Chunkie:
Decided last minuteSunday morning to go to Black River for a few days. Munchkin and Radar had other plans, but Rooster was ready to roll. We met at Sikeston just after noon. Arrived at Alpha about 3:30. Drank a few beer-sodas while setting up camp and gathering some firewood. The Mayor mandated we have a stump water bourbon so we put on some CCR and declared a Luau. We finished of the bottle of McCormick and went to bed about 1am.
Monday Rooster cooked sausage and eggs for breakfast and I cooked Ribeyes and slow fried taters for dinner. Rooster fixed patty-melts for brunch and grilled pork and chicken with stewed taters and onions Tuesday evening.
We went swimmingdown by the cave and both made a swing off the rope. Each time we swing off the rope, we say it’s the last time, but we’re usually game for one more try.
We walked a mile or two each morning before breakfast, except Thursday when we were drying things out and packing up to leave. We’ve had a great time. Hell…it don’t get any better than this.

Rooster:
Our run of great weather ended about 6pm Wednesday. We knew it was coming from listening to the weather alert radio a couple of times a day. We had camp pretty well prepared for the showers. We ate grilled chicken and potato soup early. We sat in Chunkie’s screened tent porch during the first hour long shower, then we sat out by the fire until the second wave hit about 9pm. Chunkie went to bed in his tent and I in the back of my Blazer and we slept to the sound of rain until it quit about 3am. We slept in until daylight and had steak and eggs for breakfast. We packed
up slowly while drying out the cookware and camping gear as the sun came out.  We headed home just after noon.

Chunkie:
Was a great trip.  Wednesday before the rain I had set the downed walnut hollow tree trunk on fire.  It burned inside all night despite the rain. I’m looking forward to the next trip in Spring ’11.

Site:  Alpha

Menu:   Steaks, fish, shrimp and more from Radar’s store closing. Also, full breakfasts including bisquits & gravy.

Wx:  Cool and cloudy Monday. Warming with sunshine  & full moon Tue-/Thu.  Lows upper 30s, highs in upper 70s.

Highlights:

Rooster:

Monday the crew met at Dexter at 9am and stocked the chuckwagon for the trip. The caravan arrived at Camp Alpha just after noon. After a quick wood run we had Bratwursts grilled on campfire for supper. We had two chainsaws, but no gas can. We managed a good load of wood regardless. Chunkie forgot the poles and hardware for his tent, so he bunked in the tent with Munchkin who became  ill during the night and left for home before daylight. Don’t know if there is any connection there.

Tuesday the three remaining gangsters made a wood run and took a bicycle ride. First trip for Roosters new cruiser three speed bike. Weather stayed cool and damp until about 3pm.  We drove up to the lookout to call and check on Munchkin who was still not feeling well, but resting at home.  Chunkie called home and found out one of his grand daughters and also, his mother in-law were both in the hospital. We returned to camp and Chunkie loaded up and went home, also.  Radar and Rooster had steak, shrimp, mushrooms and salad for supper and turned in fairly early after watching a spectacular moon rise.

Wednesday the two remaining campers had a big breakfast and organized camp. We then made a road trip to Johnson’s Shut In’s to see the changes after reopening  from the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse. We walked the hiking trail and boardwalk and drove through the new camping area. On the return trip we circled through Sutton’s Bluff and stopped and unloaded the bikes from the van and took a bike ride before returning to camp. When we got to camp we had visitors. A childhood friend of Rooster’s, Jesse Rayfield, who now lives in Hawaii, along with his pal from Kentucky, John, were sitting in camp waiting for us to return.  Jesse had camped with Rooster and family on Black River back in the eighties.  Jess and John joined us for fish, shrimp ,and salad at supper and left before dark.  Radar and Rooster had a mixed drink or two and turned in about midnight.

Thursday morning we had snack cakes for breakfast and took our time packing up the camp. We pulled out for home late morning and stopped for a picnic lunch at the roadside park near Ellington. We had an uneventful trip on home.

Radar:

On arrival at Mark Twain Forest turn off Monday we found that the skyline road was being resurfaced all the way to the Sutton’s Bluff turn off. Illness and sickness in family left Rooster and I to fend for ourselves Tuesday night through Thursday.

Nice trip to Johnson Shut In’s on Wed and verified that they are still closed to campers. Had visitors; Rooster’s friend from Hawaii and his buddy. They joined us for a fish fry for supper.  Had to scrounge for ready sized firewood becase I forgot to bring chain saw fuel.  Another bike ride ended the evening.

Site:  Bravo   – Chuckwagon, tent, Blazer

Wx:  Perfect fall wx. Lows mid 30s Highs 70.  Breezy

Menu:  Grilled chicken quarters, pork steak, BBQ beans, T-bone steaks, fried potatoes, hamhock and beans,bacon, sausage, eggs, fried bologna.

Photos:  Click Here or Scroll Down

Highlights:

Chunkie:

First Octoberfest trip in several years. Weather is perfect. All went for walk to spring Friday. Later made a circle to Sutton’s Bluff and got firewood. Solved timing for retirement. Met some new camp friends from St.Louis area. Enjoyed several walks and many hours sitting around campfire. We plan to start doing Octoberfest trips again – my favorite time for camping.

