Earthquakes and Stampedes

Good Morning, Readers!

EARTHQUAKE

Last week was an exciting one, as far as weeks go. Certainly the talk around West Michigan has been the 4.0 earthquake centered several miles south of Galesburg.

It just so happens that we were camping at Fort Custer State Park in Galesburg when the earthquake quaked(?). And let me tell you, it was noticeable. We were surrounded by RV's that are not all that stable, so when the earth shook, they were rocking and rolling. Mostly rocking. All of them rocking and none of them literally rolling.

Sage, who was inside the camper at the time, was knocked to the ground thinking the RV was collapsing. She ran outside and asked Chad if we had an earthquake, at which point he replied "no, we don't have earthquakes in Michigan." Children, let this be a lesson that parents are not always right.

Shortly thereafter emergency sirens sounded and military helicopters were flew overhead. It was disconcerting but, thankfully, turned out to be no more than an interesting story to share.

For geeky information on the earthquake, check out WZZM's Bills Blog.

STAMPEDE

The annual Fort Custer Stampede mountain bike race was held on Sunday. Sage raced Beginner 10 and Under, Bear competed in the children's race, and Chad made a return to Sport.

Sage and Chili Dog at the Beginner 10 and Under Start. Look at all the awesome kids!

This was the first race of the season for the family and I'm happy to report that everyone had a blast. Sage was excited for the race swag. But as a parent, the best part is seeing the perma-smile when she crosses the finish line.

Bear was all business at the Kid's Race

While Sage was set on racing all weekend, Bear, on the other hand, insisted he wasn't going to. Bear and I planned to hang out at the campground. That changed 30 minutes before the start of the kids race. Bear and I were sitting around the campfire when he suddenly jumped up and started bouncing excitedly. He was struck with the urge to race.

We rode our bikes as fast as we could from the campground to the race venue (2-3 miles) and arrived just in time. I rarely see such a look of determination etched on his face. When they said "go," he stood and hammered for the entire two laps.

Both kids are looking forward to the next race and can't wait for Dirt Dawgs to start. The Brewer Family's next stop will be the Hanson Hills Challenge in Grayling. Look for us in the large Jayco. And it appears that I will be making a return to racing. I can't wait.

A few more photos from the weekend:

Sage is working on mastering the log pile.

No pollution. No signs. Just the trail and nothing to be bothering me. --Bear

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you on the trails,
Heather

Happy New Yurts!

The Yurt. It is handicap accessible.

I've had many people ask about our experience camping in the Yurt at Muskegon State Park. We had a wonderful time and definitely recommend it. Below is some information on our stay and some things to consider if you are planning to visit the Yurt.

What I liked:

1. It's nestled amongst the trails and trees of one of my favorite places, Muskegon State Park/Muskegon Luge and Sports Complex!
2. There are miles of trail outside the door and Lake Michigan is, hmmmm, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk away. 
3. It's simple. No electricity, no water, no bathroom, no kitchen. It's a glorified tent with bunk beds, a wood burning stove and a board game. 

Things to know if you go:

1. Bring a lantern and flashlight or headlamps. While the woods were illuminated by the snowfall and light of the moon, it was dark inside the yurt. 
2. Pack water, food, plates and utensils. There are two small burners atop the wood burning stove for a small frying pan or tea kettle. We kept things simple by bringing granola bars and bananas. We ordered Hobo's Pizza for dinner and went out for breakfast. The closest restaurant is 5 miles away, so if you plan to eat out, know you are in for a bit of a drive. 
3. There are two sets of bunk beds. One bunk has a queen size base. There are several cots available for use as well. Bring sleeping bags and pillows.
4. It takes awhile to get the wood stove cranking enough to heat up the yurt, but once you do it is a toasty retreat from the winter cold.
5. While there isn't a bathroom, an outhouse is located 30 yards away. Or use a tree. 
6. My son relieved himself on the picnic table at 2:30 AM so . . . bring a table cloth.
7. You will not have a cell phone signal while in the park.
8. You can reserve the Yurt a year in advance. It does fill up on weekends. If you think you want to go in 2015, make your reservations now. 

Our Yurtcation

Saturday 

2 PM  

The kids and I arrive at the Yurt with bedding and snacks. We are able to carry all of our supplies in one trip, trekking the 30 yards from car to Yurt. While the kids made the beds, I began building a fire in the wood stove. It didn't take long to get it going--as my son Bear said proudly, Mom! You sure can build a fire, for a girl! Proud and offended at his exclamation, I struggled with what to say to guide his forming views of gender roles but ultimately decided to let my actions do the talking.
The campground provides wood, tinder and a lighter. 

2:30 PM 

We depart to run some errands and attend Sage's indoor soccer game.

