Legalectric

Minnesota has many state parks open for winter camping — Frontenac State Park, where we are now, is one:

We’ve not done winter camping, and I’ve been watching videos about tent camping to get the hang of it before we try tenting in earnest. A 3 week trip is planned, but NOT in winter.

EEEEK, I’ll pass on a tent in that weather.

So far, we’ve only taken three cold weather trips, all around Halloween to get away, and both were pretty cold. The worst was in Minneopa, 2017, above, where the temp was 20s to low 30s, but the wind was just awful. We had propane heat, and a little space heater because we had an electric site, and the pup held heat pretty well:

Little Sadie would beg to differ:

Took maiden voyage in the Starcraft hybrid to Wisconsin, Potawatomi State Park and Pt. Beach Forest, and the van kept having severe problems, and it was no fun at all. First it was stalling and dying, took 2 days to figure it out:

… then electrical problems:

But the weather was PERFECT!

This year for Halloween, we went to William O’Brien State Park, and it was chilly, but not bad, because it was SUNNY, which always helps.

I’d looked about a month ago for Minnesota camping, and yes, I know that Halloween is NOT “winter.” Google found a DNR “Winter Camping” page but “404,” so I shot off an email, and now the page is working. Here’s the map with winter camping in Minnesota State Parks:

And the DNR page on “Winter Camping” here.

From the looks of Frontenac today, we’re the only ones here, and I’m thinking reservations in winter aren’t anywhere as difficult to get as in summer, particularly in COVID. On the other hand, Tettegouche does show reserved sites, so book way in advance if you’re wanting a site.

I just can’t see winter camping in a tent, unless it’s a “4 season” tent with an electric heater inside, just no way!

Time to fire up the stove out there, I hear turkey soup calling!

There’s a lot to be said for taking a “Time Out!” First trip of the year was up to Tettegouche for solstice, and it was too crowded and people were uniformly non-observent of COVID precautions. After that, we declined two camp hosting gigs, no way was I up for dealing with people and cleaning and stocking bathrooms in that situation.

I am on several camping lists, one of which is the North Dakota State Parks, which sends out a list of weekend sites available. Little Missouri State Park ALWAYS had sites. It looked interesting, was a horse camp with 2 assigned corrals for each site (!) so I called, and horses aren’t required. So I grabbed the best site starting after Labor Day – 13e!

Sunset, right? Well, it is that time, but that’s an oil well flare. The campground was surrounded by oil wells (satellite view here).

North Dakota oil production on the upswing again but may plateau this fall

Some nights, they were audible, both a sound like a jet taking off and a very high pitched whistle. That was countered by the coyotes yipping and howling at sunset and an hour before sunrise.

Little Sadie loves to travel, and she’s learned to be cool around strangers and wildlife.

We took a trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit one day, North Unit the next. Campgrounds are closed at both. From the looks of it, the wildlife is benefiting from not having people around.

The picnic ground was FULL of buffalo!

The buffalo walking along the road found a snake, and stomped it but didn’t kill it, and they took turns checking it out, the snake opened its mouth wide, hissing, they’d dance away, and come around again for a look-see. It was as if it was bison school, to learn how to recognize danger and what to do about it.