This trip will be a "camp and hike," allowing freedom to hike OR backpack trails (or geocache, or trout fish or mountain bike or even just sit around camp and relax!). If you opt to camp and hike, it would be a great chance to try colder weather camping because you can have all those nice, warm extra blankets within a quarter mile or so of camp!

At this point, I plan to camp in different locations Friday and Saturday nights, which can be accomplished by backpacking... OR by driving (yes, shhh!, I said "driving") and shuttling gear and cars to allow hiking to the Saturday location. Short or longer hikes - YOU can make that choice and I can help with my knowledge of all the trails at YRSF. Or you can choose to hike at Effigy Mounds National Monument 10 miles away if you like, and drive there and back to camp. At this point, I plan to day hike, as I've had some knee problems.

Yet a third option: Plan to come on Saturday and MEET UP with us!

YOU WILL NEED TO ARRANGE YOUR OWN RIDES, ANY SHARING OF TENTS, FOOD OR EQUIPMENT, ETC. (just overpack a wee bit and you should be fine!)

Friday night we will stay at campsites in the Little Paint Creek Campground. This is a car campground and allows just one tent per campsite. Hopefully, we'll all be right along Little Paint Creek, where the bubbling trout stream will lull you into a great sleep. There are outdoor vault toilets here. There is no running water (well, other than the stream!) And for fun, there are two water crossings you take your vehicle through on the campground road. Very shallow with concrete on the bottom, but FUN!

Saturday we will move our camp to the Heffern Hill backpackers campsite. I plan to lay claim to the largest part of the campsite, which includes a big, nice fire ring. This is totally primitive with no toilet or water. A stream is one-quarter mile away.

I will post some maps with these locations, as well as potential hikes and backpacks marked in the FILES section. I should do this by Thursday, Oct. 30. Also, I will post lists of things to potentially bring if you are backpacking OR hiking and camping (which allows a few more of those luxuries from home!).

Also, while deer seasons are open in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Iowa season doesn't open until December, so we can hike with few worries. Do wear an orange vest or cap, because it is small game season. I've hiked many miles in small game season and it is not a worry.

The Meet Up'ers who went on this hike last fall really enjoyed it. You can, too!