Tag: adventurist

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2018 SoCal Mountain Rendezvous

2018 SoCal Desert Rendezvous

Thursday, Day 01:

Our day started with the American Adventurist team already on-site and prepping for the slew of members to arrive for check-in at our 8th Annual SoCal Mountain Rendezvous. We’d arrived a around 3:00pm after loading up and making logistics stops along the way. Traffic was light, the weather was very pleasant but warm, and we finally arrived to Camp Tahquitz with not a cloud in the sky. The entire team was there at the check-in station, along with our founder, Dave Bennett, who had flown in from the Midwest the day before to see everyone. We got our camp setup and joined the team already on duty. It was a day to unwind and get into the Rendezvous mindset!

Friday, Day 02:

It was a wonderful morning as the sun began to rise and shine between the many trees throughout Camp Tahquitz. The camp slowly began to come to life as breakfast was being prepared and cooked, and others were preparing for the day’s activities to come.

 

After having breakfast and coffee, the check-in station reopened and we began to gather the members who were interested in a trail-run to the Holcomb Creek Trail led by Falken Tires. Brandon and Don of Falken Tire gave the drivers meeting and safety brief before they saddled up and hit the road.  We had people coming from as far away as the east coast for the Rendezvous again this year, so we manned the check-in area as members and vendors alike began filtering in throughout the morning.

 

 

 

At 11:00am, a first-aid class was hosted by Dave Bennett. A great turnout from our members to soak in the knowledge from his many years of Navy medicine and real world field experience with the Marines.  Staff member Stuart also advised on information regarding CPR with his 25 years of EMT experience.

 

 

The rest of the day on Friday was left to relaxing and socializing, saying hi to old friends, and meeting new ones. At 5:00pm, a social hour was hosted by Goose Gear. One hundred and fifty burgers and hotdogs were cooked up for everyone to come and eat around the main fire pit. All the folks in camp from all corners came down to enjoy the delicious food. Thanks Goose Gear for providing a ton of food for everyone to eat!

 

 

As everyone lounged about the fire pit, the group that had left this morning on their trail run finally began to arrive at home base with the guys from Falken Tire. During the afternoon, we had comms that they had encountered a broken down Jeep YJ that had a broken belt. After a little bit, it was decided to send our good friend Tim out on a mission to pickup a fan belt and deliver it to them on his KTM motorcycle. Unfortunately comms were very spotty, but it turns out that the shop had already sent someone out to meet the stranded Jeep and Tim’s rescue wasn’t needed. He had returned after raising Brandon and getting the update. Brandon and Don literally returned to camp as the remaining “campfire” loungers were about ready to head to bed. They had a long day and long night and also decided to turn in as well. Friday had been a very eventful day.

 

 

Saturday, Day 03

Another clear and crisp morning greeted us as we all awoke from our nights’ slumber on Saturday morning. Today’s event schedule consisted of a Gear Science class hosted by Adam from Step 22 Gear, and a Recovery 202 Class hosted by I4WDTA Certified Trainer Dave Bennett with help from Deadman Offroad.  A Scavenger Hunt for the kids was also hosted by American Adventurist which had the kids running all over the place looking for items and key people. Saturday evening would bring the main event: the Potluck Dinner and Camp Cooking Competition, which gets bigger and better every year.

 

 

Step 22 Gear began their Gear Science class at 11:00am. Adam gave us a rundown on how to properly choose recovery gear, what the materials are really meant for, and what the differences are. He shared lot of great information we all should know, and made it easy to understand the mysteries and importance of things like working load limits, safety factors and independent testing. Thanks again Adam for taking the time to teach the class!

 

 

After a lunch break, it was I4WDTA Certified Trainer Dave Bennett and Deadman Offroad to host the Recovery 202 class. This was an advanced class which built upon the basics of recovery that most of us should know. The idea of this class was to simulate clearing a blocked trail by moving a large log via a 9,500 lb winch. A layout was made using a tree strap and single pulley block to redirect a VERY large log 180 degrees from where it lay to it’s new position out of the way. Careful consideration was given to the approximate weight of the deadfall (6K lbs), the rating of all gear used, and also the weight of the vehicle doing the winching.  A great instruction of what to do, and what not to do in regards to winching skills and setting up the lines properly. Safety is always number one!

