Only in Iowa. Make way for the corn.

The transition from fall to winter is a special and enjoyable time in Iowa. The first few snowstorms have come and gone, and those green monsters have gobbled up the endless plains of corn and soybeans. It’s quite a different world from the hot and steamy days of summer. The land lies bare, almost naked, stripped of its yellow gold that seems to drive the beating heart of the state.

I mean, if you don’t know any better, heck, those summertime rolling fields in the evening are what make Iowa … Iowa.

But those endless fields of central Iowa, unbroken for mile upon mile, do come with a darker side. Some of those dark sides have come to light in the rains of the summer, with the suburban lawn waterers only angry about the water quality as far as it affected their ability to keep up with the Joneses.

Read more

/1 Comment/by
, , ,

Exploring Lake Superior National Forest

One of the best-kept secrets in the Midwest is the Lake Superior National Forest. Nestled in the tall pines of Northern Minnesota, close to that wondrous North Shore, the Lake Superior National Forest is home to wilderness and adventure unknown to most people who call the Midwest home.

Most who visit the far north keep to the North Shore, driving through Two Harbors, Lutsen, Grand Maris, and other beautiful lake shore towns that offer waterfalls, rock beaches, State Parks, and shopping. You can’t blame people, can you?

Read more

/by
, , ,

The Death of the Driftless Area (Iowa’s last untouched land).

It’s hard to under emphasis the importance of Iowa’s Driftless region from both a historical and current ecological perspective. It feels like 3/4 of the state simply doesn’t know it exists, or has never taken the time to get to know it.

Yet it is the home, no the heart, of Iowa at its finest I would argue. Most of Iowa as we know it today has been plowed into oblivion, there is little left to recognize of what Iowa once was, or could be, is most of the State, save for the gentle rolling hills of corn that never ends. If you close your eye’s you might be able to envision the tall grass and beauty that once was this landscape.

Read more

/2 Comments/by
, ,

Bacon Wrapped Bushcraft

It’s been a very strange winter so far in the upper Midwest. Tomorrow is February, and instead of fighting snow and freezing cold temperatures, we are in the midst of the perfect Indian Summer. It felt like spring today in the woods, with the sun shining bright and birds chirping. The only thing that gave winter away was the frozen winter.

Read more

/by
, ,

Iowa DNR – Bad Water, Strange Dealings, and a Tale of Big Money.

It’s clear that Iowans, as proud Midwesterners, are starting to wake up to the fact that there is something strange in the water, both physically and metaphorically. I was recently having a conversation with a friend via text, someone who I would call an average Iowan, someone who camps at Ledges State Park and rides a bike on the High Trestle Trail.

Read more

/3 Comments/by
, ,

Taco Time on the River changed my Bushcraft Game.

It’s been a long week at work; kids have been driving you crazy, and the weather has not been too cold; what would you do? I will tell you what an Average Flatlander does. Call up a buddy and head for that river valley for some Bushcraft Taco Time.

Read more

/by
, , , , ,

Hot Tent Camping in the Driftless Area

The Driftless Area is one of the very few unspoiled places to explore in the upper Midwest. The rolling plains run into the wide open valleys and drainages that surround the Mississippi. The landscape is speckled with beautiful oak forests and dotted with trout streams; small quant towns are hidden down inside the recesses of these deep valleys.

It’s almost like the Driftless has been able to escape the hands of time, it’s the perfect place to escape for the weekend, to forget the worries of the hustle and bustle of life. Sitting in a hot tent next to a warm fire with coyotes howling out their songs in the cold winter night, you get the same feeling those French trappers and traders had when a few hundered years ago the paddled down that big river and first laid eyes on those giant wooded hills.

You could say there forever. I almost did.

/by
, ,

River Bushcraft … with a Hot Sandwich and Soup

There are few things better in life than heading out to that wide, deep, and wild river valley for a little bushcraft. When the weather is overcast and grey, a little bit of rain in the air, it gives it all another worldy feel. It’s almost like you transported yourself back in time; it makes you wonder about the old ones who came before and walked those river bluffs thousands of years before.

Take a tarp, string it between two trees, build the perfect campfire, fire up the stove, and cook that hot ham and cheese sandwich. Get the soup boiling, dip the sandwich in, and take a big old bite. This is living life, not tied to a glowing screen.

The eagles soar, the owls hoot, and the wild geese send down their call while they call down their noisy chatter from up high. A person could stay out here forever, disconnected and far away from the troubles waiting for you at home.

The river is something that has been running its course for centuries, the animals find their home on its banks and high hills, and there is just something about a river.

/by
, , , , ,

2024 Outdoor Gift Guide – Christmas Is Almost Here!

It’s that time of year again, the Christmas and Holiday season is already upon us, 2024 went flying by! If you’re like me, you might be looking for something new, something different for the outdoor adventure lover in your life, better to order early than wait till it’s too late.

Read more

/by
, , , ,

Visiting South Dakota’s Bandlands and Black Hills – Off Season

If you’re in mind for some National Parks and you want to escape the crowds, I have the best-kept National Park road trip that you can ever imagine. I’m talking about epic views, plenty to do and see, with nary another soul around for miles, an outdoor adventure lovers paradise and be found in that most underrated of States. South Dakota.

Read more

/by