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Reviews for Shawnee National Forest - High Knob Camp
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Equality, IL

Overall TRAIL RATING with 56 votes:
Overall CAMP RATING with 56 votes:
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NEVER EVER GO TO HIGH KNOB. Lady who owns it (JoJo) is bat shit crazy and threw us out for asking about our 5 reserved sites together when she filled two of them before the rest of the group arrived!!! She cashed our reservation checks and then raised the nightly rate when we got there! Lied straight to our faces! GO TO DOUBLE M!!!!!!
Reviewed by: GraceMarz on 10/10/2021 1:19:09 PM
 Experience: Not Specified Ride Date: 10/7/2021 Hometown: Christiana , TN

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The campground is full of permanent campers, so it is very large and full of people. The campsites are nothing to brag about, but the stalls are nice and large and safe. The main draw to this campground is JoJo. Every morning, she will go over the map with you, while drawing her own map to the destination of your choice. She will tell you the sites to see and what to look for. This was a wonderful help and we saw things that we may have not seen because of her. She also lets you know the trails to avoid, so listen to her advice. High Knob is centrally located to many of the 'must see' sites. The trails should be on everyone's bucket list. Huge rock formations, caves, beautiful water crossings. Trails can be challenging in places and muddy due to erosion. Make sure that you have new shoes on because the large rocks and mud can pull off shoes quickly.
Reviewed by: paintedskyhorses on 10/16/2018 1:38:39 PM
More reviews by paintedskyhorses 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 6/10/2018 Hometown: raymondville, Mo

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Went to High Knob in late March 2018 again in April 2018 and going back again this Oct 2018. Does that say enough!! Omg this place is amazing! If your a 'real' trail lover and rider this is a bucket list campground and trail riders dream.
Reviewed by: Tali S Sorenson on 9/11/2018 9:23:35 PM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 4/10/2018 Hometown: Bangor, MI

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Trails are great leaving right out of camp, other than that the camp ground is a dump and the owner a straight up lunatic! Be prepared for abrasive owner, dirty shower houses, unlevel camp sites, dusty road leading into and around camp ground, and don't even think about rinsing off your horses after a long hot ride. Advertises the cheapest rates in the Shawnee Forest but there is a reason for that. Owner even pulled a gun on one camper for rinsing his horse! Owner also will charge you for using the dump station! I should have dumped my trailer in the camp ground would have been the only "clean" spot Again trails are great but find any other campground in Shawnee for your stay.
Reviewed by: cndfarm99 on 8/9/2017 1:21:17 PM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 10/21/2016 Hometown: Monterey , IL

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First the trails are amazing! The map was horrible, but I am a human GPS so our group did just fine :) I will be back to ride Shawnee National forest but not from HK campground. The customer service we received was horrible! The bathrooms were not cleaned the 5 days we were there. The showers in the womens shower house were cold. Their "fragile septic" signs wanted us to put ALL used TP into the trash cans. The trash was never dumped. The large trash bins at the front of camp were so full there was trash spilling out on the ground and the smell attracted flies... The front lot of campers, which is where we were parked, was packed like sardines in a can. There were no camp sites like a normal camp ground. I was told our stalls would be right behind our camping spot and they were not. You had to hike to them. The stalls we had were unlevel and hard as a rock. Bedding did nothing. No place to keep hay or grain so you had to take the truck down to feed am and pm. Do not, I repeat DO NOT rinse your horse after riding all day!!!!! We arrived back at camp after a long sweaty day of riding and wanted to rinse our horses off and we were attacked by JoJo. She said we could not rinse our horses because she was on city water. We indicated we paid for water and electric and was told the water was only for us to use not the horses and it is just to expensive and she doesnt make any money. I will say no where was this rule posted and others were rinsing their horses. One couple from our group left the grounds after this. Customer service at this campground is horrible. 1 rig from our group came in on 10/11 and they were coming in late. They called 4 times left messages and an email to inform the grounds and no call back came until 930 the night they were in route. JoJo told them they could not come in and they would need to find someplace else to stay that evening. It was a 8 hr trip for them. They ended up staying in a truck stop about 1 hr from camp and came in Weds am. Another rig in our group came in on weds at 630 pm. They had reserved 2 pens for their site. They arrived and no pens were put up. JoJo told them they would need to stall their horses in the barn for the night and pens would be brought up the next day. She also informed them that the stalls must be cleaned out by Thurs am or there would be a $20 charge per stall...1 rig didn't have water for 2 days because they requested a spliter for the water, since not every site has water hook up, and one was never given. They finally found 1 in their trailer and luckily had enough hose to run to their trailer. What we discovered when we were there is that if you are a regular you will have no issues. Our group of 9 will not be returning to HK. Horrible camping experience.
Reviewed by: Boyers Appys on 10/17/2016 2:27:54 PM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 10/12/2016 Hometown: Vandalia, MI

