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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Video: Hiking to the Trailhead via Long Creek. Hercules Glades Wilderness, March 2023
I was a little over a mile into my five-and-a-half-mile hike back to the trailhead when I decided to make a rough video of the remainder of my hike for my family in the UK. I’ve never done this before, and may not bother again, but here’s the final three-and-a-half hours of my hike, compressed into 14 minutes.
Here’s the final three-and-a-half hours of my hike, compressed into 14 minutes.
Long Creek and the Long Creek trail are hugely popular, so I stay away from them most of the time, but I figured a Monday afternoon in early March ought to be people free, and it was.
Note. In this video I use the historical trail names:
- Cedar Trail is now referred to as the Middle Trail.
- Long Creek Trail is still the Long Creek Trail (but it has been extended to include what was Rock Spring Trail).
- Pole Hollow Trail is now referred to as the Pete Hollow Trail ¯\(ツ)/¯
- Pilot Trail is now referred to as the Tower Trail.
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Spot the trail … (Stereo image)
Spot the trail … Cedar Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Spot the trail … Cedar Trail, Hercules Glades Wilderness. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Rock shelf over Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness
Rock shelf over Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Small falls on Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness
Small falls on Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness. We Camped very near here May 2011. Shoot, that’s 12 years ago! Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Looking down stream. Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness
Looking down stream. Long Creek, Hercules Glades Wilderness. I decided that this was a good place to stop for lunch. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Gary stopped for lunch by Long Creek
Gary stopped for lunch by Long Creek. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Lunch was noodles, pre-cooked bacon, and a Snickers bar for dessert, all washed down with a cup of coffee.
Trying to fill my pot with water and put it on the stove one-handed (while I was videoing making lunch), was unexpectedly difficult and clumsy. I edited out the bit where I tried to pour water on my noodles and half missed! Regardless, it was a nice break by the creek.
Lunch by the creek. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Gary on the Pole Hollow Trail. Hercules Glades Wilderness
Gary on the Pole Hollow Trail. Hercules Glades Wilderness. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I love this glade on the ridge overlooking Pole Hollow. It’s nice to get out into the open after being surrounded by trees and brush for so long. It also taunts you with a view of exactly how much more climbing you have to do, as the trailhead is at the same height as the hills behind me!
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End of trip, back at the Tower Trailhead
End of trip, back at the Tower Trailhead. Trip total a modest 16 miles with 1,100 ft of elevation. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. For a ‘Warm up’ hike, and my first backpacking trip in two months, things went fairly well. I’m a lot slower, but I’m still managing to get up the hills. My only gear change, my new beanie, was nice, warm, and no itches. I’d still like to drop some pack weight, but which luxury item should go? I’m so warm at night that I think I ought to be able to manage to below freezing with my 40℉ quilt, which will save me weight and space.
Now, where to go next?
Trip Totals: 16.16 miles and 1,100 ft of elevation.
End of trip, back at the Tower Trailhead. Trip total, a modest 16 miles with 1,100 ft of elevation. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Journal: Two nights and three days taking it easy at Hercules Glades Wilderness, February 2023
Dusk at the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail cairn — Right on target, 25 minutes from the trailhead. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. My first hike of 2023, and my first hike in two months. Determined to make the best of the time available, I started my trip off with a seven-mile night hike.
For details of my trip
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A change of plans for the weekend
My original plan for the weekend was to drive Jim and Carol home yesterday (Thursday) afternoon after Jim’s eye surgery and stay with them for the weekend. I had beers — okay, steady my miss-beating heart, a beer — some target practice, and some time on the deck in mind. Ginger was scheduled to come and get me Sunday afternoon after time with Katie, who is in town for the weekend.
That plan was scrapped when Jim and Carol showed up at around ten-thirty Thursday morning, declaring that there was no follow up required until Friday morning in Ava. We quickly devised Plan B. Ginger took them home just after lunch (I had meetings scheduled through to five).
I had a quiet Thursday night to myself and drove down to pick up Ginger Friday morning.
We were home by lunch time, leaving the question of what I was going to do with the rest of my Friday off and the weekend?
I decided to head down to Hercules Gades for a couple of nights. That suited Ginger. She was keen to usher me out of the door so that she and Katie could have some mom & daughter time without me cramping their style.
Day One
A change of plans — One thing I didn’t notice, was that my weather app was not working properly. Winds above 20 mph should go from green to yellow to red. I didn’t spot the 40 mph gusts in the forecast until a lot later. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Checking the forecast apart from some rain Friday afternoon, and maybe overnight, it was clearing, and looked to be good hiking weather, not too hot during the day, and not too cold. at night. Standard summer kit with my merino wool shirt and some base layer pants in case it got cold.
Gary at the Pole Hollow trail Junction
Day One — Gary at the Pole Hollow trail Junction. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. So here I am at my obligatory photo op of the Pole Hollow Cairn. I decided I’d head down to my usual haunt at ‘Deep Hollow.’ That would give me a weekend hike of 12 miles. I was secretly harboring a plan on upping that to around 18 miles by adding in the Pees Hollow Trail on my way back. We’ll see how that goes, as that was my plan the last time I hiked The Glades back in February. Then I was late leaving ‘Deep Hollow,’ tired, and I stopped at ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ instead. The next day I hiked straight back to the trailhead, leaving out the extra five-and-a-half miles of the Pees Hollow Trail.
Note. The phone camera software completely screwed up the background. If I want to blur the background, I’ll do it myself using a proper lens and camera. Thank you very much.
Orange hat because it is still turkey hunting season.
