Overnight Paddle: Halfmoon Lake to Blind Lake

▶️ Play Overnight Trip: Paddle Halfmoon Lake to Blind Lake

I have owned a Klymet Litewater Dinghy for several years. Andy has had his for a comparable length of time. While I’ve used mine now and then it has only been for short day paddles. I don’t think Andy had used his at all. Steve has owned a stand-up paddleboard for a little while and paddled it amongst local lakes quite a bit. None of us have used these watercraft for an overnight excursion. It was time to change that with an overnight trip that would require us to paddle from the public access point on Halfmoon Lake to the campground on the southern end of Blind Lake and back the following day.

Andy and I are carrying comparable loads. He likely has more food than I but it can’t be by too much. Hoisting his Klymet Litewater Dinghy, paddle, Granite Gear Slacker 25 Liter backpack, and other stuff he has to carry on the walk to the put-in point on the northeastern shore of Halfmoon Lake.

--August 7, 2022 at 12:16 PM.

The paddle can be lengthened if you hug the shoreline of Halfmoon Lake but I knew that Andy and I would have our work cut out for us in our rather slow packrafts. Steve would be able to zip along on his paddleboard. With that in mind we aimed to take a much more direct route to the campground on the shore of Blind Lake: paddling about 2 miles. I expected that would take us the better part of two hours.

We launched around 12:30PM under clear,bright blue skies, under a blazing sun. It was already well into the 80s and muggy so we fully expected it to be a sticky afternoon of paddling. After spending a good 40 minutes getting ourselves sorted out. About 17 minutes of that time was spent inflating the packrafts. It’s not exactly hard as you use the boat’s stuff sack which doubles as an inflation bag to fill the boat up. It is tedious.

Once we were on the water things went about as I expected them to go. The toughest part of the paddle was finding a comfortable position to paddle from. I am quite sure that my Alpacka packraft would be more comfortable and faster on the water too. The Alpacka is also probably twice as heavy which admittedly when you don’t have to carry the boat isn’t really a concern but for reasons I can’t quite explain I felt I should use my Klymet like Andy was doing. In the Klymet dinghies you definitely notice as the wakes of powerboats and jet skis roll under you. They’re never enough to cause a real concern but you certainly notice them pass on by.

Once Steve was standing up on his stand-up paddleboard I think he only squatted down to rest or when going under the bridge that spans the channel between Halfmoon and Blind Lakes.

—August 7, 2022 at 12:21 PM.

Ken is getting ready to launch his Klymet Litewater Dinghy into the waters of Halfmoon Lake. The odd-shaped bulge, which seems to shift from side to side, will vanish when Ken sits down in the packraft.Photo by Steve.

—August 7, 2022 at 12:25 PM.

About 20 minutes into the paddle. We have travelled around 0.25 miles at this point. Here is Andy in his dinghy. You can see that this is a busy lake with numerous docks and boats.

—August 7, 2022 at 12:56 PM.

We are approaching the channel that connects Halfmoon Lake and Blind Lake. Photo by Andy.

—August 7, 2022 at 1:49 PM.

Over the course of our paddle south and west on Halfmoon Lake we goggled at the large homes and watched as the motorboats and jet skis zipped by. Even though it was hot and muggy it was a pleasant afternoon to be on the water. In due time we floated through the channel that connects Halfmoon and Blind Lakes. It must be quite a bit shallower because there was an explosion of water lillies in the area. I am pretty sure I never saw anything like that any time I was near the shore on Halfmoon Lake proper. Then we found ourselves on Blind Lake stroking the last few hundred meters to the southern shore and the beach that grants access to the several campsites, water spigot, and privvy that comprise the Blind Lake campground. As we were arriving the clouds were conquering the sky so our timing was clearly pretty good. Not long after we pulled our dinghies and paddle-board out of the water the very distant sound of thunder could be heard.

Camp life can feel harried and a bit stressful even when you arrive with hours to spare before sunset. I had troubles with the guy-lines on my tarp. I didn’t have enough of them. Why had I removed them and where were they now? I had extra uncut cordage I could turn into guylines so I was able to set the tarp up but clearly there was a failure in my preparations for the trip. The distant roll of thunder, from a storm well to the north of us, added to the stress. After all, you want everything well in hand if and when a downpour ensues (it did not). In time everything was set up and everyone could relax. We even had surprise visits from people we knew. Steve’s friend Betina was out for an afternoon of paddling the chain of lakes in the area and stopped by Blind Lake to take a break. She was surprised to find Steve there. John Lawton hadn’t gotten the word in time that we were doing this overnight and was out doing a day-hike between Silver Lake and Blind Lake under the sweltering heat. He was happy to sit down at our table to rest for a spell before hoisting his daypack to make the six-odd miles hike back to his car. I think everyone had a fine time.