6:30 PM

Sage and I finally make it back to the Yurt. The fire is out but there are hot coals. It's dark and all I have is a light that I pulled off my bike. I'm not sure how how much battery life is left, but I set it up in the middle of the yurt and go to work rebuilding the fire.
Sage settles in her top bunk with a flashlight and book.

7:00 PM

The men arrive with Hobo's pizza and friends join us after their winter night hike. We find folding chairs stacked inside a little table. There's plenty of room for everyone. I put water on the stove for hot cocoa. The children take off for the sledding hill.

It is snowing but inside the yurt it sounds like it is raining.  I put Jiffy-Pop on the stove and it doesn't pop so we leave it there, thinking the stove is not hot enough yet.

The kids are sledding, the adults hang out around the lantern. Log bunk bed with queen base is pictured.

8:30 PM
Our friends depart and we jammie-it-up* before settling down for a rousing game of "Camping Out," a Michigan State Parks Board Game, provided by the campground. Chad has brought a lantern and it is a stellar replacement for the bike light.

The yurt smells like burnt popcorn. Chad has an "aha" moment, we were supposed to remove the packaging before placing the Jiffy-Pop on the stove. Good thing we have more! Our second attempt at making popcorn goes without a hitch and we all enjoy a buttery treat.

Playing "Camping Out"

9:30 PM
Mom and dad are tired which, by default, means so are the children.

Everyone goes outside and grabs a fistful of snow. We let it melt in our palms before swishing it around in our mouth and chewing on fresh mint I found growing a few yards from the Yurt. Just kidding, we brushed our teeth with chemical-laden toothpaste. After that we wandered outside to our individual trees for one last bathroom break.

10:00 PM
It is a tradition in our family to tell stories and legends. The kids asked for me to tell them their favorite stories of Scout and Blacky**. These are completely of my own invention which works out well for me as I can change them anyway I want to and it will always be correct, unlike my failed attempts to retell traditional camp stories.

We do a "Waltons Family"*** good night before lights out.

Sunday
2:30 AM
A herd of elephants, otherwise known as my children, invade the Yurt. Everyone needs a drink of water. Bear, who has somehow lost his jammies and is completely naked, puts on his boots and stomps outside to relieve himself.

We put more wood in the stove. Our once sweltering abode is starting to get chilly.

4:30 AM
Two children need another cup of water and another bathroom break. It works out as it's time to feed the fire. I am surprised at how comfortable the kids are going outside to use the bathroom on their own.

8:00 AM
Everyone is up. There is almost 5" of fresh snow on the ground. We put on our snow gear and head outside for sledding. We hike the trails in search of exciting new sledding routes. The sun is rising over the sand dunes.

10:00 AM
I'm hungry and I didn't pack coffee. I tell everyone its time for breakfast. We see a Golden Eagle who is in the same frame of mind and is on the hunt for food.

We go to Mr. B's for pancakes and bottomless mugs of caffeine.

Noon
Back at the Yurt, the kids head out for more hiking and sledding while Chad and I clean up. Guests at the Yurt are asked to let the fire die down and sweep up. Everyone is sad to leave the Yurt but we are all happy and tired and thankful for our time together. We sign the Guest Log before locking the door behind us.

The End.

*The act of removing one's daytime clothing and replacing them with evening attire, otherwise known as pajamas.
**Scout is a boy of 6 or 7 years of age with no mom or dad. Blacky is his trusty dog, with a coat of fur darker than a moonless night and is as large as a bear. Scout rides on the back of Blacky just as a man rides a horse. Scout wears a cowhide hat, carries his prized red lasso across his chest and a knife in his back pocket. Scout and Blacky have many adventures that take place in the early 1800's on the prairie.
***Good night, John-Boy! Good night, Elizabeth. Good night, Mary Ellen. Good night, Jim Bob.

Hobo's Pizzeria and Mr. B's are Gluten Free friendly restaurants.

It's Friday.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

I'll be leaving this view for a few days on Lake Michigan.

And I'll be hiking here.

And here

Here too.

And here.

But if my foot hurts too much, which it looks like it might, I'll relax by this:

And then I'll enjoy some of this.

Tomorrow I hope to see some of you here:

Orchard Beach State Park

This photo of Orchard Beach State Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Oh how I have been looking forward to this last weekend of camping. It seems like most of the trips we plan are scheduled around racing, mountain biking, exploring, and trying to cram in so many activities the weekend becomes a kaleidoscope of adventures. Which is awesome. But sometimes I just want to kick my feet up around the campfire and enjoy the view.

This photo of Orchard Beach State Park is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This was the view from the front steps of the Camper.

Orchard Beach is one of the smaller State Parks we've visited this summer. It's located in Manistee on Lake Michigan. There isn't a long list of amenities there, but who needs amenities when you have The Lake? That view? It's everything you need. But in case your eyes need a break and your legs become restless there are 2.5 miles of wooded trails to explore or long, hilly stretches of pavement to ride.

