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  1. #1
    Senior Member twentybelow's Avatar
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    January 2019 Missouri (not so) Frozen Butt Hang

    Although in previous years we've encountered sub-zero temperatures on this annual event, this year's group hang was comparatively balmy. We had at least 14 hammockers from as far away as Kansas gather at Taum Sauk State Park near Ironton, Missouri for a weekend of camping, hiking, and enjoying each other's company. The entire area got a heavy soaking of rain on Friday, but the weather front cleared out before sunset, just in time for the group to congregate around a campfire after dark. Several members brought food to share: brats and hotdogs, venison chili, cornbread, and an assortment of homemade cookies. A few members also brought dry firewood, without which we might not have been able to have a fire at all. As it was, it was no problem coaxing a roaring blaze to life and sustaining it for several hours. The overnight low temp on Friday hovered right around the 40-degree mark, so most campers had no problem staying warm in their cocoons. Saturday morning dawned clear and the brilliant sunshine pushed the thermometer up into the low 60's during the afternoon as we hiked down to Mina Sauk Falls. Although this gathering was planned many weeks in advance, we got very lucky: Because of the previous day's deluge, it was a perfect time to catch the Falls in its full glory. And apparently many area residents recognized the prime opportunity, as we shared the trail with numerous day-hikers. The Falls were truly spectacular, and we spent at least an hour there snapping pictures.

    I heard later that one of our party took a spill on the steep, rocky trail near the falls. Thankfully the mishap wasn't too serious, but they decided to call it a day and head back to the parking lot. After descending to the bottom of the falls along the Ozark Trail, the path soon intersects Taum Sauk Creek. Finding a safe place to cross the raging water required some off-trail scouting, and several of the group opted to forgo the crossing altogether and claim an established campsite on the near side of the stream. The balance of the group decided to cross and continue on to the Devils Tollgate, plus another mile or so beyond that where another established fire ring was located. After fanning out to find suitable trees and pitching our rigs, we then scoured the area for burnable wood and settled in for another pleasant evening around a campfire. Eventually "hiker midnight" arrived and we retreated to our individual nests. The low temperature was a seasonably warm 30F, but because of our location in a damp valley next to a stream with virtually no wind, a heavy dew soaked our gear while we slept.

    By the time I woke up Sunday morning, at least three of our sub-group of eight were already gone. The rest of us took our time packing up and eventually headed out a couple of hours later. After re-crossing the still-raging creek, we re-joined with the group that camped there the previous night. We took our time on the long uphill climb back to the parking lot, pausing frequently for photo ops and a brief rest. By 2pm all had made it back to our vehicles and another very enjoyable outing was in the books. My sincere thanks for all who participated in this event and contributed to making it a success, and especially to Br@nch for getting the ball rolling on this plan way back in early November.

    Thanks also to those who've already posted pictures from the trip over in the planning thread. Here are a few more:


    These are some of the various rigs scattered around the campground early Saturday morning...

















    Then we headed down the trail to Mina Sauk Falls...










    The Devil's Tollgate.... evidently he had bigger fish to fry than a few toll evaders this day




    camp 2 Saturday night




    In lieu of a tarp, I used a Dutch Winter Sock to mitigate the heavy dew. It worked pretty well and still enabled me to enjoy stargazing that night.


  2. #2
    Senior Member Groundskeeper's Avatar
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    I'll never buy another pair of gortex boots. Its been over 4 days and my boots are still not completely dry.

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