Yaylabs Ice Cream Ball

The Ice Cream Ball.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/industrial-revolution-play-and-freeze-ice-cream-ball~p~3626x/?filterString=s~ice-cream%2F&colorFamily=03
I love ice cream. I eat a bowl of ice-cream almost every night. When I saw the ice-cream ball my first thought was “it doesn't work” so I never got one. It looks like an infomercial gimmick. However, after camping with my two little girls I saw the need to bring things that could keep a 3 and 5 year old busy. I thought we would be sitting around eating sweet milk, but at least it would give the girls something to do. After using it several times here are my pros and cons.
Pro- It works! It makes deliciously amazing ice-cream right in the middle of nowhere! 
Pro- It is fairly easy to use, and you can use your own recipes.
Pro- it is durable.
Con- Do you like sand in your ice-cream? The lid traps dirt so when you open it up there will be a little sand or dirt that might hitch a ride on your spoon. Con- It is NOT a soccer ball! It is hard plastic and full of ice so when a little kid in flip flops decides to give it a kick they will break all of their little piggies.

Overall I say hooray for homemade ice cream without electricity! It is a fun design that keeps kids busy while you prepare dinner, then provides dessert. Not many toys do that. It is just hard to keep from getting dirt on the lid unless your camping spot has nice grass. Just remember don’t kick it or you will be doing the stubbed toe dance.

When I go camping I want to get some solitude, but not have to drive too far. I want to ride some trails, climb some rocks, and get in the water. Oh, and I want to see some beautiful nature! These things usually do not happen all at once. I have no trouble finding solitude, but usually it requires a long drive. Mountain bike trails are easy enough to come by in the Ozarks, as well as beautiful scenery. Water sports normally require their own outing, as does climbing. However, I have just discovered the Swiss Army knife of campgrounds! Lake Leatherwood is a city owned campground just outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It offers a gorgeous little lake where you can rent a canoe or Kayak, it has outstanding trails, and it even has a couple bouldering routes.

Now understand that much like a Swiss Army knife some of the features don’t have quite the usefulness of others. Their climbing routes could be compared to the 3 inch saw that works really well for cutting pinky size twigs. But I won’t complain. On Miners Rock trail there is one of the most unique rock features I have ever seen. There are no other rocks around except this limestone wave coming out of the ground. It has a dozen lines to boulder on. On my first trip to Lake leatherwood I was very pleasantly surprised that I could ride all day, go for a paddle the next, and then go get pumped on a 45 degree overhang. I hear the fishing is good too. It is a great spot for wildlife photography for all you fellow photographer’s out there.

The facilities do leave a little to be desired. The camping layout was open without tent pads, and only one porta potty for the lower campground. I went camping with my two little girls and we spent a lot of time in the potty. If you don’t mind walking a bit further there is a flush toilet near the rv camping. If you are like me, you can take the stinky bathroom in exchange for fewer crowds. I can’t wait for our next outing to Lake Leatherwood. It is a great spot for people looking to engage in a wide variety of outdoor activities. It is good for family camping and die hard mountain bikers. But most importantly it is not work! Look to Lake Leatherwood for a great weekend escape.

http://www.lakeleatherwoodcitypark.com/

                1303 County Road 204, Eureka Springs, AR 72632 (479) 253-7921

Custom Climbing Gear

Here is a highlight of some of my custom gear that my awesome friend  made for me. Check out her shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop/AislingLane

I designed this rope bag to be super cheap and simple. It is easy to throw over my backpack and quick to move from spot to spot.

This little gem is super handy to keep all your gear organized while at the crag. 

You can just slide it in and out of your pack while keeping all your draws and cams from tangling.

“Letting Go” in Richland Creek Wilderness Area.

Richland Creek has always been a location I wanted to check out because of all the great things I’ve heard about its beauty. It is probably the most remote spot in Arkansas, it is hard to find, and it has no maintained trail. The mountains there are very steep which helps create the breath taking waterfalls that punctuate the creek. I had a last minute option to go for a three day backpacking trip so I jumped on the chance to go to Richland Creek for the first time… with my 3 year old and 5 year old... daughters… who love Frozen. 

Mya is a pretty good photographer

My two daughters are pretty outdoorsy, but backpacking is a learned skill. The pack animal mentality does not come to humans naturally. I wanted to get them started early so I thought taking them to a beautiful spot with waterfalls would be a good Idea. I figured by the map and other’s trail descriptions that it would be about a 2.5 mile out and back trip, 5 miles total over 2 nights. I took my new 85 liter Osprey  Aether pack chock full of food, candy, sleeping bags, and more candy. The trip could have not gone better for the girls. They complained much less than I did when I first went backpacking so that is a good start. Richland Creek did not disappoint me with her wild beauty either. The non maintained trail was very easy to follow because of traffic. However, not all went so peachy. 

 

Indie and Mya being themselves 

From what I read, I gathered that we would be crossing two streams. No problem, I have crossed hundreds of Ozark streams that were ankle deep, I can do that. Wrong! It rained 2 inches the day before so I had to cross frigid chest deep streams, carrying my children across one by one. The shallower rapids were moving too fast to risk falling, so I opted for a safer deeper route. I am a stubborn Missouri boy and was not going to be deterred by a small creek.  The first time it was kind of fun, but by the 5th time I had waded into the cold water the new adventure feeling had shriveled off. Yes, I chose shriveled for a reason. On our last night I was pretty tired. I was physically exhausted from carrying 50 pounds of gear with a 3 year old sitting on top of that. I was mentally exhausted from swimming across the creek a dozen times, but most of all I was ready to “Let It Go”.

Richland creek 

I might have the most expensive backpack but it does not have hello kitty on it.

Can you guess what they are singing?

If you do not have a daughter from 3 through 30 years of age you might not know that a girl can repeatedly sing the theme song to their favorite movie an infinite amount of times.  The peace, solitude, and quiet of the outdoors had eluded me on this trip. All due to one catchy tune called “Let It Go”. I think I will engrave those words on my tombstone.  Here lies Aaron Wilcox he finally “Let It Go”.  Even with the ringing in my ears, nature’s medicine is strong. Both girls could not have had more fun! We saw a snake, found a turtle shell, and they saw daddy freeze his butt off (seriously I don’t know If I will be able to have more children). Because I spent good quality time with my girls and they want to return, I can call our first backpacking trip a success. Sometimes when you are taking young kids camping you have to relax and remember to just “let it Go”

Twin falls is the highlight of the trail