While Big M and NCT trails are just 25 minute drive from Orchard Beach this weekend wasn't about that. Not that we didn't ride, we did. We just rolled out from the campsite and headed North on Lakeshore to M-22 before circling back "home." 

We explored the beach every morning while still in our pajamas, in bare feet carrying a mug of coffee. The kids ran up ahead in hopes of finding the best "treasure." This trip didn't yield any Petoskey Stones, I guess we weren't Up North enough. But I did find a handful of beach glass.

4 pieces of beach glass

I made a large batch of Pumpkin Pancakes and topped them with Pecans. We also enjoyed omelets and sausage. Large, indulgent breakfasts are one of my favorite parts of camping. 

In the afternoon the men would suit up for their ride along the Lakeshore. I managed to find a few quite hours to draw in my sketch book. 

When I opened my sketch book I was surprised to see that the last time I had drawn anything was half a decade ago.

"8/18/07" was the last time I picked up a pencil and sketch book to draw anything.

It was an odd feeling, being still and quite for more than an hour. I was uncomfortable. But at the same time it felt good to be drawing again. Hopefully five more years won't have to pass before that sketchbook sees the light of day again.

Saturday night the families gathered around the campfire for songs and storytelling. I made hot cocoa for the kids and we topped them with chocolate mint marshmallows. 

The weekend was perfect in my book. 

p.s. Sorry for all the tripadvisor pictures. We "unplugged" for the weekend: no iPhones or iPods. The one down-side is that we don't have any pictures.

Fall Weekend in Michigan = Camping

Limited Edition Print by Adam Turman for Salsa. I have one of these. 

^

^

^

That's what I'm doing this weekend.

- the tent

+ camper

+ camp chairs
+ friends

+ 5 kids

+ Lake Michigan

It's feeling like fall in Michigan. 

I can't wait to get out of the house and into the State Parks where 

Lake Michigan is my front porch, 

the woods are my den, 

and the campfire the dining table. 

The chili's in the crockpot, 

all the fixins for pumpkin pancakes in the cabinet, 

and gallons of Apple Cider are sitting by the door. 

C'mon five-o-clock.

I'm ready to go.

Epic-Extreme Brown County Camping Trip

We mountain bikers are guilty of over-using words like "epic" and "extreme" to describe our regular jaunts on the trails, to the point of devaluing the definition. However, I promise you, our week at Brown County State Park was worthy of "extreme" (exceeding the bounds of moderation) and "epic" (heroic, majestic, impressively great!). 


What made it so extreme? The HEAT wave. The days leading to our vacation we nervously watched the weather outlook temperature steadily rise, 90-93-95 . . . 99. And then it happened. We were in Brown County, no turning back, and the thermometer rose even further—to 105 degrees for the majority of the days of our vacation. I love Lake Michigan and I miss my Big Lake every time we venture away from home. But I have never missed her as much as I did last week. I obsessively fantasized about flopping onto the lakeshore and letting the beautiful waves crash over me. Remember this picture from not very long ago?

This memory taunted me in my dreams.

It was so hot that even the guys chose to go shopping over mountain biking. 

And our trip was epic because of The Ride. It was the last ride Michelle and I achieved before the super-extreme heat set in (it was a mere 95 degrees that fateful day). We awoke early to set out on an easy 90 minute ride: Limekiln, Walnut and then down Hesitation Point. Michelle packed one water bottle. I get anxious when I don't have food in my immediate vicinity so I had a hydration pack and water bottle AND a peanut butter ball. 

The ride started out well enough.

Riding Walnut

Michelle on Walnut Trail

And then somewhere at the bottom of Hesitation Point, things went south. The trails kept looping together, round and round we went. Our water bottles quickly depleting, the peanut butter ball was long ago consumed, the heat continued to intensify and there was no trail-head in site.

Here I am retelling the Scary Story around the campfire of the two girls who went mountain biking
on the trails in Brown County and nearly never returned . . . 

The "little" mountain bikers attentively listening to the cautionary tale.

Finally we came to a cross-roads. We decided to wait there for someone to come along that might have a map or could point us to the nearest exit. We had been riding for over three hours. We didn't have to wait long for two guys that stopped and offered to "escort" us to the nearest road. They would wait for us at the intersections to make sure we went in the right direction.

Wait for us? Apparently that sounded like a challenge to Michelle because she stayed right on the rear wheel of the guys. And then passed one of them. And then someone latched themselves onto my wheel. That's when our 3+ hour exploration ride turned into a flat out race.

Four miles later (believe me, in that heat and with no water it felt more like 20 miles!) we finally emerged from the endlessly looping trails and into a parking lot. Near the pool. If you've been to Brown County you know that the parking lot near the pool is at THE BOTTOM of the park. We had some long, steep hills to climb back to the campground.

But, we were out. And there was water. We would live to ride again.