History of Iowa that Isn’t Boring

I can still remember what I would call an idyllic upbringing as a young boy in this most beautiful state buried in the depths of the Midwest. To this day, I have never understood those lines in the movies where someone says, with much emphasis, that so-and-so Neanderthal person lives in Des Moines. I always take offense.

Or when some distant highfaluting coworker says they’ve been through Iowa on 80 and, of course, sighs when they say it. I hope they pop a tire.

It’s probably a good thing in the long run, I suppose. If it were any other way, I wouldn’t be able to wander the deep, rolling hills of southern Iowa empty of another soul for miles or stand on Pikes Peak after a day of trout fishing with nary a soul around, looking on that most mighty of all rivers.

The history of Iowa is no less intriguing if you know where and how to look. It has its share of murder, adventure, and wild exploration just as much as any other state, perhaps more.

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Bushcraft and our Pioneer Past

If there is one thing we can say about the upper Midwest, it’s that we’ve had our fair share of Pinoeers come through and settle these fair lands. Unlike other parts of our beloved country that were settled hundreds of years earlier, it took those explorers some time to explore the extent of the Mississippi River and look upon those fair wooded hills with rolling plains running off into the distance.

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DNR offloading Iowa’s State Parks?!

I couldn’t believe my very own eyes; it really couldn’t be true, could it? For once, I was working on some research totally unrelated to the Iowa DNR, digging into the lesser-known but wonderful Rolling Prairie Bike Trail of North Central Iowa. There are 21 miles of paved bike trail in Butler County and 7 miles of crushed limestone, with most of the trail abandoned and unfinished in Franklin County.

I happened to be pursuing the Franklin County Conservation meeting minutes for the past year, looking for discussions related to why they abandoned this thriving trail that extends through neighboring counties. That’s when I came across some text I had to read, re-read, and then call contacts up in Hampton, Iowa, to confirm if this was actually true.

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Portaging in the Boundary Waters (BWCA) – Brule Lake

Recently the Average Flatlanders went on a 5-day trip deep into the BWCA, starting with a base camp on Brule Lake, one of the largest bodies of water on the BWCA, camping on the edge of Cone Bay. We did 4 portages from Brule to Lower Cone, Lower to Middle Cone, Middle to Upper Cone, and then onto Cliff Lake.

We learned a thing or two about portaging in the Boundary Waters. If you are looking to hear something about the portages between Brule and the Cones, or just portaging in general, read on.

  • Ensure you look carefully for all portages, they can be deceiving in finding their starting point, bring a good map or GPS
  • Make sure to bring shoulder pads to carry canoe above your head, it much easier than carrying a canoe, even with two people, but your hands
  • Watch your step carefully, lots of rocks and roots
  • I prefer to put my backpack on and carry the canoe on my shoulders, to avoid multiple trips
  • Hydrate and drink lots of water

If you are on Brule Lake in the BWCA and are thinking about portaging north through “The Cones”, Lower Cone, Middle Cone, Upper Cone, and then Cliff Lake … the portages between The Cones are short and flat, they are good starters if you are new to portaging.

The portage between Upper Cone and Cliff Lake is a little bit of a brutal one, mostly because it’s uphill most of the way from Upper Cone going towards Cliff Lake. It’s just long enough to make you tired.

 

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Itinerary for Great Smokey Mountains National Park – With Kids

It can be overwhelming to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with your family. You hear the stories and watch the videos of overly crowded roads and crazy people chasing bears. Yes, we saw some of that. But, it’s also true you can escape the crowds and have an amazing adventure in the woods, streams, trails, and mountains WITH your kids, and have one of the best family vacations ever!

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14 Days Missing in Daniel Boone National Forest

It doesn’t matter who you are are where you are, when you wander into the backwoods of any Wilderness area or a National Forest, you had better be prepared for whatever comes next. The problem is that most people think that what awaits them is nothing but rainbows and unicorns.

Well, this has been an exciting year and if you’ve been reading any of our recent articles you know that there is more than rainbows and unicorns waiting for you out in the woods if you don’t come prepared. In today’s article, we will explore lessons from another absolutely amazing survival situation.

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Agriculture is Destroying our Water and Land

Disclaimer – I’m not a tree-hugging hippy. Just someone who enjoys the great outdoors.

This is one of those topics that because it turns so political, on both the left and right, nothing ever happens, and the land and water that we ALL use and live in suffer more and more without any end in sight. So, first and foremost, this article is not about politics nor is it viewing this problem of the degradation of our land and water from either extreme side of the political worldview.

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Bear Protection. Bear Spray vs Guns.

Is there anything more likely to raise an argument in the backcountry and backpacking community than bear spray vs guns for bear protection??? Probably not. It seems like there is no middle ground anymore, simply people on one side of the debate or the other slinging stones and quotes from papers at each other across the fence.

Can we get to the truth of the matter? Is it even possible to convince someone one way or the other, or have people long ago made up their minds?? Guns vs Bear Spray for protection in the backcountry, what’s the answer?

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Wolves vs Ranchers. The Ultimate Showdown.

Well, it’s happening yet again. The same old story since the West was filled by farmers and ranchers. Last week we talked about the reintroduction of Grizzilies to places like the Northern Cascades and the impact on that environment and those people who spend time in those backcountry parts.

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The Re-Introduction of Grizzly Bears into Woods Near You

If you’re an outdoor lover like us, especially those people who are the persuasion of being into backpacking, hiking, and other backcountry activities … you’ve probably noticed two things in recent years …

  • the increased instances of bear (grizzly) vs man interactions (not so good).
  • grizzlies are being introduced back into many ecosystems.

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