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.
-
Nothing to see here, move on…
View? there’s supposed to be a view… Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
View from a glade. Hercules Glades – Day Two. Copyright © 2020 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Just as a refresher, this (pictured right) is what I’d expect to see somewhere around here. It was very misty, drizzly, and damp.
Misty Glade. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Back at the Pole Hollow Cairn
Back at the Pole Hollow Cairn. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Just checking my rocks. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It was too dark on the hike out Friday night for my obligatory Pole Hollow Cairn selfie, so I decided to slip one in on my return hike.
-
Hike over, back at the trailhead
Hike over, back at the trailhead. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. That’s my hike over, and it’s just before 4:15 p.m. Not bad, and still daylight. I should be home by 5:45 p.m. I completed today’s hike of six-plus miles in a little over three hours. I’ll take that.
-
Journal: Searching for springs at Hercules Glades Wilderness, February 2021
Pole Hollow Cairn (again) – I almost got the cairn in this picture. I’ll have to go back and try again. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The weather seems to be doing a better job of keeping me off the trails in 2021 than COVID-19 did in 2020. I could have gotten out last week, but the ground was covered in snow, and I didn’t have any suitable footwear. So, (a) I ordered some footwear. Hopefully, I’ll not be caught out again, and (b) I had to wait another week before getting out on the trail. Even worse, I had a work event booked for Saturday morning, so it was going to have to be a short overnight trip, with, surprise, surprise, a lot of rain in the forecast.
-
Pole Hollow Cairn (it’s behind me)
Pole Hollow Cairn (it’s behind me) – and a picture of my new mustard-colored merino wool base layer top too. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The weather seems to be doing a better job of keeping me off the trails in 2021 than COVID-19 did in 2020. I could have got out last week, but the ground was covered in snow, and I didn’t have any suitable footwear. So, (a) I ordered some footwear. Hopefully, I’ll not be caught out again, and (b) I had to wait another week before getting out on the trail. Even worse, I had a work event booked for Saturday morning, so it was going to have to be a short overnight trip, with, surprise, surprise, a lot of rain in the forecast.
I packed my backpack Friday night and I was ready to go as soon as I got changed after our training event finished. That almost worked. But before I could get on my way I had to dump a load of Amazon boxes at the recycling facility here in town.
With the lack of time and the fact I wanted to get some miles under my feet, I decided that (yet) another trip to Hercules Glades was going to be in order. Only this time, despite the late start, I was going to hike in six miles and then go off in search of a spring I had noticed marked on the map. The spring was a good way from the main trail, and it looked to be in a fairly steep location (it was), but I figured I could find a camping spot nearby (I did).
The day had started sunny, but I knew I had a six-mile race against the rain which was forecast to arrive around five p.m. And I didn’t start my hike until two p.m.! In a repeat of several of my recent trips, it was time to ‘pour on the coal’ and get moving. I made excellent progress, by 5 p.m. I had found my campsite, and I put my tarp up to provide shelter against the coming rain. After that it was just the usual setting up camp chores of collecting water, finding a tree to hang my food bag from, and setting up my hammock.
This picture was very taken very hastily. Not because I was in a hurry, but because as I was taking it, I heard voices coming up the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail. I grabbed the photo and scampered off as quickly as possible to avoid having to meet the hikers.
Have I mentioned that I don’t like meeting people on the trail and that I backpack to get away from people? Yeah, I thought I might have mentioned that a few times before.
-
An evening visitor and more clumsiness
My friend for the evening – Apparently this little peeper didn’t want to stay out in the rain. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was sitting in my hammock thinking about preparing dinner when I felt some water splash on my foot. It was raining hard, but I was nice and dry, and I thought it a bit odd. I bent down to investigate and spotted this little peeper, who’d hopped in to join me sheltering from the rain. It wasn’t at all perturbed by the attention I was giving it and it stayed for quite a while. I then remembered to hang up my shoes (top of frame — more about them later) so it didn’t take residence in them and get squished in the morning.
More clumsiness
Later in the evening I decided to have a cup of hot chocolate. Nothing wrong with that, except as I sat in my chair, it tipped over, dumping me on the ground, and in the process I sprayed hot chocolate everywhere. So much for keeping a clean camp. I’ll admit, the incident, no doubt hilarious to any onlooker, depressed me. I began to wonder if I’m safe out backpacking anymore. It was only much later that I realized that part of my lack of coordination is due to my glasses. I wear progressives while backpacking, and it’s about the only time I do. I know from when I used to wear them all the time that there is a settling-in period when your brain has to get used to the distorted view they give. For now, I’m going to hope that that is the problem and try to be more careful. In case you’ve missed out on my previous bouts of clumsiness/stupidity, here’s a list.
- Burned a hole in the sleeve of my new down jacket.
- Set up my stove in a place where it was blown over by the wind.
- Fell out of my hammock.
- Torn a hole in my underquilt protector.
- Ripped a hole in my waterproofs.
- Knocked over my stove while cooking breakfast (we won’t mention that I was cooking breakfast under my tarp at the time).
And now,
- Sprayed hot, sweet, sticky, chocolate drink over a load of my gear.
I just hope the year gets less eventful from now onwards.
-
Camped above ‘Spring Hollow’
Camped above ‘Spring Hollow’ – the discovery of several springs near here decided me on my name for this hollow. It needs a name, as I’ll be back. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The discovery of several springs near here decided me on my name for this hollow. It needs a name, as I’ll be back.
There are no obvious water sources along the Pilot trail and on the western side of the wilderness, and the Pilot trail is one of the lesser-traveled trails. This is why I’ve been exploring and looking for water sources, so I can camp and enjoy the wilderness without people around. Down by Long Creek I’ve seen 30 people go by in an afternoon. That’s not my idea of fun.
This picture is part of a deliberate stereo pair. I wanted to take a stereo picture because pictures of the forest tend to lack depth and just appear as a visual jumble, seeing it in three dimensions separates it all out.
-
Sunshine on a rainy morning
Sunshine on a rainy morning. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. This is another deliberate stereo pair. The break in the rain was brief but long enough for me to get some pictures and do some exploring.
-
A break in the clouds
A break in the clouds – and it was a very brief break. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Rainy day
Rainy day – and it had been a rainy night, the night before. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
