45 lbs., and take up as much space as the fridge. A couple with newborn and year old in a backpack trying to figure out camping with babies (!!!); and good to see Min Martin & Dave Oakes. The Himangas were here too yesterday, testing out their new trailer.

The dishwashing sink broke, stuck full on pretty late. Ranger Tanner had to come over and shut it off, and in the midst of that operation, the cover blew off the faucet below the sinks and water spewed out — nope, OOPS, that was NOT the faucet to turn. Then one of the women’s sinks was clogged, and no plunger. Well, now there are two!

No emergencies, no fires… Life is good. Back to work in my office with a view: