Last week looking at the weather forecast for Armstrong Creek, where we like to camp, was, other than cold weather Sunday night to Monday morning showed rather pleasant weather. This is in contrast to the weather for the prior three weeks (or up until last week Wednesday), where rain was predicted much like here, 12 of every 14 days. The weather would get warmer as this week went on, but an early Thursday meeting beckoned our return on Wednesday, Sept. 12. If I did not have to return for that meeting, we likely would have left Monday morning, and returned on the weekend. Given that we tent camp, and I lack a battery operated radio, I did not watch or listen to the season opening Packer game. However, all but two other of the fourteen campers at the campground were in campers, and from what I could gather many of them listened to or watched the game.
Watching the game uses electricity, and the sites at this campground are generally considered primitive--that is pit toilets, and no electric hookups. Campers can run on batteries which are charged by generators, their vehicle, or solar power The campground made a big move up for this year when it installed a solar powered water pump, rather than having a hand pump. I guess the powers at the National Forest recognized the aging population using campgrounds.
We were not totally in the dark as we could hear the jeers and cheers from the campers. Given the way the game went, I think I heard mostly jeers before starting to fall asleep. My wife, who is obviously either more of a Packer fan, or has more difficulty falling asleep, told me she had heard some cheers meaning she was awake for the second half, probably the fourth quarter. We went to bed about 8:30 pm. It may seem early, but it was a way to get warm given how cold it was and how much colder it would get. The temperature at 8:30 Monday morning was 41 degrees. Our 30 degree mummy bags did not seem to work for 40 degrees. to get more information on the game, and who actually won, I was able to strike up a conversation with a camper on Monday and another on Tuesday. The camper I talked on Tuesday decided it was an easy choice to watch the game at home and head to the campground Monday morning.
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| Sun setting over Gordon Lake |
But, one purpose of camping is to disconnect yourself from all of the devices we now find at our fingertips. My wife wanted to check a forecast or something on her cell phone and had difficulty finding service. While we may have been in the middle of anywhere, her cell service is not US Cellular. As an aside, one of the things that irks me about the US Cellular service is their claim of service in the middle of nowhere or anywhere. While I can understand the benefits of cell service, particularly in an emergency, does the whole nation need to be covered by cell towers? Needing a line of site, generally in Wisconsin a cell tower service area can be up to a 6 mile radius. Some digital cell technologies require only a 2.5 mile service radius. Also, technology is now advancing such that cell towers, particularly in urban areas, are being interconnected with fiber optic cable to send signals to varied towers depending upon the sender and recipient locations, and to take advantage of a tower that may be experiencing lower usage. My wife commented on the benefit of camping is that one is not totally connected.
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Lone Maple Tree turning color on north shore of Gordon Lake
The trees, we notice on our drive home along Hwy 8, seem more colorful Wednesday than they did the prior Sunday |
But, while one may not be connected by wireless or other means electronic while camping, you are connected to nature. Literature is abundant relative to the need for humans to experience nature. We all need a walk in the woods. An earlier blog post this year was about why we camp. One can experience wildlife while among woods and lakes in ways you would never see in an aquarium, or a zoo. For example, watching a group of otters gather on a log that has fallen in the water eat, with one staying back intent on completing its meal. Watching two young loons making numerous attempts to fly, but neither meeting with any success. Watching three eagles sore overhead as they look for fish in a lake. Or swimming and having an egret (at least I think it was an egret) fly above your head. Or, even the idea of the course of nature, hearing the sound of an animal meeting its end and becoming food for animal higher on the food chain, as I heard Tuesday night as I was entering our tent to go to bed. Or, the sound of different owls at night, some so strong that you would awaken. But, getting out of the tent at 12:30 am, after being awoken by the owls, to see if you can spot the northern lights (no, I unfortunately did not), but yet being able to marvel at the pure amount of stars in the clear, cool virgin night sky which can be its own form of night light. The stars gradually begin to appear as the dark settled over Laura Lake. But, for the stars, since I could not see the young crescent of a moon starting its new exposure, the lake would be almost pitch black at night.
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| Loon on Gordon Lake |
During the night, the animals seem to actually be more active, if one can judge from the sounds around the tent. Or, it may be that the human noise has diminished leaving our ears attuned to what is outside our tent, but cannot see. Human sounds are in the early morning hours on a cool early fall evening (or late summer by the calendar) now very low, if non-existent. This will be broken at dawn by the sound of chain saws plying their craft in the north woods of Wisconsin. The sun, this time of year, takes it time in getting over the horizon, and even more so to even top the trees this time of year. Sitting in the tent you begin to wonder if the sun is out, or if it is cloudy. The darkness in the tent during early dawn masks the true power of the sun. It is almost that once it gets to the top of the trees it starts heading back down making its way to dusk and night which will once again bring its own form of sounds, just as day brings different experiences with animals. At the beach the temperature difference between sun and shadow was rather significant. My redheaded wife, being partial to the negative effects of the sun, would sit in the shade in long sleeve shirt, long pants, and heavy sweatshirt, while I would be nearby in the sun in a swimsuit.
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Otters on Laura Lake right along the water of our campsite
Tuesday morning
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While my wife was not highly connected she, the ever-able Packer fan, did receive a couple text messages from our oldest son informing us that during part of the first half the Packers were down 17-0 and that Aaron Rogers had a knee injury early in the game. Besides wondering if we would go to a local watering hole to watch the game, he was concerned for the safety of the Packer back-up quarterback not from the rush of the Bears, but from the disdain of Packer fans. Aaron Rogers would return to throw three TD passes to win the game. Interestingly, this camp trip, the only time we left the National Forest in the car was to find firewood. Being totally disconnected from all things internet does have its limitations, particularly when the Packers are playing. I just wonder if she will now be jeering and cheering when the Packers meet their next division rival, a team selected by many to win the Super Bowl this season--the Minnesota Vikings. I wonder if I will have to ask her to calm down.
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