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We just arrived back from a 9 day trip to Shawnee - our first leg of the trip we stayed at High Knob. JoJo welcomed us with amazing southern charm - she was so kind, friendly and helpful - she runs a tight ship camp and has everything in order. She was incredibly helpful when our pony injured his eye, giving us some tid bits of suggestions from her history of being a vet tech - even had two different medicines on hand to help while we waited for the vet. She allowed us to use her personal trailer to bring our pony to the vet, as well the trailer to pick up some of our group when it was too hot to ride home. She had great suggestions on trails, set us up for water when we reached our destination at garden of the Gods. The shower and bathroom house was great - the stalls for the horses were amazing as well! She had us in sites at the front of the campground, where there was not much shade, but next time she said she will put us in the back - she said she likes to put the 1st timers in front to "keep an eye on us" which looking back we certainly needed her help!!! The locals were fun to chat with for free coffee in the office each morning, as well the permament campers. She had free freezies for the kids in the office as well!!!
Reviewed by: Reed2016 on 6/25/2016 4:15:45 PM
More reviews by Reed2016 		Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 6/10/2016 Hometown: Ellsworth, WI

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I've read other comments about the rude owner and I've dealt with her a few times. I can see how she can easily rub people the wrong way but I can ignore the abrasive owner and give her a wide berth when necessary. However my issue is not with her rudeness or demeanor. I think someone needs to give her a lesson in how to properly operate a business. I get that private campgrounds are trying to turn a profit however, if you're not going to provide basic services then get out of the business of inviting people to your campground. We stayed 4 days at High Knob and when we pulled in the restrooms were in desperate need of attention. The trashcans were nearly full and the toilet paper was almost gone. Not one time in four days did anyone empty trashcans or re-fill the toilet paper which ran out on our second day there. Add to this the "fragile septic system" signs which are posted in every stall instructing everyone to place all paper products (yes after you use it) in the trashcans and not to flush paper down the toilet. The idea of this is bad enough but to not empty the trashcans on a DAILY basis is absolutely disgusting. If you ask people not to flush their used toilet paper then at least empty the trashcans. But I guess if you don't re-fill the toilet paper then no one can use the flush toilets and are forced to use the stinking outhouses. And if anyone thinks the campers could easily inform the owners of the situation, I would argue that emptying trashcans, re-filling paper products and cleaning the bathrooms would be part of the daily chores for a business owner choosing to be in this type of business. The customer is expected (and has to sign a paper) saying they will clean their stalls but the business owner doesn't clean the bathhouse. If it weren't for the great trail riding, this campground would be closed.
Reviewed by: Hoosier Horseman on 4/29/2016 9:05:40 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 4/25/2016 Hometown: Evansville, IN

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when we first arrived I had asked the owner if there was a better way to get into the camp as the way we came was full of hills. She went back and forth with me about how the website had the directions on the best way to arrive, I disagreed with her. I was tired after driving 7 hours and just gave in so we could get our horses unloaded. I did look on the website again and can not find it anywhere under "directions". What happened to the customer is always right? Don't dare rinse your horse after a long ride ( even though there are no signs) But you can use a bucket and a sponge. She was screaming "sir! Sir!"at my husband to get his attention then proceeded to lecture him about mud puddles and city water. That wasn't even the first time she had scolded him. He had stood up on her gator to look on the left side of the road (because he couldn't see through the dirty windshield) and he was told to "sit down, sir!" Even though you add "sir" to the sentence does not make up for the rudeness. We did not even need a ride on the gator we knew where we were going. The next morning we went in to buy a map and was told "oh, yes, you're the ones that got me off the couch at 10:30." Even though it had been only 9:00. Which we had called ahead and warned her regarding the time. Not sure how to respond to that so I just kind of chuckled. She did draw us a map of a trail, that we did not need, but we did not take the trail as it was marked off with yellow tape. When we talked to her later and told her we did not take the trail she had drawn she waved us off like "figures". I felt bad and said " I promise will we take it tomorrow!" I am an RN BSN and I know I am female and can be overly sensitive, but even my husband said she was psychotic several times. My husband who is a police officer and a retired 17 yr veteran of two wars does not need to be talked to like a 5 year old, so no, we won't be back.
Reviewed by: Amanda on 9/19/2015 11:04:44 PM
More reviews by Amanda 		Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/13/2015 Hometown: carthage, IL

