All my posts about Hercules Glades Wilderness presented in chronological order. Click here to see the pictures of Hercules Glades Wilderness without all the text.
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A wet hike back to the trailhead
Storm clouds rolling in – Will I beat the storm to the trailhead? Day Two, Hercules Glades, Pees Hollow Trail. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The thunder kept on rumbling, and I picked up my pace. It still looked like the storm would pass to the south, but there was another storm to the west that looked like it might pass close by.
Storm clouds rolling in – Will I beat the storm to the trailhead? Day Two, Hercules Glades, Pees Hollow Trail. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Really? – This is the look you get when I’m soaked to the skin, having just walked for half-an-hour or so in a downpour, and yet I still decide to take an end of trip selfie. Day Two, Hercules Glades, Pees Hollow Trail. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was among the trees when the straight-line wind hit, and the cool air it brought was very welcome. The rain followed. I’d already decided that I was warm enough not to bother trying to keep dry, I had a change of clothes in the car for the drive home. I stowed my camera and cell phone in my backpack and carried on hiking in the downpour. And a downpour it was, more refreshing than uncomfortable. I quite enjoyed my sodden hike. It kept on raining until I was nearly back at the trailhead. My hat did a grand job of keeping the rain off my glasses and out of my eyes, so that was a success.
The trailhead parking lot was empty apart from one RV, and the sun was just starting to break through again. I decided to grab a selfie before getting changed, and just as I was doing so a motorcycle arrived, which partially explains my expression in the picture, though I think the caption is closer to reality.
And that’s another trip completed, and it was a bit different. Bushwhacking in the summer just isn’t a good idea (words I should have kept in mind on my next trip). But I enjoyed myself, my new hat did just what I wanted it to, and the only issue — apart from my encounter with the unknown wildlife — was with the tarp suspension slipping, and I know what the solution is to that, I just need to get online and buy some rope and another fastener, and I’ll have a set up with two tie-outs instead of my current continuous ridgeline.
Getting some time to just sit and enjoy being out was great, it’s something I’ve been meaning to treat myself to for a while. I think I need to factor in more down time in future. Oh, and did I mention that this was my birthday weekend hike? Well, it was. Happy birthday to me.
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Back on the trail
Gary at the junction of the Pilot (Tower) and Pole (Pete) Hollow Trails – I was distracted at the trailhead and didn’t take any pictures. This is my usual spot for a quick selfie and the Pole Hollow cairn. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was working in Kansas City two Saturday’s running, so I decided I’d earned myself a Monday off, and headed down to my usual stomping ground, Hercules Glades for a single night visit. It’s been very dry of late, so finding water away from the popular spots might be a challenge. I decided that the pool under the Twin Falls might still have some water, and if I couldn’t find any there, I’d hike on to Rock Spring which has always seemed to be a reliable water source. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do. I might just stop somewhere and do nothing, or I might try and get a few miles in. I’d make up my mind once I’d settled for the night.
There were some people at the trailhead which put me off my trailhead selfie stride, so I stopped to grab a picture with the cairn at the junction of the Pilot and Pole Hollow Trails — as you can see I failed to get the cairn in the picture. Oh well.
Hercules Glades – Pilot (Tower) Trail – I’m on a one-night solo trip. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
All set up at my spot near ‘Twin Falls’ creek
Camped near ‘Twin Falls’ creek – I’m trying out a new tarp setup, and I have a new, much improved food bag. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Spring-fed pool – I’d previously found a spring and broken spring box here. Given how dry everything is at the moment, I was glad to find water. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I must be getting quicker because it only took me a couple of hours to hike the Pilot Trail to ‘Twin Falls’ creek. The creek bed and falls were dry, the pool at the foot of the falls was tiny. I remembered the spring box and spring I’d found further down ‘Twin Falls Hollow,’ so I gave myself half an hour to search for water before I gave up and hiked another three miles to Rock Spring.
Spring box on ‘Twin Falls Creek.’ Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Spring on ‘Twin Falls Creek’ – theres no water running in the pipe, but the spring is still producing water. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Ten minutes later I’d bushwhacked down the hollow, found the spring, and there was plenty of water. Happy I’d secured my water source, I climbed up the hill to a spot I’ve camped at a couple of times before. I sat down and enjoyed the view for a few minutes before setting up camp. I’ve made a few gear changes, that seems to be the story of my backpacking life! I’ve changed the tarp setup, hopefully, it will no longer slip in the wet. It’s the first time I’ve set the new system and I took it slowly, working out the best way to rig it to make it easy to use in future. Besides the tarp setup, I have a new Dyneema food bag, rock sack, — a small sack you put a rock in to throw the food bag line over a tree branch — and a small pouch to keep my keys and wallet in. The rock sack surprised me. It was a lot better than the previous one I was using. I easily got the line over a branch 20 feet up.
Recently, thinking about my gear, I realized that my next step is to start simplifying things, removing anything unnecessary. It’s not so much weight as bulk that I’m looking at reducing. This trip I tried out a compression sack for my quilts. It worked fine, but I’m not 100% convinced that this is the way I want to go (yet). I really liked it when I was just shoving the quilts into my pack with no stuff sacks at all, and I have a new Dyneema pack liner to try out, which for some reason I didn’t bother to use on this trip. If you’ve not heard of it, Dyneema, is a very strong, lightweight, waterproof, and expensive fabric.
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Camp Life – Journaling
Camp Life – Journaling – One of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Today was one of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking.
