In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
You have entered my most excellent canoeing page, please enjoy.
Don't even think about going canoeing without the items below.
| MOSQUITO PROTECTION | Mosquitoes are the one thing that suck with the outdoors, bring something they don't like such as mosquito coils. | |
| DUCT TAPE | You can do pretty much anything without duct tape but a lot of things are much easier and less frustrating with duct tape. | |
| STRING | Good old-fashioned heavy-duty string could be the most important thing in your pack. | |
| STOVE | Stratus Trailstove, the only way to go. The Trailstove burns wood, not gas. Wood is readily available at your camp site. Wood does not explode if you leave it in the sun. Wood will not cause brain and nerve damage if accidentally inhaled. Wood does not require a heavy metal container for storage and transportation. | |
| FOLDING TOOL | This could be either a Swiss army type knife or a Leatherman type tool. Combined with your brain you can accomplish pretty much anything with a good multi-purpose tool. | |
| LAMP | A good flashlight is very good to have around the campsite and if you need to walk in the dark it's absolutely necessary. If you do need to walk in the dark and don't have a light source it's better to stay where you are and wait 'til the sun comes up. |
HOW TO MAKE AN IGLOO
PICK A SPOT
You should build your igloo on a level surface
where the snow is at least 3 feet deep. There should be enough hard snow for
your igloo, if the surface snow is powdery there's probably hard packed snow a
bit deeper. Large bumps on the surface of the snow it usually means that there
is a large object below the snow such as a boulder or a large stomp, they can
get in the way so it's better to pick as flat a spot as possible. Don't make
your igloo bigger than it needs to be. Mark out in the snow where you plan to
have the wall of your igloo.
CUT BLOCKS
Cut out blocks from the area which will be the inside of the
igloo. The lower blocks should be about 1 foot thick, 3 feet long and 1.5 feet
high, the higher blocks should be about 6 inches thick, 2 feet long, and 1 foot
high. If you size the blocks as I have said above you will need approximately
the following number of blocks:
Sleeping 1 person, 6 feet inner diameter: 30 blocks
Sleeping 2 people, 7
feet inner diameter: 40 blocks
Sleeping 3-4 people, 9 feet inner diameter: 60
blocks
Don't worry if you think you'll have trouble fitting, once the igloo is
finished you can carve out a bit of space for your feet from the inner
wall.
The hole resulting from your cutting will be the floor in the igloo so
you want a sleeping area for each person as high up as possible, a general
purpose area that should be a bit lower to allow for mobility, and a deep
entrance hole that extends outside of the igloo. The entrance hole should be as
narrow as possible while still allowing you to get in and out without too much
discomfort. The deep entrance hole will absorb the cold air and release it to
the outside while the warm air will rise and stay trapped inside the dome.
BUILD A SPIRAL CIRCLE
Place your largest and widest blocks in a circle
around the hole where you have been cutting out your blocks, the blocks should
be tilted in towards the center. Start with the block that goes on top of the
entrance hole, the whole entrance hole must be traversed by one single block
with plenty of support on both sides. Cut the blocks so they form a spiral, make
sure that the block covering the entrance hole is the largest block.
BUILD WALL
Add blocks to the wall until you only have a small opening in
the roof. Before you get to the point that it's hard to get in and out of the
dome move any blocks not yet used to the inside of the dome so you can put them
all up in one sweep from the inside.
TOP PIECE
When all the blocks are in place cut the final top piece to the
right size. If you can wiggle it out from the inside and lower it down into
position that's great, but if your hole is very circular this won't be possible,
you'll have to put the block on top of the dome from the outside and then lower
it down from the inside.
FINISHING
Fill any cracks with
snow.
Make a little doorway over the entrance to keep snow out.
You have
to make at least one air hole in the roof to ensure proper ventilation. Without
good ventilation you could run out of oxygen, very dangerous.
Smoothen the
inside of the dome to prevent water dripping.
Your igloo is now ready
to be lived in, check your air hole periodically to make sure it's not blocked.
If you've done everything right you will be quite comfortable.
Fort Payne, AL
Little River flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. The river and canyon systems are spectacular Appalachian Plateau landscapes any season of the year. Forested uplands, waterfalls, canyon rims and bluffs, stream riffles and pools, boulders, and sandstone cliffs offer settings for a variety of recreational activities. Natural resources and cultural heritage come together to tell the story of the Preserve, a special place in the Southern Appalachians.
CONTACTS
Email - LIRI_Superintendent@nps.gov
Fax- 256-997-9129
Write to
2141 Gault Avenue North
Fort Payne, AL 35967
Phone
Headquarters - 256-845-9605
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The park is open year round. The Canyon Mouth Park Unit is
a day use area.
FEES/PERMITS
Special Use Permits
ATV
PERMIT
Free!
Operators of All-Terrain-Vehicles (ATV's) must have a
permit. User's must be at least 16 years old and have a picture ID. The
permit is free and must be obtained in person from any Law Enforcement
Ranger or at Park Headquarters.
CAMPING
DeSoto State Park
Open All
Year
Offers 78 sites located in a beautiful setting. Campsites are well
spaced with natural flora for privacy. The campground has 58 water and
electric sites, and 20 water, electric and sewer sites, 10 of which are
pull-thru sites. Comfort stations with restrooms and hot showers are
located in the campground.
For More Information on this campground
please call 256-845-5075
LODGING
DeSoto State Park
Open All
Year
Motel rooms all have telephone and cable TV, your choice of king
or double beds. Comfortable A-frame chalets are surrounded by Northeast
Alabama's beautiful woodlands and rolling terrain. Enjoy a leisurely hike
down to the West Fork of Little River right out of your back door. Chalets
are complete with two bedrooms. One has a double bed and a sleeping loft
with two twin beds. Chalets have cable TV, linens and are setup with basic
cookware, tableware, and utensils. All Chalets have fireplaces. Rustic
cabins are available in a variety of occupant sizes built in the mid
1930's.
For More Information on this lodging please call
800-568-8840
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