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Trails were beautiful. Well marked and maintained. Riding was easy enough to enjoy but challenging enough to be interesting. High Knob camp was super. Horse barns were very nice made me feel my boy was safe and secure. Camp owner JoJo went above & beyond in caring for all our needs.
Reviewed by: Dee Stull on 6/14/2015 2:26:23 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 6/5/2015 Hometown: Belle Plaine, IA

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The campground has many permanent sites we stayed in the back site area know as Dr. Burkes field, It was grassy, and pretty level. The covered stalls are very new, safe and clean. It is a long way from the office and shower/bath house. We would drive out truck up there. There is a outhouse back there but I do not recommend using it, it is not nice (that was the only down fall IMO) JoJo is super helpful, even saved us in a horse emergency and can not say enough about her. The trails have lots of climbing and rock everywhere, I recommend shoes all around. We ride gaited and walked the entire time. Some amazing sights to see, hard to believe it is IL. You can ride out many trail heads and are in pretty rock formations in minutes. You can do a short ride or super long all day ride. Rode there 6 days and saw new stuff every ride. Lots of water for the horses on the trails. Did get lost once, so our GPS saved us. I would say be sure your horse is in good shape when you go. I do not recommend pulling them out of the pasture after 6 months off and taking them there. Overall nice camp, nice stalls, nice people and fun challenging trails, will go back :)
Reviewed by: Kim L Young on 6/14/2015 11:27:21 AM
More reviews by Kim L Young 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 5/1/2015 Hometown: Sandwich, IL

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This was our first trip to High Knob Campgrounds. It came highly recommended by other trail riders. The entire trip was one of the best we have ever been on. JoJo was extremely kind and helpful as was Dan and Joe. She covered every detail when we checked in,including trail maps and recommendations of best places to ride. The camp is big with a lot of people . It was very clean and organized. Several trails led right out of camp. The trails are just great, well marked and clean. It would be nice to have more restrooms located on the upper end of the campgrounds. We highly recommend High Knob Horse Camp
Reviewed by: Randy Wittkugle on 9/30/2014 9:33:18 AM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/26/2014 Hometown: Waverly, OH

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The campgrounds were set up perfectly for both the horse and the rider. Lots of space for your trailer, with picnic tables, water & electric. Tie-outs are set up around and between areas, for your convenience. The trails and scenic beauty are beyond belief, and start right at the edge of the campgrounds. You could be there for weeks and still not ride them all. JoJo and Dan are great hosts and made us feel right at home. The campfire stories had us rolling with laughter. When I found I had a low tire on my horse trailer, Dan let me use his compressor to air it up and get me on the road. I would rate my time at High Knob, with a "10" and will definitely be back!
Reviewed by: Roger Schwalbert on 9/29/2014 2:16:10 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/23/2014 Hometown: Desoto, MO

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Just got home from a 5day stay @High Knob Campground. JoJo was wonderful;from checking on us to make sure everything was okay to marking out a trail map for our daily ride.Trails are unbelievable! This was our first time to high knob&I must say the trails out of there are the absolute best we've seen at Shawnee yet.(been going for 13 years)Campground is great,love the covered stalls. Everybody's very friendly-can't wait to go back!!! 10+++ for trails&high knob campground!!! Thanks,JoJo!!!!!
Reviewed by: chrissy on 9/24/2014 5:50:20 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/20/2014 Hometown: Kirkwood , il

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I would put ZERO STARS for the campground if I could. This owner is unorganized, scatterbrained and rude. She spent at least 20 minutes telling us everything negative about her husband and how she would do away with him if she thought she could get away with it! It was very clear that first time visitors were treated differently than her regulars. I understand the importance of customer loyalty and taking care of your returning customers but how do you expect to get repeat customers if you ignore them on their first visit and tell them they didn't make their reservation properly??? I will say the trails from the campground are the best we have ridden in that area that is why I give 5 stars for the trails. The campground itself it okay, the stalls are new and in good condition, the permanent tie lines at the sites are a plus. Lack of shade is an issue for some people but even that would not have cause me to downgrade the rating of the site. The entire reason for the low rating of the site is the owner.
Reviewed by: trailriders on 5/27/2014 6:23:42 AM
More reviews by trailriders 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 5/23/2014 Hometown: Nashville, TN

