KB9VBR Amateur Radio » hiking http://www.kb9vbr.net Musing about Ham Radio, Antennas, Scouting, and life in the great outdoors Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:52:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Starting fire without matches http://www.kb9vbr.net/2009/11/starting-fire-without-matches/ http://www.kb9vbr.net/2009/11/starting-fire-without-matches/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:34:22 +0000 Michael Martens http://www.kb9vbr.net/?p=73 The consummate skill of any Boy Scout is to start a fire without matches. One of the Second Class requirements is to properly prepare and light a camp fire, but you no longer need to light the fire without matches. None the less, starting a fire without a math is a fun and very rewarding experience.

There are scores of methods for starting fires without matches. One method involves using a hot spark or swedish fire tool and some char cloth. here is a great video on how to make your own char cloth.

]]> http://www.kb9vbr.net/2009/11/starting-fire-without-matches/feed/ 0 The Rib Mountain Trail http://www.kb9vbr.net/2009/03/the-rib-mountain-trail/ http://www.kb9vbr.net/2009/03/the-rib-mountain-trail/#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:03:15 +0000 Michael Martens http://www.kb9vbr.net/?p=41 Trail sign for the Rib Mountain TrailThe Rib Mountain Trail is a meandering 12 mile loop located south of Rib Mountain near Wausau. The bulk of the trail runs through and around the Nine Mile Recreational Area, but some of it is on private land. The trail is maintained by Boy Scout Troop 453 of Rib Mountain. The trail is marked with signs like the one in the picture. If you complete the entire loop you can purchase a patch from Troop 453. Separate patches are available for both Winter and Summer hikes. I’ve skied portions of the loop as most of the trail that runs through the Nine Mile Recreation Area is groomed for cross country skiing. The scenery is beautiful and worth taking a day to hike the loop.

You can start the loop anywhere, but I recommend parking on the access road just south of the Wausau School Forest on County Hwy KK and picking up the loop there. Please see the trail map and brochure for more information about this excellent community resource.

rib-mountain-trail-brochure-1-2005-w-map

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