IA | 2020, May 7-10: Pink Elephant Rally - CANCELLED

[CindyL]

If you wish to follow the eagles close to MacGregor online, this is the link to the main Decorah eagles nest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umcl...ature=emb_logo

You can also follow other eastern IA and western WI nests here: https://www.raptorresource.org

I also follow a nest down at Lock and Dam 13 near Fulton, IL. It has 2 fathers and one mother.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpVEfUPLZw

All the eagles are busily getting ready to lay eggs which should begin in the next 2 weeks.


CindyL

[BruceG]

Bruce and Suzanne from Mason City, IA will be there - site 35. We coordinated the last rally held in Clear Lake, IA a couple of years ago.

[_kj_]

I just registered for site 021, coming in on Friday evening. We will likely miss out on dinner, becaus I cannot get out of work much earlier than the usual...and I'll be coming with my sweet little pup. We'll gladly bring something to the wine and cheese gathering on Saturday...are there any requests?

out of curiosity, are there any Girl Campers in this group? If you're not listening to that podcast/reading the blog, you might enjoy some of the content.

Thanks to the organizsers!

[Peg Davis]

Hi, just registered for site 48 - no electrical sites were available. We will be bringing our electric bikes so hopefully a kind fellow camper will let us recharge the batteries at their site 😁. We have an escape 5.0TA and are coming from St. Louis. Sounds like it will be fun.

Peg and Bob

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Peg and Bob
If you’re on the Escape Trailer Owners Forum,
Post number 27 on the topic of this rally should give you an idea of the bike trails in the area. We’d be happy to charge you bikes when needed. We will be in site 34. The outlets are 20, 30 and 50 amp and we will be just be using the 30. If we can get some cooperative weather, you’ll have good cycling for sure.
Iowa Dave

[LarryB.]

I've reserved site #25 arriving on May 7 and departing on May 10.

Hopefully, the drive will be uneventful as long as I avoid I29 and the traffic cameras near Sioux City.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Larry,
Thanks for the clarification via PM. I was afraid you might be thinking Idaho instead of Iowa.
Iowa Dave

[CindyL]

Not closed yet, but we are watching:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/iowa...woY1Xrg2sJRwWc

CindyL

[CindyL]

I found a link that carries the latest updates on the Iowa state parks:

https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks


As you can tell, Pike's Peak State Park is still open, but we will likely have to modify group activities. Stay tuned.

CindyL

[steve dunham]

We have already made reservations for the Pink Elephant Rally but if there is not a marked improvement in the present situation we will be staying right where were at
I admire your optimism and sincerely hope all your hard work was not in vain
The concept of a trailer rally with people traveling from many states and the concept of social distancing and shelter in place seem to me to be at odds with each other .
I really hope and pray this is not a lost Summer !

[Kevin A]

Thanks, Steve. We were planning to attend 5 fiberglass rallies this summer across the Midwest, but current situations may necessitate missing some or all of them. We will try to make a rally decision around April 13. Some folks may still want to camp but we will very likely drop all group gatherings and just let individuals do their own thing. Currently, the Iowa DNR is refunding reservation costs for visits through April 30. It's very possible they will extend this for planned visits into May in the near future. We don't want planned attendees to lose any money, if possible.

We may just have to camp in our driveway this summer!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

Thanks, Steve. We were planning to attend 5 fiberglass rallies this summer across the Midwest, but current situations may necessitate missing some or all of them. We will try to make a rally decision around April 13. Some folks may still want to camp but we will very likely drop all group gatherings and just let individuals do their own thing. Currently, the Iowa DNR is refunding reservation costs for visits through April 30. It's very possible they will extend this for planned visits into May in the near future. We don't want planned attendees to lose any money, if possible.

We may just have to camp in our driveway this summer!

Thank you for your response and the information you have provided
If prudent we will make every effort to attend
If canceling our reservations costs us a little money , it is of minor consequence and far down our list of priorities / concerns .

Best Wishes
Steve D

[Wayne Collins]

[QUOTE=Kevin A;749115]SAVE THE DATE:
May 7 - 10, 2020 at Pike's Peak State Park, McGregor, Iowa.

Kevin: Am unable to make a reservation though the Iowa State Parks website, nor ReserveAmerica. They show that ALL of the campsites at Pikes Peak for those dates are NOT available. When did y'all make your reservations, and how?

[steve dunham]

Iowa State Parks have a 90 day /3 month window on reserving campsites
We reserved our site on February 6th ,2020 at 12:00 AM so we could get a site near the shower house , water and Iowa Dave
If I remember correctly many of the campsites at Pikes Peak SP are non reservable
( First come - First serve )
Check the campground map it shows which sitesare reservable and which are not

[BruceG]

I think we made our reservation on February 11 and got the second to last electric site. We may be cancelling if the pandemic conditions don't drastically improve. -Bruce



[QUOTE=Wayne Collins;771534]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

SAVE THE DATE:
May 7 - 10, 2020 at Pike's Peak State Park, McGregor, Iowa.

Kevin: Am unable to make a reservation though the Iowa State Parks website, nor ReserveAmerica. They show that ALL of the campsites at Pikes Peak for those dates are NOT available. When did y'all make your reservations, and how?

[Kevin A]

Wayne,
As Steve noted, there are only a limited number of reservable electric sites at Pikes Peak State Park. There are currently 6 reservable sites, but none have electric service. The rest of the sites are open only for same-day, drive-in reservations.

Since you asked, we made our reservation for May 5 on Feb. 5.

My guess is that some sites will open up as the "shelter in place" rules continue through April for many people. We're keeping an eye on this!

Kevin

[flyrodjoe]

Hi, Just a note, we are registered in Site 8 for May 6-9. Former Iowans, now coming from the mountains of NC via Texas. Hope this virus allows us to travel starting about April 18.

Hope to see and meet everyone, even without a handshake!
Safe travels, stay healthy.


Joe and Lin

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by flyrodjoe

Hi, Just a note, we are registered in Site 8 for May 6-9. Former Iowans, now coming from the mountains of NC via Texas. Hope this virus allows us to travel starting about April 18.

Hope to see and meet everyone, even without a handshake!
Safe travels, stay healthy.


Joe and Lin

https://www.google.com/search?q=sny+...gill%2520Creek

With a name like flyrodjoe you probably know know about this creek less than four miles from the Pikes Peak Campground. I fished it last year but it was a little high from recent rains and I didn’t have a lot of gear. They are in there though.
Iowa Dave

[Kevin A]

I've been fishing at Sny Magill several times, but never caught any trout. However, my wife went along once just to humor me and she wanted to fish with a worm and a bobber. I told her that you can't catch trout that way in a moving stream. Well, with an hour she had caught 3 rainbows on that setup! She never lets me forget it, either.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Kevin
The old garden hackle can be pretty effective as can whole kernel corn, mini marshmallows and Velveeta “cheese”. I like spinners especially panther martins and rooster tails. My fly rod sets mostly unused unless I’m where the back cast doesn’t mess me up. In the case of Sny Magill as you know, there are approach sidewalks and some poured concrete landings which are not usually associated with trout fishing but proudly, on several creeks, the DNR has installed handicapped fishing access for those less fortunate. If there’s a downside to Iowa trout fishing it would be the cost of a non-resident license and trout stamp. Not totally cost prohibitive, but enough that it gets a lot more attractive if one can go several times in a season. I’m not sure of the costs, I just buy a stamp the first of the year and use my lifetime geezer license. Lots of fishing possibilities in the area as you know.
Iowa Dave