 

 

After a successful and educational afternoon, it was business as usual in camp, with the days’ schedule left up to you. That’s a Rendezvous tradition after all – do as much, or as little, as you like!

 

 

Meanwhile, the younger Adventurists had a fun event coming up, the American Adventurist Kids Scavenger Hunt. An awesome prize was given out to each participant for finding the listed items on their hunt. Every year is always a different prize! The kids had a blast with the hunt and even more fun using their prize at night fall.

 

 

As the afternoon wore on, preparations began in earnest for the Potluck Dinner and Camp Cooking Competition. Participants had been planning their meals for this main event for months, and now it was show time. The issue of open flame and heat is always a concern given the fire restrictions in the San Bernardino National Forest in the latter days of summer. Unfortunately, the winds had picked up so charcoal was a no-go this year.  Luckily the participants weren’t strictly limited to Dutch Oven cooking and they had arrived well prepared with a variety of camp cooking tools at their disposal. Our members are truly the Kings of Camp Cooking!

 

 

At 6:00pm, the tables were filled with dishes of all kinds, from main dishes to sides and desserts. It was awesome to see how many different dishes there were. Not only the variety, but mostly just because of how many of you participated in this event, which included both contestants, and also the Adventurists who contributed to the Potluck. A huge thank you to everyone who brought a dish to the table. Team efforts like this are what American Adventurist is all about!

 

An AMAZING variety of dishes, and quite delicious all around! Congratulations to the winners of the Potluck Dinner and Cook-off Competition!

In Third Place:

 

In Second Place:

 

In First Place:

 

A big thank you tour friends at Tembo Tusk for sponsoring the Camp Cooking Competition, but more importantly, a massive thank you to everyone who participated in this delicious event!

With full belly’s and smiling faces, we all kicked back and enjoyed the rest of Saturday night, sitting around our faux campfire lanterns. The night sky this entire weekend was so clear, no moon and a flooded with stars. A perfect clear night.

 

 

Sunday, Day 04

Sunday was a nice and leisurely morning as everyone was readying up for the huge raffle. After everyone gathered around the main fire pit, Brent Haywood Photography rallied everyone together for the always happening Rendezvous group photo. Thanks Brent for coordinating the photo!

 

With the photos taken and everyone settled in around the main pit, everyone was ready for the raffle. This part of the event cannot be successful without the endless list of devoted sponsors who continue to donate items to the raffle to help support American Adventurist with our cause and purpose.

We want to give all our sponsors a huge THANK YOU!

 

 

With the Sunday afternoon approaching, everyone returned back to their campsites to pack, clean up and head home. The staff stayed behind to wrap up, debrief and say our goodbyes to everyone who attended this always great Rendezvous event at Camp Tahquitz in the mountains of Southern California.

At our Mountain Rendezvous we raised over $3,300 to help support Camp Tahquitz and the Scouts at this event. Another BIG thank you to all our donating sponsors, and of course, to every member of American Adventurist for continuing this annual tradition. Until our next Rendezvous event!

 

 

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Keweenaw Peninsula

In May we had the opportunity to take a long awaited 4-day trip to the western portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula aka the UP (or “Yoop” in local slang). It was an amazing trip that did not disappoint, and really spiked our interest to see more of this vast region!

First place we headed was to the Porcupine Mountains.  We did a quick drive around the Wilderness State Park and cruised through to the other side to see the Lake of Clouds.  Unfortunately, it was getting late and we hadn’t eaten lunch yet (which meant hangry was right around the corner for me), and we had a fussy baby on our hands. Then we realized there was a fee to get back there, so we decided to see it another time.  I’m sure we missed an incredible picture op and view from all the descriptions and the pictures that we have seen.  But, it gave us something to have to go back for!  Headed out of the park towards Houghton, we stopped along the coastline to feed Kaylee and make some lunch in the form of carnitas tacos. They were delicious and the view was incredible!!