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We just returned from High Knob Campground yesterday and was there for 5 days, This was the first time to High Knob and I will go back and am looking to get a permanent spot in the future if JoJo will have us. I had heard the camp ground was very run down when JoJo and her husband purchased it some 4-5 years ago but you would never know it now. I have been to a few of the other campgrounds in Shawnee National Forest and it is top notch just like the others. The camp ground is clean, kept up very nice you can tell they put a lot of work into make it a place they can be proud of. They are always working on projects to make the camp better. They offer meals on Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday mornings, we had brought our food so can not comment on it but by the turn out at the eating shack it must of been pretty good. Didn't use the showers or bathrooms but did look at them and both were clean and usable. I have road what I call the western part of the Forest and it is very pretty but the riding out of High Knob is unbelievable, I seen at least 5-6 trailheads out of camp and there were more just outside of camp. I had met some people on FB that have sites there and they took us out for a ride we were out for 6 hours and never more than a 1/2 hour from camp, alot of stuff to see that is so close, Garden of the Gods, Dead Horse Canyon, Whiskey Cave, Rice Hollow, Overlook, Sand Cave, Lake Lookout there is so much to see we just seen a tip of the iceberg. I would say you need shoes all four, alot of rock some small some pretty big, the horses or mules what ever you ride really have to think on some of the trails where to put there feet, it was some of the BEST riding you could ask for. If you like flat wide trails this is not the place for you to ride. There is the River to River trail that goes thru camp it is a nice ride wider trail and not alot of rock. The only thing I could complain about would be to put a sign down on HWY 34 at the Gas Station that has wonderful pizza that said HIGH KNOB Campground, we blew right by that turn and to cut back the tree branches so the sign is more visible by the burned down building. Other than that we had a wonderful time, JoJo is a greqat host, made us feel so welcome, always coming around to see if we needed anything, they sell wood, bedding, maps, sodas, tack supplies, anything you need they will have or will get it for you. There are 74 perment spots but she has alot of spots avaible for people to come in and enjoy there stay also. Water/elect at every site, very nice covered stalls that have just been built in the last few years (look brand new) that are a stones throw from you site. Highly Recommended place to stay. Thank you JoJo we have a wonderful time and WILL be back soon.
Reviewed by: Darla Fredericksen on 5/12/2014 6:23:00 AM
More reviews by Darla Fredericksen 		Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 5/7/2014 Hometown: Casey, IA

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Myself and three other friends came in to High Knob Campground on a Thursday and left on the following Tuesday. We came in with wind, rain and hail! Jojo was very helpful in trying to provide us with a solid, non muddy place to set up my LQ horse trailer, but with four inches of rain and still more rain coming down, Jojo was more than accommodating! She did her best, in a rain slicker and the mud! Thank you, Jojo! The trails are spectacular...all the rain made for some sloppy messes, but the multiple waterfalls were worth the effort. The Garden of the Gods was a gorgeous area and took us about three hours to ride to. The trails can be tricky and close quarters in areas, but there are also plenty of easier going trails. Jojo or the regular riders can tell you which trails to take. High Knob Campground is a book that should NOT be judged by its cover...it has a few rough edges, but it will impress you. Keep in mind, when trying to locate this campground, my GPS wanted to send me to Equity, Illinois. I had to type in Karbers Ridge to get to the right place. The road coming in was a little bit wash board from the rain, so it was rougher than expected. Hope this helps someone.
Reviewed by: dont.fencmein on 4/7/2014 5:21:35 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 4/4/2014 Hometown: Taneyville, MO

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From the moment I made our reservations, I knew dealing with Jo Jo would be an experience , but never in my my life have I dealt with a horseman that was so rude to her guest. Once we got checked and set up the riding was one of the best our group has experienced . Trails were well marked and maintained. Our group decided that this spring we would give it another try. (Maybe Jo Jo was just having a bad week). We made reservations for Arriving on a Sunday and pulling out on the following Saturday . After reservations were confirmed (4 phone calls and email) she called once more and refused to let us leave on Saturday , because we would mess up future reservation for weekend we were scheduled to leave. Seems like she would make more money for a 6 night stay verses a Friday /Saturday . There is no reasoning with her. Our group are seasoned riders, we have been riding and traveling together for 20 years.
Reviewed by: Brenda Shircliff on 3/23/2014 7:35:13 AM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 10/1/2013 Hometown: Elizabethtown, ky