Radar:

I rode up with Rooster this trip. Arrived at 3:30pm and set up camp. Chunkies chicken quarters for supper & nice campfire chat until turning in about 10:30.  Friday we made a couple of hiking trips around area and truck circle to Sutton’s Bluff. Had campfire debates about politics and retirement timing with plenty of refreshments untill midnight.  Saturday morning I made up an egg omelet recipie that all enjoyed.  Rooster and I took a couple mile hike while Chunkie recovered from cutting his thumb tip nearly off with a limb saw while doing some unnecessary chore. On our return to camp he had recovered and had the bleeding stopped.  We socialized with another camping group several times. We had one of the best 1-1/2 ” thick T-bone steaks I’ve ever had for supper – prepared by Chunkie.

Rooster:

First trip for the extra large food cooler on the chuck wagon. It works great with a couple of very large ice blocks, allowing all the food to fit in one cooler. We met some folks from Farmington camping in a couple of motorhomes at the lookout point. Visited back and forth a few times over the weekend. They really enjoyed a sample of our campfire hamhocks and beans. We saw several deer tracks on our walks. We used walking sticks on our hikes, so we brought home some good hackberry and oak limbs to make some permanent walking sticks. Radar captured a box turtle for his grandson. I hope it doesn’t wind up like the honey he packed away on a previous trip.

We missed Munchkin on this trip and hope he can make it for the next one.

View Photo Album

Site: Bravo.  Tents, cot, Blazer, chuck wagon, van.

Menu:  Grab Bag – Everyone brought their own food and supplies this trip.

Weather: Hot and humid. 15 minute shower Fri am. Highs 90′s, Lows 60′s.

Photos:  Click Here or Scroll Down

First, comments from the four youngsters who were asked to write in the journal their favorite part of the camping trip

	Dalton: Sitting around the camp fire telling stories and catching fish. Making a dam in the water. Steven: I really enjoyed catching crawdads, tadpoles, fishing and swimming. All four of us jumped off the rope swing. I really enjoyed sitting around the fire and making smores. I also enjoyed sleeping in the tent and seeing raccoons and walking to the spring with Mr. Chunkie and Mr. Denny. We also shot fireworks Saturday night. Thanks for reading the journal. Alex M: Being with my friends, fishing, catching tadpoles, and swimming. Alex S: Having fun!!!
In photo above from left to right are:  Dalton; Steven;Alex M;Alex S

Now comments from the grown up kids:

Radar: When I arrived around 8am Wed. the road to Bravo was impassable. The storms a few weeks back blew several large trees down blocking the road. I managed to circumvent some fallen trees and made it to Camp Alpha only to find it fully occupied by several tents of strangers.  I drove around the area a while waiting for Bumble Bee and the boys he was bringing to arrive. Somehow I missed him early. With
his chain saw and new Jeep he made his way into Camp Bravo. We finally connected about 11am and he led me through the new path to Bravo. We spent the day setting up camp, relaxing and enjoying the weather along the river.
Chunkie: As always – trip was great. Radar and I made a 5 mile hike to turnoff on ridgetop and back. Rooster and I talked about this trip being historic since Lee and Shane  brought the boys. This is looking
at the future, keeping the tradition so the Black River Gang will continue for many years to come. Of course, we plan to make many more trips before we pass the torch to the youngsters in twenty years or so.
Bumble Bee: Bringing 4 boys camping seemed like a good idea from town and after 4 days in the woods it is still a good idea.  Everyone enjoyed watching them and playing games on – and with- them. I got to
do more fishing than usual and actually snuk off early one morning with Shane to float and fish. Great times!
Shane: The trip here was a little adventurous, but we finally made it around 2am Thursday morning. The fishing was great. I think I’m getting the hang of river fishing. Got to spend some time with Lee,
Radar, Munchkin, Chunkie, & Rooster. They are a bunch of great guys. Enjoyed Radar’s magic show for the boys. The float trip down to Suttons Bluff with the boys was a lot of fun. All in all it was a great
trip with a bunch of funny guys at a great place. Can’t wait to come back next trip.
Rooster: There was a sudden 15 minute shower Friday am while most adults were gone hiking or fishing. Munchkin, Rooster, and the four youngsters scurried to put rain flys on the tents and cover what we could. Dalton even thought to put the T-top on Lee’s new jeep. Every thing in camp got a little wet, but dried out quickly when the sun returned and temps hit the 90s.  Friday night around the campfire Radar taught the four boys (ages 10-12) the ritual of homage to the three camp spirits; OWAH, TAGU, & SIAM.  They were also treated to a snipe hunt. No snipes, but plenty of fun. The mayor told the story of the glutchmaker, but the audience had mostly dozed off by the end. Everyone shared cooking duties this trip. Under Bumble Bee’s supervision the boys were very good at doing the camp chores they were assigned. Munchkin pulled out Saturday morning.  Everyone else packed up and pulled out about 9:30 Sunday morning.  As a parting gesture Bumble Bee ceremonially burned Rooster’s straw hat with duct tape hatband. Other than one speeding ticket  in the group the trips home were uneventful.