Steve’s friend Betina unexpectedly dropped by Blind Lake after spending an afternoon paddling the chain of lakes in this area. Here Ken is trying out Steve’s paddleboard but can’t quite bring himself to stand up (blame the recovering left leg which while far better than it was after the surgery at the start of May still feels a bit weak). Steve is testing out Betina’s paddleboard. Photo by Andy.

—August 7, 2022 at 5:50 PM.

After a relaxing dinner (various complexities for each of us) followed by a cleansing swim in Blind Lake it was certainly time for bed. I don’t know about the others but it took me far longer to drift off to a good night’s sleep than it should have. That was especially surprising because earlier in the afternoon I certainly was ready to take a nap (which I never did). Maybe I just never was in the ideal position for sleep inside my Hummingbird hammock.

You can follow our paddle between Halfmoon Lake and Blind Lake here.

* * * * *

I wasn’t really ready to get moving when Andy came on by a little before 09:00 and gave my hammock a shove. Back and forth and back and forth I swung. I waited for the swinging to subside before I unzipped the bug-net, swung my legs over the side, and managed to stand up and out from the hammock. The plops of water upon the overhead tarp made it seem like it was still raining. But that is always somewhat deceptive. Take what you hear and downgrade the actual amount of falling water. In this case the falling water was just what had been clinging to the leaves above our heads from the small rain storm that passed through during the very small hours of the morning. By the time I stepped out from under the tarp it was clear that while it was solidly overcast the potential for more rain was pretty much nil.

Andy’s eggs, mushrooms, sausage, bell pepper, and cheese breakfast hash. Photo by Andy.

--August 8, 2022 at 9:05 AM.

It took quite some time to make this bacon-veggie-egg hash. It would have been done sooner had I managed the alochol fuel better. Letting it go out was definitely a source of much lost time. But cutting the potato, pepper, and bacon certainly took it’s share of time too. We were not in a hurry so though it took the best part of an hour it was time well spent.

--August 8, 2022 at 10:27 AM.

Water is dripping off the trees but the sun is peeking through the forest now and then too. We are taking our time making breakfasts and packing up our camp. There is no reason to rush as the weather report looks pretty tame.

--August 8, 2022 at 10:53 AM.

I wonder what Steve thought as first Andy and then I made our breakfasts. I don’t actually know what he had but I’m sure it was made in a small fraction of the time I needed to make my veggie—bacon-egg hash. But when you have the time and enough desire to try something a little more exciting than a poptart or basic add-boiling-water to dehydrated food meal it’s worth taking the time to try and do it right. I did enjoy what I made.

But all things must end and after a good 3 hours we all had eaten breakfast, relaxed in various ways, broke down our campsite, and packed our water-craft. It was just after noon when we all pulled away from the beach and began our 2-mile paddle back to Halfmoon Lake. The sun was showing signs of breaking through the dispersing overcast. Each time was paddled into a sunny patch we felt the temperature rise. But the weather on Blind Lake was calm as we paddled across it’s deep green reflecting waters. The wind wouldn’t become a factor until we passed through the channel into Halfmoon Lake. At that point we did notice it shoving us sometimes in directions that weren’t optimal but I don’t think even Andy would claim it was that bad.

Leaving our campsite at Blind Lake. We were in no rush to depart so taking 3 hours to really get up and going to departure was not a problem. Photo by Andy.

—August 8, 2022 at 12:04 PM.

It’s time to paddle forth from Blind Lake back to our put-in point on Halfmoon Lake. Steve certainly looks ready to paddle.

—August 8, 2022 at 12:05 PM.

Here comes Andy from under the bridge that spans the channel that connects Blind Lake and Halfmoon Lake.

—August 8, 2022 at 12:29 PM.

They aren’t really visible here but sprinkled amongst and on top of the lilies are yellow and white flowers. Steve has pulled ahead and Andy is soon going to paddle out of the channel into Halfmoon Lake.

—August 8, 2022 at 12:32 PM.

Halfmoon Lake is home to many particularly large homes. This is just one rather substantial example.

—August 8, 2022 at 12:54 PM.

We made our way past the large homes dotting the shores of the lake and enjoyed the considerably quieter passage across Halfmoon Lake as there were far fewer powered boats on the water. That made for a much more enjoyable, due to the lack of engine roar (there was some from ashore), paddle under slightly blustery but continuing to clear skies. With the aid of the wind and maybe fewer breaks we returned to the public-access point in about 90 minutes. Our trip had come to a very good end.

