Preparation

I had visited the park and its rustic camping sites back in March, so I knew which spots had the best trees for my hammock. Although the park was more crowded than it was in March, there were still two openings available. I reserved and paid for spot #4 on their website and was all set to go.

I arrived at the site and began to figure out where I would set up my hammock. As I walked around, I had the opportunity to meet my neighbors. This included a friendly couple across from me who were going out on the lake with kayaks. I filed that away as another fun activity to do here!

Setup Problems

The funny thing about scouting out a location in March is that there is not a lot of vegetation. However, in June, there are plenty of smaller plants, making previously optimal hammock hangs impossible without lawn tools to clear them out. That is especially true when one of the two trees you need is covered in poison ivy. With no good spots to hang, I moved to camping spot #2. It was already after 6:00 PM, so hopefully nobody would show up.

The second camping area had a great hammock spot, but I encountered another issue. Between those trees was a large stone that appeared to be placed to prevent automobile traffic. It was just tall enough to interfere with my hammock and was disappointing to encounter. However, I did find another space on the edge of the camp that worked. The obstacle I encountered in this new spot was the amount of gravel mixed into the dirt. This made the placement of guyline stakes quite difficult. However, I used a large rock to help secure them.

Camping Meals

Even with my car a few feet away and a fire ring, I stuck to my typical cold-soaked backpacking meals. This included a serving of ramen noodles for dinner and starting my Oats Overnight for tomorrow’s breakfast.

The only problem I ran into was with my ramen noodles. Instead of putting noodles in a plastic bag, I brought some that already came in a styrofoam cup. This took about twice as long to soften, which I wasn’t prepared for. While it wasn’t a big deal, I would have started it earlier instead of sitting down to read.

The Hang

Once I got into my hammock, I appreciated the peace and quiet of solo backpacking in the wilderness. While my camping neighbors were not loud, they were talking and laughing around the campfire. This, coupled with the heat, made it difficult to fall asleep. However, once I got myself situated and cooled down, I did doze off for two hours.

I got up around 11 PM for a bathroom break and was treated to a dazzling display of nature. I saw what looked like hundreds of flashing lightning bugs in the woods around me. I felt like I was in a cutscene from Lord of the Rings, as it was unlike anything I had seen before.

Luckily, my neighbors went to bed around midnight, and I was able to get back to sleep for a few more hours.

Morning Hike

I woke up around 7:00 AM, and started packing up camp. After my sleep system was fully stowed away, I sat down to enjoy my Oats Overnight oatmeal. While I don’t have any sponsorship with them, they’re quickly becoming my favorite camping breakfast food.

After eating, I drove to the park office, where the Mineral Springs Loop trailhead is located. I started my hike shortly after 8:00 AM. The trail was understandably wet, but not too muddy. It was well-maintained, and while there was plenty of vegetation, it was not overgrown. The only major obstacle was when the path and the stream it paralleled became the same. Yet again, I was glad for quick-drying shoes with wool socks!

The waterfall and mineral springs the trail was named for were pretty, but a little underwhelming. With all the recent rainfall, I was expecting a higher volume from the waterfall, but it was still a peaceful space. Plus, I had never really seen a mineral spring up close. It was interesting to see water pouring out of several cracks and holes in a large rock.

After the waterfall, the path took a steep uphill turn. However, there were stone steps that made navigation easier. For players of Skyrim, the large stone steps made me feel like I was ascending to High Hrothgar. However, once on top of the ridge, it was an even path with beautiful woods. While I didn’t see any wildlife, except for chipmunks and squirrels, I did see several tracks in the mud along the ridge. The path eventually began to slope back down and merged back into the trail, with only a short overlap.

Summary

While this was not my normal backpacking adventure, it was still a nice escape. Plus I learned a valuable lesson about winter versus summer foliage at campsites. And while there were some technical challenges of walking up a stream/path, the hike was not difficult and had a gorgeous waterfall space to enjoy at the midway point.

General takeaways

• Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment camp and hike is just what you need, especially if you are familiar with the area.
• Learn how to identify poison ivy! It could save you days of uncomfortable itching.

Lessons learned the hard way

• Foliage changes a lot in a few months. Areas that would’ve been great for a hammock in late winter were crowded with vegitation in the summer.
• Camping near others is a lot different than backpacking out in the wilderness and might require additional gear, such as ear plugs.