Missouri Frozen Butt Hang 2023

[runners_low]

I will bring some dessert for Friday evening supper and a sausage and egg casserole for Saturday breakfast.

If predicted temperatures occur, it would be a good idea to bring chairs for sitting next to the fire.

If anyone would like information on road conditions in the Park, just send me a PM with your phone number, and I will report what I find on Thursday.

I still plan to hike to Stegall Mountain at midday Saturday if anyone wishes to join. The round trip up and back via trail is just over 5 miles if we start on the east side of Rogers Creek. The distance could be shortened to less than 4 miles if we leave a return vehicle at the fire tower parking lot.

[AniOutdoor]

My wife is making honey cornbread to bring for Friday evening.
Do you want me to bring my big cast iron pan again for that egg casserole?
I’ll definitely be joining that hike, I have alot of new things to test out, including a backpack I made.

[Grammyof5]

Thanks Joe, Sad to say, I don't know how to PM. So, I'll just throw one in my car and bring it with me.

[runners_low]

Do you want me to bring my big cast iron pan again for that egg casserole?

Please bring the pan, as it will work better than anything I have.

[sackofbeans]

Looking forward to the FBH. I'm bringing jalapeño poppers for dinner and mexican hashbrown casserole for breakfast. The weather looks like it is cooperating this time. See everyone soon.

[twentybelow]

Love those poppers! Sounds like we'll be eating good!! Mrs. Twentybelow made her traditional venison chili for Friday night's dinner. I've got an appointment at noon tomorrow so I won't get there until about 2pm. I'm bringing as much firewood as will fit in the trunk of my car, and Joe cut a bunch today (thank you Joe!) so we should have enough for the whole weekend. He's there now and camping tonight so I'm not sure if he'll be able to post here, but he texted me a picture of a handsome bull elk he saw near the campground. He says there is very little snow left on the ground, so that's good. See y'all tomorrow! Safe travels!

[twentybelow]

Well, another annual Missouri Frozen Butt Hang is history. This year the participants had to contend with much lower than average temperatures combined with (at times) a frigid north wind. Runners_low arrived at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area campground a day early to cut enough firewood for the entire weekend, which we all greatly appreciated. The rest of us arrived Friday afternoon and evening with various food offerings to share. After a hearty hot meal and conversation around the campfire, we each retired to our respective cocoons for the night. A couple of people in our group decided the extreme cold (for this area) was a bit beyond what their equipment could handle and left the following morning. The rest of us embarked on a very enjoyable hike up the Ozark Trail to Stegall Mountain for a sun-bathed lunch on the bald summit. Stegall actually has multiple peaks, so after lunch we traversed the ridge over to the westernmost one which has a fire tower. A few of us climbed to the top and were rewarded with a panoramic 360-degree view of the surrounding terrain. Saturday night was fairly uneventful...just more continued camaraderie, good food, and story sharing around the campfire late into the night. The low temperature both Friday and Saturday nights was 3 degrees, which, as it turned out, was very close to the comfort limit of everyone's equipment, so I don't think any of us slept as warm as we would have liked. The highs both days topped out around 20F. I brought a hot tent this year which was gifted to me at last year's FBH by another member, "Mathineer". Although a bit small for sleeping or communal activities, it provided a nice place to defrost frozen fingers and toes if need be, so thank you again, sir, for your generosity. We all hope your upcoming surgery goes well and you'll be able to join us on subsequent outings. AniOutdoor got the award for traveling the farthest to attend (~5 hours!). I didn't take many pictures because my phone doesn't work well in colder environments, but I've posted a couple below. Thanks again to all who braved the cold snap and came out to help us continue this tradition!




Runners_low (left), who is the man responsible for procuring the truckload of firewood



sackofbeans' rig



twentybelow's rig



Stegall summit



Stegall summit from a different angle



hot tent before installing the wood stove

[Grammyof5]

I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome to my first Missouri FBH. Sadly I was the one who was NOT adequately prepared for those freezy frigid temps. After I got home and thawed out, I did some more research, ordered some items so that I may have better warmer clothing options for next year... or perhaps another hang this early spring.
Thank you Runner's Low for all the work you put in to plan the trip and stocking the site with firewood. It was greatly appreciated!
Thank you everyone for the delicious food! I also greatly appreciated that and perhaps next time I can contribute more in that area.