Hammock Forums- Kansas Hang January 2012

Well I needed to get ready for the Frozen Butt hang in Minnesota later in January, but the weather has been so nice so far this winter that I haven't been able to get much deep cold practice. the Kansas hang put together by Owl seemed to be a good warm up!  and Vicky wanted to go as well. This was going to be fun, but I had to assemble a good cold weather system for her.

 The area was the Woodbridge Primitive area, just outside of Lawrence KS, on Clinton Lake. This was definitely just a hang as the cars were parked only a few hundred yards from the campsite, but Vicky still carried all of her gear in.

A nice person named Don set up this Tepee in the park and invited others to use it when he wasn't present.

Our set up for the first night consisted of making the tarps one giant room underneath. I didn't want Vicky to get claustrophobic the first night under a closed in tarp

Vicky's set up Grand Trunk ultralight hammock, 0 degree Hammock Gear UQ and 20 degree T.Q. Vicky is under the Wilderness Logic Winter Tarp

 I had the Wilderness Logic Snipe Hammock and the 3/4 20 degree Hammock Gear underquilt and the 0 degree Hammock Gear TQ. I am under the Hammock Gear Cuben Tarp

 Kip came to meet us. Kip is the park dog ( who lives in a house next to the park) but evidently he runs the park!

 More Hammock Forum members arrive and we build a fire. Special thanks to Walking Bear for bringing all the firewood

 Owl, who organized the event

Sunset on the first night

 A view of the sunset from the entrance to the park. This is Kansas

 Morning view from inside the hammock and under the tarps

Vicky ( who now earned the right to have a trail name- Otter) waking up. it got down to 22 degrees the first night

 We both slept warm

Walking Bear wins the award for best eating. Bringing all real food and a nifty one egg skillet, he made venison sausage mcmuffins for breakfast and brats for dinner.

 There is a 4.5 mile loop around the park and next to Clinton Lake that we all took the next day for some exercise.

 The day started out sunny but the wind picked up, especially around the lake, and it turned cold!

Lot of different area on the walk, woods, open grasslands and the lake

Passing the 4 mile mark and finishing back at the campsite

Evening fire had some surprises- Walking Bear threw some Osage Orange wood on the fire and the sparks had everyone wearing down clothing scattering like cockroaches to avoid burn holes- Walking Bear found it very amusing wearing his carharts!

 Evening sunset the second night

 great sitting around the fire in the evening

 Waking up the second day to 28 degrees and both tarps are closed off to the wind. the coyotes and the owls were awesome in the night

The Group: Left to Right-
JBizzel, Towellie, Duderino,WebsterJ , Owl, Weasel, Walking Bear, Otter, Skygzr
missing from the night before- Fuhgawee, Psyop, 1066vik that had to leave early.

Thank you to Owl and Weasel for putting together a great couple of nights and thanks to everyone that attended.

Wildlife:
Owl, Coyote, Bald Eagle, Canada Geese, Kip the park dog.

Special thanks to Otter for being such a good sport!