The one thing we noticed about Lake Superior was that it reminded us of the ocean.  It is HUGE, has the waves of the ocean, the breeze of the ocean, but lacked the smell, the salt, and crabs scurrying around.  We decided instead of pushing through we had better find somewhere nearby to camp.  We came across the Ontonagon Township Park where we were able to camp right on the beach. I highly recommend the campground if you are in the area.  We walked around, explored the beach and after making dinner, we settled by the fire and watched the sun go down.  We ended the night with smores before headed to bed. We slept like babies to the sound of the ocean lake. We didn’t even need the sound machine for Kaylee.

Lake Superior Fun Facts:

·  Lake Superior contains 10% of all the fresh water on the planet Earth.
·  It covers 82,000 square kilometers or 31,700 square miles.
·  The average depth is 147 meters or 483 feet.
·  There have been about 350 shipwrecks recorded in Lake Superior.
·  Lake Superior is, by surface area, the largest lake in the world.
·  It contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, plus three extra Lake Erie’s.

The following morning we had some bacon and eggs cooked on our trusty Tembo Tusk skottle and then packed up to continue up north.  We drove through the town of Houghton where we stopped at the Suomi Café, known for Finnish food, and tried their famous Pasty and Pannukakku.  They were both scrumptious (write up of this café will be under our Good Eats section soon on our site at Lone Star Adventurer).

After stopping for our snack, we hit up the Quincy Mine across the river from Houghton in Hancock, MI, before continuing our journey to High Rock Bay.  Once again, pressed for time, we only perused the outside of the mine.  The Quincy Mine was founded in 1846 and was the country’s leading copper-producing mine from 1863-1867.  Mining operations have been closed since 1945.  On the premises, you could see remaining hoist houses, shaft houses, and even able to look down one of the mining shafts.

We left the mine and were given a tip to check out the Gratiot River County Park located off Gratiot River Shortcut Rd in Allouez, MI.  It is was trip down a couple mile long dirt road trail that suddenly opens up to a beautiful view of Lake Superior’s 8,489ft sand, slate, and cobble shoreline.  There are several dispersed campsites back here if you are lucky to nab one.  We walked the beach and found lots of interesting rocks.

After checking out the area, we backtracked to the US-41/I-26 and towards Eagle Harbor where we checked out their lighthouse.  The red brick Eagle Harbor Lighthouse sits on the rocky entrance to the harbor and is a working lighthouse as it still guides mariners across the northern edge of the Keweenaw Peninsula.  The original lighthouse was built in 1851 and was replaced in 1871.  It is said that you could occasionally see the northern lights displaying their beauty from here.

Following this, we stopped at the Jampot (a must see stop if you are in the area) which is a Catholic monastery of the Byzantine Rite operated bakery.  They offer a variety of jams, jellies, preserves, fudge, and baked goods including giant muffins, lemon cakes, delicious peanut butter & jelly brownies and one of the best fruitcakes we had ever had.  I could literally eat this every day!

 

We came across a few waterfalls on our travels, one of which was right before the Jampot on the right.  Leaving the Jampot, we headed even further north.  Refueling in the quaint village town of Copper Harbor, we hit the dirt trail to High Rock Bay.

With no cellular service and going off of Gaia maps and friends’ gpx tracks, we went down the trail for what seemed like over an hour until we reached the stop sign at the end of the trail.  We were going to camp right at the point, but because the wind was strong and cold off the ocean lake, we chose to go a little further back, but did manage to take in a photo op first.  We had some dinner and watched a movie on our good old iPad (peaking out the window at the beautiful view due to the freezing wind chill) and set out in the morning to walk around and explore.  Before leaving the next morning, we worked our way down another very tight trail to check out the Keweenaw Rocket Range.

The Keweenaw Rocket Range is an isolated launch pad located in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.  It was used between 1964 and 1971 for launching rockets for meteorological data collection.  NASA, along with the University of Michigan, conducted the project to collect measurements of electron density, positive ion composition and distribution, energetic electron precipitation, solar X-rays, and Lyman alpha flux.  The collected data was later to be compared to five other sites in the US.

We knew our trip was coming to an end, but we still had one more night and we didn’t have a set plan for it.  We stopped by to check out the Gay Bar in Gay, MI that people were telling us to visit. When in Gay, you go the Bar.

We decided to work our way closer to home so that we could get back home in Illinois semi-early the next day.  We ended up stopping in the Ottawa National Forest nestled along the Sturgeon River before hitting the pavement for good.