The trip has come to an end as Ken pulls his Klymet Litewater Dinghy out of the water. Photo by Andy.

--August 8, 2022 at 1:30 PM.

You can follow our paddle from Blind to Halfmoon Lake here.

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Camping at Blind Lake

If you are thinking of camping at Blind Lake keep in mind that it is only accessible by walking, biking, or paddling to it. There is no nearby overnight parking. You are also limited to a one-night stay. There are 10 campsites with sites 1, 2, 4, 5, and 9 having posts set up in a grid to support up to 4 hammocks at each site. If you plan on hammock camping I suggest you pick one of those sites as the others may not have trees you can use. The posts permit one to set up hammocks without worrying about doing possible damage to the trees. Sites 4 and 5 are close to each other so are suitable for larger groups. The posts also are handy for hanging packs. The posts have eye-screws that you can attach a tarp ridgeline too and a hammock. However, you may find it preferable to wrap your hammock’s tree hugger straps around the post at your preferred height.

The Potowatomi Trail runs right through the campground and the Waterloo-Pinckney Trail is just up on top of the hill from the campground. This makes the campground very popular for weekend campers especially on Saturday nights between June and September. It will often be full. On other days it is far less crowded and you will likely be able to get a site even on the day of camping. The campground is open year-round.

The posts are arranged in a grid that can support up to 4 hammocks. You can attach your tarp and hammock directly to the eye-screws but I find it is better to wrap my tree hugger straps around the post are the appropriate height. The posts are approximately 15 feet aprt which is an ideal seperation for hammocks. Photo by Andy

--August 8, 2022 at 10:13 AM.

First Cook in the Pit Barrel Junior: Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

▶️ Play First Cook in the Pit Barrel Junior: Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

I like using my Weber 22-inch kettle grill. I like using the Slow ‘n Sear with it to do smoking of foods. But there is definitely, at least for me, a fiddle factor that sometimes is more than I want to contend with. Sometimes I want to get the food on and just let it go. That is the single biggest alluring feature of the Pit Barrel Cookers. I purchased the Pit Barrel Junior (PBJ) as the 14-inch diameter drum is likely more than big enough for anything I will do. The classic model, 18 inches in diameter, would certainly be more than enough but it felt like overkill to me. When the PBJ arrived a friend and I spent a bit of time putting the lid assembly together and then puzzling over the ring with the 3 horseshoe shaped pieces of metal on it that the grate had been sitting in in the packaging. This is where Pit Barrel could put a little more effort into the printed directions. They say nothing about what that ring is for and until I saw a picture online and referred to the more detailed online information I eventually found it just did not occur to either of us that the ring with its hotseshoe shaped pieces of metal was a stand for the PBJ. Obvious in hindsight like so many things are.

If I had gotten the PBJ even an hour earlier than I did I think my first cook would have been 4 racks of St. Louis style ribs. I bet they would have come out far better than the what I made on the WEber. Something definitely went worng with that cook and they just were not nearly as tasty as they should have been (a bit dried out; maybe keeping them in the oven set at a temperature of 170F to keep them warm was a mistake). My first cook with the PBJ would be with an approximately 3.5-pound chuck roast that I would turn into burnt ends of a sort.

My first version of chuck roast burnt ends made in the Pit Barrel Junior and finished in my oven. There is definitely a learning curve even with something so seemingly simple as the Pit Barrel Cooker.

I prepared the chuck roast with just a basic rub of pretty much equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic. I got the PBJ properly filled and lit (I hoped) and then hung the chuck roast with a single hook on one of the rods in the PBJ. I closed the lid and watched the temerpature rise. And rise. And rise some more. As I understood things the PBJ would run between 275°F and 310°F if I had the lower intake vent (the only vent there is assuming you put the lid on securely) open about one-quarter full. The temperature by the Meater probe was passing 325°F and I did not think it was going to settle down. This was about 30 minutes into the cook. I decided to close the lower vent to about what I thought would be 1/8 open (about one finger width on my right hand). The temperature stopped rising and began to drop. About 45 minutes later it was hoving around 260°F so I decided to tweak the vent open a bit and the temperature rose about 25 degrees. Maybe it is dialed in now for all future cooks.

As far as I could tell things were going reasonably well. That is until the ambient temperature shot pasted my temeprature alarm of 325°F shooting to about 440°F when I got outside to see what was up. What was not up was the chuck roast. It fell off its hook. Maybe the hook was in a part of the meat that rendered away. But the meat was laying on the coals. Not good.

