Quote:Jason Baker and I are planning on leaving by 2:00pm on Friday. Â So maybe we could set up a time to meet at the dive shop. Â We are both camping so anyone else going up on Friday that is camping should chime in and we'll set a time to all meet at the dive shop. Â 
<br><br>I will meet you at 5:00 and we can go find a camp site. At last count there where 8 campers. I will go back to the dive shop later than 5:00 if any stragglers need to be picked up and led to the camp. Leave a message here about when you will be at the dive shop if it as after 5:00. I will still meet anyone that needs it at the dive shop at 8:00 pm as previously mentioned in this thread.<br>
Crosby group,<br>My favorite place to dive. I plan to leave from work Friday - will arrive Barinerd before 5.<br>If you haven't been there yet, it's great. Can camp free right next to the entry. Louise is a graet dive, but there are many (22 total sites) others. Bill or Todd at Mn School of Diving (the shop in Brainerd) can give you advice on where the group can camp, the highlights of each site, etc. <br>The Miners Diner in Ironton has great breakfast and lunch - less than 10 min from the dive sites!<br>See you there.<br>Dan
<br>Hey Dan, glad to hear you can make it. Lonnie and I plan to meet somewhere outside the city and follow each other up to Brainerd. We are planning to meet around 2pm. You are welcome to join us for the trip up. Your prior experience would probably be helpful.<br><br>Does anyone have any items I should be adding to my gear checklist? I've got a tent and sleeping matress. I suppose drinks/water and snacks would be good. Maybe some bug spray. Is the restroom "au natural"?
Quote:<br>Hey Dan, glad to hear you can make it. Â Lonnie and I plan to meet somewhere outside the city and follow each other up to Brainerd. Â We are planning to meet around 2pm. Â You are welcome to join us for the trip up. Â Your prior experience would probably be helpful.<br><br>Does anyone have any items I should be adding to my gear checklist? Â I've got a tent and sleeping matress. Â I suppose drinks/water and snacks would be good. Â Maybe some bug spray. Â Is the restroom \"au natural\"?
<br><br>I haven't camped there yet but I believe it is "au natural". One of us can bring a shovel and dig a pit. From what I have seen it is totally undeveloped so bring water etc. Maybe someone has put a pit in already but we won't know until we get there I think. Unless you want to go out for all meals you might want to bring food. You are welcome to use my camp stove if you like.
Sites are natural. The Louise mine has a toilet seat over a hole in the ground - totally open, but someone usually hangs a groundcloth if necessary.<br>Bring plenty of water/drinks, snacks, utensils, coffee and pot, cooler, towels, warm clothes and hat and gloves, grill, lantern/flashlight, TP, DEET to repel ticks, saw for firewood, folding chair, etc etc. It's COLD up there at night.<br>If you're diving a wetsuit, get some polarfleece pants and top. Just slip em on over wetsuit after dive to stay warm until next dive. Works better than stripping, getting cold and then getting back in the wet/cold suit later.<br>Can eat in Crosby, Ironton or Brainerd - all within 15 minutes.<br>MSD in Brainerd is full service shop - can get air, nitrox, repairs, rental - everything you might need for diving.<br>Anyone O2/Rescue certified? Would be nice to have O2/first aid if anyone available. <br>Note that this Sat, MSD has a sponsored dive at Gilligan's Plunge on the North Huntington Pit. Want to dive it? I can call em and let em know were coming. Bill will set some tanks aside if we need em. Upside is they know the pits well, downside is that there may be a lot of divers at that location.<br>I ahve no preferences, but Louise is easy access, has camping space and is a good dive.
The times I went with MSD last year to Crosby there where around 8-10 divers in the group so it wasn't too bad as far a crowding went. Bill always has a story to tell. The earlier information I put in this thread came from the staff at MSD mostly and a local person who grew up within sight of the pits. There will probably be an added cost to dive with MSD but usually reasonable and includes a hotdog lunch.
Quote:<br>Leave a message here about when you will be at the dive shop if it as after 5:00. I will still meet anyone that needs it at the dive shop at 8:00 pm as previously mentioned in this thread.<br>
<br><br>I am still planning on heading up there Friday evening, and I don't get off work until 4:30ish, so I won't be able to make it to Brainerd before 8...<br><br>If you would prefer instead of meeting me in Brainerd, you could call my cell phone and tell me how to get to where you're camping.<br><br>Mike
<br>Anyone watching weather forecasts? Should we be concerned about the storm warnings?
Jason,<br><br>Guess we'll just keep watching the weather - see what evolves.<br><br>I called MSD about the fun dive at Huntington/Gilligans Plunge. They normally get 10-15 divers. Our group could double that. Todd said that site could only handle 10-15 divers max and said they would change the site if a larger number were going to dive the MSD fun dive. Its $10 for beverages, dogs and chips and for their coverage/assistance with the dive. We could dive with em or at another location with maybe less divers.<br><br>Asked him about camping - he said weekends are getting crowded. Get there early and stake out a site. He said be "diplomatic" - guess theer have been some "discussions" about who's diving/camping where.<br><br>Anyway, threat of bad weather should help keep crowd down, and ther are 20+ sites. <br><br>Can we get a rough count of all going and the early ones up there can find a good site with MSD help and stake it out for the group. There's a restaurant in Crosby called Trocana's that is open late and close to the pits. We should plan to leave directions/map to the site at both MSD and Trocana's so late arrivals can get the group location.<br><br>I plan to be at MSD before 5 and to the site by 6. Early arrivals want to meet at MSD?<br><br>Dan
The Crosby dive sounds good. I would like to head up there on Friday, but I'm not sure what time I will be released from work. <br> I will be camping out, the campfire in the evening sounds nice. Dont expect me sing, because it could attract the wolves. However I could hold a flashlight under my chin and make scary faces. <br>I have a few decisions to make. Where to camp. Have we decided on a campsite? Just so I know where to meet. I havnt been up there before.<br>I see some of you are leaving on Friday around 5 ish. So far I'm riding alone and would like to share a ride assuming I can get done with work by then. I can either drive or ride with someone else. <br>What about dive partners? Looks like there's enough of us going so it may not be a problem.<br>Anyone know the water temp? Wetsuit or Dry?<br>Night Dives sound like fun too. I plan on doing one.<br>