It's now June.
The temperatures are hitting and exceeding the 90° mark more consistently; my least favorite temperatures to camp in.
And speaking of camping, I HAVEN'T! At least not in 2024.
Not yet.
For the next few months, that's how it's going to remain as well. After the infamous Washington State Park trip of 2022, there will be no camping when the temps exceed 90° especially when there is humidity involved... Camping, at least for me cannot be enjoyed when it feels like 95° or hotter outside.
So, what is there to do except plan all the fun I can possibly have when the weather cools off?
SPOILER ALERT!
If you, for some reason, read this and DON'T want to know what I have in mind, whether it happens or not, then stop reading now and go visit any of my other adventures to relive the glory days! If you do want to see what I have tentatively planned, and it really is just tentative plans, then read on!
August 2024
If you're me, you can't NOT go camping during the annual Perseid Meteor shower and, if you're me, there are only two places where you can go to do this: Mark Twain State Park or Pomme De Terre. Surprise, surprise... After all that bashing of the heat and humidity, I'm still going out in August anyway. Well, there is a special exception for this and that's a camper cabin! Since I have yet to try one of these lately, I figured, "Why not? It's going to be hot, I'm tired of waiting for it to cool off so I can go camping, and this cabin has air conditioning so let's do it!" And do it I shall! Stay tuned for a fantastic deviation from the norm as I venture into the realm of camper cabins AND during-the-week camping, the only way I could make sure I had a reservation since weekends always book up too fast!
September 2024
Temperatures never cool off that fast around here so September is more than likely late September. I have no definitive plan on where to go at this time but I feel I have to get in a trip somewhere because the end of the year will be coming in fast! Potential options include:
Sam A Baker
Has a nice river access to provide much needed cooling off
Babler
It's close by and easy to make a quick trip on short notice and with it being the end of the typical vacation season, it shouldn't be a fight to get in on the weekend
October 2024
October is always so busy and it's really the start of the transition in season from summer to fall. It can always be a mixed bag what the temps are going to be. Could be cold, could be hot, could be mild. One thing is for sure, there will be Montauk. If a trip later is the month is possible, it might be from the list of potentials:
St Francis
This is a new regular for me. It's not too far away and not too bad of accommodations either. There is some good hiking and good scenery and usually not too crowded
Hawn
I've been wanting to get back here in premium fall colors but it's always so hard to get in while there are spots open. We'll see but this might be a long shot for a weekend trip
November 2024
Now we are getting into the likelihood of the first snowflakes. It's not like I can't handle that but it is definitely more likely to trend cold the further you venture into November. That said, if I can squeeze in something early in November, I should be able to get a taste of fall colors AND I might just be able to pull off something I have always wanted to do. A backpacking trip between two of the state parks I love visiting: Johnson's Shut-ins and Taum Sauk. I have camped at Johnson's Shut-in but I can't remember a time when I have camped Taum Sauk so I would like to make a two-for out of it and camp them both with a backpacking trip in between!
Johnson's Shut-ins
Taum Sauk
December 2024
We've had some warm December days and we've had some cold December weeks. Certainly the trend is to be cold so this is a very tough month to plan for. My overall goal is to NOT need to squeeze in number 5 in December but I've had earlier starts where I needed to squeeze one in before. I'd say the odds are not in my favor. But that's why we plan, right? Because we know things are not likely to go in our favor, we plan ahead to make it happen anyway!
Cuivre River
Always a good last-minute stop. It used to be that you could camp in the equestrian camp regardless of the campground itself being open and accessible but I believe that has change as there is a gate at the entry to the campground now. I wouldn't doubt that is locked up depending on conditions
Babler
If I haven't hit Babler yet, it's a really good option to have here
Graham Cave
This one is not super close but also not super far. Could be an easy target to reach if needed and usually not overbooked either
St Joe
Haven't been here in a while. Since they offer off-roading, it's better to go when there are fewer dirt bikes and ATVs rolling though camp as you'll get better sleep for sure
Float Trip
It's been a looooong time since I have been on a proper float trip. At the time of this writing, I only have a tentative plan to do the Dardenne Blueway, both of the open phases, but again, it's tentative to having a second driver to shuttle me to the put-in place. If I can, I would love to make a stop at Meramec, which would count towards my goal of 5 but what I would really, really love is to make a special trip to Round Spring, where I have not camped since 2017.
Meramec
Round Springs - Ozark National Scenic Riverways
With all these tentative plans, it's hard to see how things will pan out. What I do know is 1) this camping drought will not last and 2) one way or another, I will get my 5 in again this year!
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