Big South Fork Trip Report: My awesome wife Kristina paid my way to join a Sheltowee Trace Association (STA) hike this weekend. This was an early birthday present. The price included shuttle fees and permits for camping in the Big South Fork. The hike was excellent, the club members were friendly, and the weather was perfect. Like every time I backpack, I had an amazing time and can’t wait to do it again! This has been a record year for camping, and next year is going to even better.
We did 21 miles of the Sheltowee Trace/John Muir Trail over the course of 2 days. I’ll be going on more trips with the STA.
Backpacking is a lot of work, and it can be seriously brutal at times, but when you see those natural wonders that are so far in the backcountry, that no one else gets to see, it reminds you of why you do it. I had many of those moments over the weekend.
A highlight of the trip was when I woke up at 4 in the morning to hear a black bear jumping on the tree limb where we had hung our food. I must have done a good job because my food bag was still there in the morning.
Coyotes howled through the entire night.