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this was my first time at high knob. it was suggested by several people and I was so glad I took the suggestion. the trails were wonderful, the hospitality was wonderful, and the hand drawn maps (by jojo) were exactly what we needed to enjoy our days of riding. LOVED our large stalls! we found the camp to be clean and all the staff to be helpful and happy! a plus after long days hauling and long days riding. we will return in the spring.
Reviewed by: lindsay on 10/15/2013 6:50:07 PM
More reviews by lindsay 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/25/2013 Hometown: Charleston, SC

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. Stayed at High Knob campground checked in on October 4th and left on the 11th. The riding out of the campground was wonderful, but I have never seen such disorganization, from the check in process to issues with covered stalls. The whole campground was bussing with dissatisfaction, JoJo needs to get it together or she is going to lose a lot of business.
Reviewed by: Danielle Todd Boushon on 10/15/2013 10:01:01 AM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 10/4/2013 Hometown: Granton, Wisconsin, WI

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We reviewed all the camps in Southern Illinois before driving 650 miles from Pennsylvania, and High Knob had the best ratings. We were not disappointed! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed, given all the info on trails including a hand drawn map by JoJo, the owner, and shown all the available sites. This camp has everything, and the prices were so low! Wood, ice, store, Laundromat, showers, and best of all a cook shack with meals that were excellent, not just burgers-and-fries but home cooked meals every day! The campground was clean, clean, clean! The trails were awesome, and we had no trouble finding our way around thanks to JoJo's maps and clear directions. It was well worth the long drive, and knowing we had a clean, safe, comfortable site to come back to made the riding that much more enjoyable. The trails were what brought us to Illinois, but High Knob Camp is what will keep us coming back.....
Reviewed by: PA Riders on 10/3/2013 3:33:11 AM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/21/2013 Hometown: Garland, PA

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This is a wonderful campground...I would highly recommend this campground for families...great stalls or pens or high lines...bathrooms are clean and showers are warm...Kathy that runs the cook shack, is not only a great cook but before you leave you will call her your friend...the trails are well marked and beautiful...Jo Jo gives great directions too...everyone is there to help make your stay the best...one of the best places we have camped!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will be back!!!!!!!
Reviewed by: Vicki dorsey on 9/15/2013 4:06:04 PM
 Experience: Intermediate Ride Date: 9/11/2013 Hometown: willard , mo

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I was deleted from the High Knob Campground fb page due to my neg review on this site. Please know that I never posted any negitive comments on their page. Only beautiful pictures of the trails out from the camp. Saddle or a horse for sale ect... there is a time and a place such as this site. Just goes to show how the owners are.
Reviewed by: Jeanie Muhs on 9/10/2013 10:06:03 AM
More reviews by Jeanie Muhs 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/2/2013 Hometown: Mount Sterling, Illinois, KY

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We stayed at High Knob over the Labor Day Weekend and had a Great Time! The trails were well marked and the scenery breath taking beautiful. JoJo and her staff were friendly and VERY accommodating to our needs. The DJ Saturday night was a great touch to the weekend and everyone had a great time. The cook shack was open and had excellent food! Our little guy loved the free popsicles in the store! we will DEFINETLY BE BACK! Thank you for a Great weekend JoJo!
Reviewed by: Horse Lover on 9/5/2013 6:19:06 PM
 Experience: Beginner Ride Date: 8/31/2013 Hometown: Lima, OH

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Several people don't like JoJo they just dont have the balls to post it. Some of the permenant campers don't either they just deal with her. It don't matter where you pick a spot cause if she wants her people in there she will just move you. We had out of state friends come we was looking fwd to having a good time and they said they will never go back to High Knob because of the owners. We will still ride in the Shawnee but never stay at High Knob Campground.....grass was not mowed where she parked us and power kept going out.....with out an apology. Over herd the man say it was becayse things were old and rusty.
Reviewed by: lucky on 9/5/2013 8:52:36 AM
 Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/1/2013 Hometown: Mount Sterling, Illinois, KY

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Worst camping experience ever !!!
Reviewed by: Cathe Vea Evans on 9/5/2013 8:20:53 AM
More reviews by Cathe Vea Evans 		Experience: Expert Ride Date: 9/1/2013 Hometown: Petersburg, Michigan, TN

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