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Let’s go old school
Day One — Then again, let’s not…
Deuter 60/70 Ltr Backpack Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Zpacks Arc Haul 65 ltr Backpack Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. A break in the weather means I’m off on a four-day hike of the Whites Creek Trail, South and North Loops at Irish Wilderness. Just for a change I thought I’d take out my old 60/70-liter Deuter backpack for a trip.
Then I changed my mind.
I switched all my gear to the Deuter pack when I discovered the hip belt pocket was too small for my trail snacks, and I couldn’t reach my water bottle. The thought of taking my pack off every time to grab a snack or drink made up my mind to go with my faithful Arc Haul.
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Journal: Three days solo backpacking in Hercules Glades Wilderness, January 2024
View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone with me. Three days backpacking, January 2024. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’m off out for three days, blowing away the cobwebs and walking off some holiday season excesses.
For details of my trip
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At the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail Junction
At the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail Junction. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 39°F and feeling a bit chilly with a slight head wind. Two nights, three days, and a modest 13 miles. That will do for my first run out of 2024. Time to go home and trim my beard. It has done its job!
Day Three Map & Stats
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Tucked up in my hammock
Day Three
Tucked up in my hammock. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Heating water for dinner
Heating water for dinner — Using my Firebox Nano wood stove. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Day Two Map & Stats
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Hammock sunset
Hammock sunset — Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’ January 2024. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Just to prove that I was there
Just to prove that I was there… Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness
View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone with me. Three days backpacking, January 2024. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone with me. Three days backpacking, January 2024. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Camped on the side of ‘Twin Falls Hollow’
Day Two
Camped on the side of ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Another year, same trail cairn
Day One
Another year, same trail cairn — I’m off out for three days, blowing away the cobwebs and walking off some holiday season excesses. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. And it should also be said, I’ve still not learned to look at the lens on the cell phone. Just a short three mile hike on the cards this afternoon.
Day One Map & Stats
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Our grandcat is visiting
Richard being cute – Dick (our grandcat) complementing the color of our furniture. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Dick is staying with us for a couple of months while his mother is off traveling.
Why Richard (Real name Dick Cheney)? Why not (Our other grandcat is called Donald Rumsfeld). It also gives our daughter the opportunity to tell everyone she is sending out ‘Dick Pics’
¯\(ツ)/¯
Richard being cute – Dick (our grandcat) complementing the color of our furniture. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Journal: Four days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, December 2023
Finally, I found a spring with lots of water — Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I spent four days on a hike of the 16-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness. I’ve got a new camping spot to explore, and I want to see the Big Paddy Creek Scenic Overlook in winter, making this a follow-up to my trip back in May.
For details of my trip
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Paddy Creek — Day Four
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What? No end of hike selfie?
What a scenic overlook looks like from the trail. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Nope. So, this will have to do. It’s a scenic overlook on Little Paddy Creek, taken on my hike out.
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Snake on the Trail
This snake was sunning itself on the trail — Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I was not expecting to find snakes out in December, so I’m glad I spotted this one. We’ve not positively ID’d it yet. It doesn’t look dangerous, but when it got fed up with me watching it, it coiled ready to strike and it had a diamond shaped head. But it didn’t have viperous eyes. I left it alone, it wants to sunbathe in December, good luck.
Snake on the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. My best guess (so far) is that it is a Western Rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
My quilt got a little frosty
My quilt got a little frosty, though according to my notes it was only 30°F. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Day Four
The place I planned to stop at didn’t offer any good hammock camping spots, so I crossed Little Paddy Creek in search of somewhere better. I settled for this very scrubby spot because it was starting to get dark. If I’d carried on for another one hundred yards, I would have found a great place to camp.
Oh well, I have that option stored away for another trip.
My quilt got a little frosty, though according to my notes it was only 30°F. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Paddy Creek — Day Three
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What is that I spy up on the ridge?
What is that I spy up on the ridge? Well, I’ll be … I’d just crossed Big Paddy Creek, and I was taking advantage of the lack of Foliage to try and find the Scenic overlook, and there it is — center frame. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Scenic Overlook from Big Paddy Creek — and here it is at the max zoom of my phone. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Looking down Big Paddy Creek
Looking down Big Paddy Creek — not a lot of water flowing. No surprises there. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
A selfie for the folks back home
A selfie for the folks back home. I actually had some cell service here! Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