Camp Life – Journaling – One of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Camp Life – Journaling – One of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Camp Life – Journaling – One of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Camp Life – Journaling – One of the few times I’ve actually got round to writing in my journal while I’m out backpacking. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Morning tea, breakfast in bed, and things that rustle through the underbrush at night
Morning tea and breakfast in bed. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. In the dark, the animals that you imagine are making the noises grow four-fold or more, with teeth to match!
The night was quiet, but not without some visitors. First, there was a pissed-off deer huffing, puffing, and stomping, then some coyotes yipped and howled their way past on the trail a couple of hundred yards away, and finally, there was something creeping through the underbrush. The latter, I don’t mind admitting, spooked me.
I’ve taken part in several discussions online about night noises in the wilderness. It takes a while to adjust to them, and this was my first trip in a couple of months. In the dark, the animals that you imagine are making the noises grow four-fold or more, with teeth to match! Some people wear earplugs so they remain blissfully ignorant. I tend to ignore the noises or tell the critters to go away. Not that they take much notice.
This one got me out of my hammock peering around in the dark to try and see what (and where) it was. The last time that happened was at Piney Creek Wilderness in 2018. Maybe my recent dream about something walking into my hammock affected me more than I thought. Anyway, I told myself I was being silly and retired to my book again. Whatever it was (probably an armadillo or a possum) snuffled off.
Breakfast and tea in bed, are not quite as relaxed as they look. Mainly because before you can make tea or prepare your breakfast, you have to wander off into the woods to retrieve your food bag. Needless to say, I didn’t bother lighting my wood burner and used the Fancee Feest stove to heat the water.
Morning tea and breakfast in bed. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Watching the wildlife (and drinking tea)
Watching the wildlife (and drinking tea) – I watched a deer run past, followed shortly afterwards by a much more stealthy coyote. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I planned on having a relaxing morning, and getting away around noon. While I was sitting enjoying the morning and my second cup of tea, I heard and then saw a deer running north on a game trail about 50-100ft down the hill from where I was. The wind was blowing up the hill, so the deer didn’t have a clue I was there. That was cool. Then a few minutes later I watched a much more stealthy coyote trotting along the trail in the same direction. I didn’t hear the coyote, but it moved some brush which caught my eye, so I was able to watch it pad along the game trail in front of me. That was even more cool!
Watching the wildlife (and drinking tea) – I watched a deer run past, followed shortly afterwards by a much more stealthy coyote. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
First trail junction of Day Two
First trail junction of Day Two – This is the junction with the Devil’s Den East Trail (Upper Pilot Trail). Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. This is the junction of the Pilot (Tower) Trail with the Devil’s Den East Trail (Upper Pilot Trail).
And below we have another example of what the well-dressed Brit backpacker is wearing out on the trails.
All ready for the trail – though I see a minor dress malfunction. The belt on my kilt has got caught on the hip belt of my pack and I’m showing far too much leg. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Though, as it says in the caption, there is a minor dress malfunction. The belt on my kilt has got caught on the hip belt of my pack and I’m showing far too much leg.
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Long Creek Falls
Long Creel Falls – I knew the falls wouldn’t be running. I also knew they’d be plenty of water in the pool for my lunch. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The falls were dry as expected, but there was plenty of water in the pools. Enough for me to think about having a dip before continuing on my way. There had been no one else on the trails (the spider webs across the trails gave that away), but while I was heating water for my lunch a small group of people arrive, dashing my plans for a finding out how deep the water was.
I spent over an hour here, enjoying the view and eating my lunch.
Looking down Long Creek. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
The pool below The Falls
Pool below The Falls. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
End of the hike
Looking east from the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail – that’s another view I don’t get tired of. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I had a bit of trouble getting up onto the ridge. The bottom of the trail was very overgrown and I couldn’t spot the trail heading up the ridge. I quartered the area for a short time, I checked the GPS, and then I decided that rather than waste any more time I’d just bushwhack up the side of the hollow, and pick up the trail on the ridge. Bushwhacking out of the hollow was tough. Not only was the brush dense, but the hollow is also steep. But sure enough, once I got up on the ridge I found the trail and got on my way. I stopped on the top of the ridge to take the above picture, I’ve taken several pictures here before, but the late afternoon sun made the lighting different.
I’d left the pool below The Falls around three-fifteen p.m. I reckoned I’d be back at the trailhead between half-past five and six p.m. Bushwhacking out of the hollow had slowed me down, but I was at the cairn at the junction of the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail and the Pilot (Tower) by four thirty-seven. There I looked to see if I could find the stones I’d place there in April, and I think I did. The Cairn is only half an hour from the trailhead so my timing was good.
Our rocks are still on the cairn – the cairn at the junction of the Pilot (Tower) and Pole (Pete) Hollow Trails. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. There are four hills to climb between the cairn and the trailhead, and I was rapidly losing steam. Even with a few stops to catch my breath, I got back to the parking lot by five-thirty p.m. Hike over!
Well almost. I noticed a big poster on the noticeboard, so I headed over to read it. I found I could see what it said from a fair way away, it was just a standard ‘No Fireworks’ poster. But, I hadn’t been thinking, and I’d crossed and stood on a load of grass. There must have been a lot of hungry chiggers in that grass, as I had loads of bites – 50 to 100. The bites didn’t stop itching for a week, and I’m still covered in scabs.
Hike over – Selfie back at the car. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
