Join Kenny of All Trades in this adventure-packed camping video as he faces thunderstorms and a sinking kayak yet happens to find the perfect campsite. Learn tips and tricks for truck camping, boondocking, and dispersed camping in the great outdoors! #truckcamper #boondocking #camping #truckcamping
This weekend I'm bringing you into the Chippawa National Forest near Walker Minnesota. With the Independence Day weekend upon us I was not expecting to have such a beautiful lakeside retreat all to ourselves. I knew if I was going to find a spot I would have to go where others are not willing to travel. The trail into this campsite is a few miles long. Its full of potholes, hills, rutted tracks and super narrow passageways. I was at this campsite over a year ago. I almost got stuck when the truck slid off the crest of the road while maneuvering a sharp downhill curve. I was so excited when I reached the lake to find completely empty. There was a loon splashing in the water as I pulled in, I think it was greeting me. (You can see it in the video.)
Friday night felt magical. I was completely alone with sounds of frogs and a single loon to great me. The sunset looked like god created the perfect painting and I was part of the canvas. It was not long before Minnesota reminded me that nothing is easy. The deerflies and mosquitoes were thick! You can see a wood tick had found its place on my neck in the video as well. That was really fitting as the name of the main road entering the forest from the highway is called "Wood Tick Trail".
The remainder to the weekend went really well. Saturday around 11am a thunderstorm rolled through. The weather channel was calling for it, but not until 3pm. We had a few claps of lightning and a lot of thunder. It only rained for an hour or so. Later that afternoon I made the best tasting cheese steak sandwich I'd ever ate. I put up the game trail camera Saturday night but did not capture any wild animals coming to visit. I hope one day to see a big black bear strolling through, that would be so cool. I'd be happy to capture any wildlife on camera, well, anything other than a skunk.
Sunday, I had the opportunity to take out the kayak. I got into the middle of the lake when I noticed I was taking on water. I had two GoPro's and my drone with. I was concerned about losing my equipment, but I needed to capture enough video to tell my story. It was more challenging than it looked as I had to take the kayak out multiple times in order to capture video from inside the kayak and along the shoreline. My bottom half got completely soaked. I was thankful the crack in the boat did not open up more than it had. I could have easily sunk if the plastic seam opened any further. Shortly after that the storm rolled in. I made my way out of the forest just in time. On the drive home rain was coming down in sheets! It was almost impossible to see at times, cars were stopped under overpasses to wait out the storm. But we eventually got home safe and sound.
Thanks for hanging out with Toby and me this weekend, I hope you enjoyed it! Next weekend my daughter, Adelle, has her high school graduation party. I won't be recording a video Saturday or Sunday. But I'm still going to try to make a camping video.... you will have to tune in next week to see what I have planned!
I'll see you then,
Kenny
#outdooractivities #nature #travel #raincamping