I imagine all the smoke is from the portions of the chuck roast that are burning still a top the coals. It is a good thing I had a Meater temperature probe in the roast because otherwise I never would’ve known that the meat had fallen off. When the ambient temperature soared to 440° F that was certainly a clue.

I pulled it out and decided that it was time to bring it inside to cut into cubes. At this point the internal temperature of the roast was probably around 180°F though I ams ure it was higher in many places. It certainly cut more easily than I would have thought it would for that internal temperature. It was time to cost the cubes in a basic BBQ sauce and let them finish in my oven. The sauce is made of:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 dashes (maybe more) Tabasco sauce
• 3/4 cups water

After an hour the cubes were squeezably soft and looked great. My first taste was quite good though I can see m, more importantly taste, room for improvement.

Dinner Outside: Smoked Faux Mexican Street Corn and Marinaded Shrimp

When you want a tasty, quick to make, summertime meal I think corn and shrimp certainly fill the bill. If you can lay your hands on peeled and deveined shrimp it becomes considerably easier. You could cook the shredded mop over direct heat on a hot grill and there are ways to quickly cook corn but I think the modest amount of extra time needed to infuse some Smokey goodness is worth the wait.

▶️ Play Dinner Outside: Smoked Faux Mexican Street Corn and Marinaded Shrimp

Marinaded Shrimp Recipe

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp (16-20/pound), peeled and deveined
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (short) tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Mix up the marinade. You might need a bit more liquid. Coat the shrimp. This is a dish that you cook right away. If grilling on direct heat or cooking on the stovetop the shrimp will cook up in 5-7 minutes. If you want to smoke them I’ve found they take about 25 minutes at 250 F.

Faux Mexican Street Corn

For 4-5 ears of corn

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder (I used chipotle)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Juice of 1/2 lime (~1/2 fluid ounce)
• Optional: melted butter to coat ears
• Coteja (feta worked great) cheese.

Instructions

1. Mix chili-mayo ingredients and put aside until ready (in fridge say)
2. Cook corn. I put the corn with husks on on indirect heat at about 300 F. It takes about 25 minutes to cook and you should rotate the corn cobs two or three times during the cook.
3. When the corn is done baste it with butter then mayo mix.
4. Top with cheese.

Dinner Outside: Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

▶️ Play First Try Chuck Roast Burnt Ends

This is my first attempt at making these. I seasoned the 1.1 pound chuck roast with some seasoning I had around and placed it in my smoker which was running at about 260° to 275°F. When I was pretty sure the internal temperature of a chuck roast was at 170°F I took it out and turned it into approximately 1 1/2 inch cubes. I placed those cubes in an aluminum pan and then covered them with about 2/3rds cup barbecue sauce and water mixture (about 1/4 cup water). I covered the aluminum pan and returned it to the smoker to cook for about 40 minutes. I did removed the covering foil and let the cubes cook somewhat longer. They probably cooked for about three hours though the last 30 to 40 minutes of that time we’re definitely on a somewhat cooler smoker. The flavor was wonderful but the cubes, some of them were definitely a bit on the larger side, could have been more tender.

Dinner Outside: Shrimp with Cheesy Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

▶️ Play Dinner Outside: Shrimp with Cheesy Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes Around the Fire

A fresh coat of snow has fallen, the clouds have cleared the way for the sun to shine through, it’s about 21°F, life is good. With a fire burning bright and hot in the Breeo Fire Pit, food cooking on the Weber, appetizers and beer being drunk it has become a completely enjoyable afternoon. Toss in some people making circuits on cross-country skies in the Big Playground and sledding on the puny hill back there and you have the making of a proper wintertime wonderland.

Lil and Ken. While the vegetables are being smoked and long before we even think of putting the shrimps on the grill over the fire we have an appetizer of melted cheese and pita crackers.

After our appetizer of cheese and pita crackers and beer we settled in to wait on the veggies before cooking up the shrimp. I decided to make a cheese sauce for the whole thing using leftover cheese soup (based on the recipe from a Townsends video) that didn’t quite end up cheesy enough when first made. I added more cheese to the defrosted mass and when we melted that over the fire it turned out wonderfully. 

Once everything was smoked, melted, grilled, and mixed it was time to eat. The sun was just below the the trees though maybe not quite officially set and the temperature was definitely falling. But with the exception of our toes we were warm and the dinner was ready: time to eat; time to enjoy. We did both.

There isn’t a precise recipe for this meal. I based my spice combination on what my Dad and I (and Lil) like for the shrimps alone sizing it up some to include the Brussles Sprouts (16 ounces) and potatoes (about 2 pounds) and 16 ounces of medium-sized (peeled) shrimps. The sesonings were salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. 

