Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Well, now that I've got the land and am working on fixing up the old house as an Inn, I'd really like to put it to use.

How many folks would be interested in a moot in June or maybe early July of this year just southwest of Indianapolis?

I've got 13 acres, wooded and hilly, with the Inn for sleeping/eating/pipeweed and conversation, as well as room for camping, camp fires, archery, sword fighting pells, and all the other stuff you can't do on state land.

www.dragonswoodinn.com

Day hikes are about a half hour drive away to the nearby state forest. Ideally, I would have bought some land adjacient to the park..... but, with this, we can replicate a light pack sortie into the woods with a return to a permanent Ranger camp for the night.

Heck, if enough people show up, I'll roast a pig!

I've got plans for later in July, but I think any time will do, from when school lets out in early June until (and including) the Fourth of July, which is a Monday, hence a three-day weekend this year.

I'd like to start an annual tradition, hosting a Ranger moot every year.

We're in.

Brandwyn and I were thinking of a Road Trip around that time to see her parents west of Nashville perhaps we can around a more cirqular route. I would truly love to come visit!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea! I badly wish I could make it out there, but Sarah and I are currently saving for a more, um... formal? vacation later this year, and that's sort of all the time for going abroad I'm likely to get in 2016. One of these days/years, however, I definitely want to make it a priority to get out there for something like this!

I'm in for sure. Maybe even one or two of my students that have converted to ranging.

I'll plan for it.

How would Fourth of July weekend work for folks? The Fourth is on a Monday, so it's a three day weekend.

I'm still planning for the Fourth of July weekend if others are still interested.

I've been remiss in updating my website www.dragonswoodinn.com, but if you look up Dragons Wood Inn on Facebook, I've posted some photos of animals and plants on the land, and slow progress in getting the old farm house ready for its retrofit as a fantasy medieval inn.

Before then, if anyone is in the area and wants to check out the site/give a hand nailing up old barn wood, etc. , by all means, let me know.

Gosh I wish I could make it - have fun!

I love the pictures - those apple trees are getting nice and bulky!

This may end up being the Place of Pilgrimage in future ages.

Alright, we're just under two months out from the proposed date-of-mooting, so I'd like to propose a plan/schedule of sorts to mull over for purposes of filling that weekend and getting a little bit of everything in and under our belts, for both travelers and (relative) locals.

Friday, all more nearby participants/attendees arrive at the Dragonswood Inn as early as is practicable in common clothing, and for a half day or so, pitch in with whatever physical labor needs Buck has around the site. Midafternoon, in the heat of the day (so we aren't killing ourselves) we (and anyone else who is able to arrive by midafternoon) would break from work, eat, change, and then drive down to the nearby Morgan-Monroe to do a short hike-in during early evening as it cools, and camp for the night. Saturday would be a prime day for woods skills hijinks and whatever other mayhem we feel disposed towards.

Night number two would be a bit more open to interpretation...participants may need to head back home (as will I), so the remainder, if intending to spend a second night, could use that opportunity to christen the property or crash in the inn-in-progress as their needs see fit.

Thoughts? Buck, your take?

I will have you know, for those who came to my last moot in spring a year ago, that there is a much shorter route to that shelter rock than that which we used, which I had overlooked at the time. Shoe leather would remain intact, and the mileage would be much more doable for family groups (as I believe this event is more than likely to be attended by young ones).

Discuss.

Still trying to make this one. Fourth of July weekend appears to be open right now and finances might even cooperate.

Greg, can you clear up the schedule you are proposing for those of us not familiar with the area? How far are we talking about hiking and over what kind of terrain? This could factor into whether or not my wife attends. I assume the hike in will be to a site with no facilities which means carrying all we would need for a 2-3 day scout (I can handle that but it will require planning). Also, I am seeing a camp Friday night and, I am assuming Saturday night, with Sunday being an option for those of us who don't have to leave immediately.

Do I have that about right?

Looking forward to this.


EMK

Friday evening would be a short (just shy of 3 mile) camp from a parking lot to a large rock shelter, assuming we followed by proposed schedule.

Saturday evening would be (most likely) on site of the Dragonswood Inn, where a camp could be set up easily within 100 yards of cars and/or the tavern-in-the-works, which is still very much in-process.

The proposed Friday night location is within 30 minutes of the Dragonswood inn address, so all are easily reachable by a quick jaunt in a vehicle for the back-and-forth necessary to accomplish work onsite, accomplish a low-key "backcountry" trip, and return to the inn-site without much trouble.

Sounds like fun. Guess I ought to get in something that resembles shape and get the kit shaken out for this.

I wish I could come it sounds like so much fun. But atlas I can't do to me getting ready for my other trips this summer.