Fortunately, all our downpours were early in the day. By the time we found the National Forest, we were back to just stifling humidity.
Trying to find the correct entrance to Kisatchie was probably the most lost I got on the trip. Kiddo said she needed the bathroom, but there were no gas stations or fast food places or... anything at the exit. A few minutes of rural road went by, with a few successful turns made... still nothing. Cruised along on that road for a few minutes, looking for the next one...
I'm still not sure if I missed a turn or didn't go far enough, but I double backed to take an unlabeled road, hoping it was the turn I'd been looking for (it wasn't). I called my partner to ask for google maps help, but for a few minutes I couldn't even figure out where I was (no intersection had a sign that labeled the street I was actually on, just the cross streets). Eventually she suggested I take care of Kiddo and call her back. I told her the problem was that there was nowhere for us to stop... "I just passed a sign that says 'Obama Who? Think Twice'. There is NOTHING out here". Kiddo cracked up. She didn't even know who Obama is, but that sign gave her the giggles for days.
During our call, I fortunately found a major intersection and was able to piece together where I was. We then found the correct route and descended into the National Forest (that's really the best way to say it... National Parks have visitors centers and destinations and attractions... National Forests just have unpaved roads and vague parking areas).
We found our free campground of choice, which was actually outshadowed on its own sign by the fact that it is also a trailhead. The campground itself was a vague clearing in between the parking area and a vault toilet. No one else camped there... we did have a pickup truck come into the parking area and sit for awhile, far away enough from the car so that I couldn't see the person inside. No one ever got out, as far as I know.
We set up the tent then went for a walk on the trail. It was shaded, but the humidity was so brutal we were both drenched. This was our camping trip with the least amount of water preparation, and as I discovered on the walk, the water that had been sitting in the plastic cooler/jug thing tasted like, well exactly like water that had been sitting in a plastic container for a week. I also had a water bottle that had been refilled at a fast food place, and therefore had more than a hint of the artificial flavor of soda it shared a spout with. Kiddo had a bottle with good water, so I tried to leave it all for her. Upon return I did find a metal water bottle in the car that tasted nice, and it got me through the night.
Our trail went through the forest. We claimed a diagonal downed tree and turned around when we got to a creek I'd seen on a map at the trailhead. Kiddo doesn't seem to like trails that are as destination-less as this one. Actually she seems to mostly like trails that climb hills and/or descend into canyons. Picky.
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