It is always nice to sit around a good hot fire with people you like and a meal you can enjoy. If there is a little adversity thrown in the mix perhaps that justs a bit of zest to the experience.

Dinner and Fire Christmas Eve 2021

▶️ Play Dinner and FireChristmas Eve 2021

It was floating around 50°F yesterday afternoon under heavily overcast skies. It was quiet with little going on anywhere nearby. I got the coals heating up just after 9:00AM and the 3-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt is another name for it though I’ve no idea why) was ready to be placed inside the Weber Kettle. I hoped I had the temperature close to where I wanted it but was pretty sure I did not (I’d ruined my Thermoworks thermometer by leaving it attached to the grill and it melted the housing). Hope for the best.

Pulled Prok Coated in Dry Rub Photo taken December 23, 2021 at 12:41

About 3 hours later the pork was creeping towards 160°F whih was pretty good proof that it had been generally cooking at a lower than I had aimed for. Oh well, add more coats, spritz the meat, and go do errands for a while. That is when I found out with Lil, where the real action was: parking lots around grocery stores. It’s good I didn’t need anything (or so I thought).

When we got back the meat was cooking steadily along though slowly. That’s when I decided to wrap it and basically braise it for the rest of the cook. What I had hoped would be a 5 or so hour cook would end up being more like a 7-hour cook. That doesn’t include the resting time.

As the meat cooked we dove into the soup course, chatted around the Breeo Fire Pit, and drank more beer than we probably should have as we discovered that it is really hard not to just devour high-quality kettle potato chips.

More like a seven hour cook than a five hour cook which is what I was hoping for. But the pulled pork looks good. First bite was also good. But, remember let the meat rest for longer than you think it needs. We did not let it rest long enough.

--December 25, 2021 at 1:42 PM.

Cooking is always an experiment. Cooking over tempermental coals more so. But while we could see where it could have been better our afternoon and early evening dinner by a fire was still a sucess. The pulled pork was tasty, the coleslaw superb, and the homemade vegetable soup certainly hit the spot while we waited for the meat to finish cooking.

Breeo Fire Pit and Lodge Dutch Oven Dinner

▶️ Play Fire Pit and Dutch Oven Dinner

At least it isn’t windy outside. The temperature is in the upper 20s °F and the sky is overcast. That’s a big improvement from the previous day which through in freezing rain so all is about as good as can be hoped for as autumn gives way to winter.

With the Breeo putting out ample heat we managed to stay comfortably warm as we worked to get dinner prepared: Pork a la Normand, Spinach and Artichoke Pierogis, baked potatoes, and beer. Maybe a slightly unbalanced meal lacking a good salad course (I got lazy) but a good one. I’ve made, and written about, the Pork a la Normand before. I do suspect that an hour simmering is generally enough time but the extra 20 to 30 minutes cerainly doesn’t hurt. The baked potatoes absorbed some smokiness flavor into their skins but we had trouble cooking them through in the Weber Kettle even though it claimed to be hot enough (can’t trust the lid thermometer). Wrapping the spuds in tin foil and putting them next to the fire in the Breeo for the last 20-25 minutes did the trick. The pierogis should’ve cooked wonderfully on the sear-plate. After all, my egg rolls certainly did. However, they singed before they heated through. Maybe the plate was a lot hotter this time. I do not know. Finishing the pierogis off by pan-frying them in a cast-iron skillet over the fire in the Breeo worked.

Pork a la Normand (pork and apples)

• 1 Granny Smith Apple. Cored, peeled, cut into small pieces.
• 1 Modest-sized onion (I used about half of what was once a truly huge red onion and I think the flavor was wonderful). Cut into small pieces.
• 1 pound (likely a bit less) boneless pork loin chops. Cubed.
• 1/4 cup flour.
• 1 12-ounce can hard cider though I bet regular cider would be good too (beer also works).
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper (could’ve used a bit less though LIl loved it).
• 1 Teaspoon salt (could’ve used a bit more).
• 1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg (maybe a bit more next time).

Directions

1. Butter or oil (I used butter that I let melt) a preheated skillet or dutch oven bottom.
2. Cut the pork into bite-sized cubes (or so) and coat with the flour. Place the pork in the pan and sear it until it browns on all sides. Remove from the pan and put somewhere to keep warm. You’ll add it back in a bit.
3. Sauté the chopped apple and onion pieces until the onion starts becoming translucent. Add the seasoning and cider.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes before returning the pork cubes to the mixture. Cover and cook until the gravy thickens. This should take about 50 minutes (Note: seems like 75-90 minutes is better but maybe those times it was cooking at a lower temperature).