Day One

The guys around here take their deer hunting and comforts seriously. Chatting with one of them, I discovered they’d already got their quota of one non-antlered deer per person and were getting ready to pack up.

I’ve taken a few days’ vacation, it’s firearms deer hunting season, so I decided against going to one of the more remote wildernesses opting for Hercules Glades (again). Anyone hunting here knows the trails get a lot of foot and horseback traffic. I camp well off the trail, which puts me right where the hunters are likely to be. I’ll be very visible, as I have my blaze orange tabard wrapped around my pack, and I’m wearing a blaze orange beanie. I must get a blaze orange hatband or cap for my usual hat, but I didn’t think of that until it was too late for this trip.

Initially, I was thinking of starting my hike going the six miles down to the bluffs on Beaver Creek. However, I’ve come across several hunting camps and blinds there. Plus, the area doesn’t see a lot of casual foot traffic, so I decided to err on the side of caution and start my trip with a visit to a new campsite Ginger found last week on the Pees Hollow Trail. According to the map, there’s a spring nearby. If I can find it, this will make another good off-trail campsite with a reliable water supply — I’m always on the lookout for new water supplies.

As for the rest of my time, I’ve not decided where I’m going to go yet, but I would like to get a reasonable amount of miles under my belt. I’ve not been out much this year, and I’m not in good shape (again). Work’s been intense for the past two to three months, and the home gym has been standing idle. We’ll see how it goes.

The only new gear I have this trip is a smart water bottle (everyone seems to use them, so I thought I’d find out what all the fuss is about), and I’ve got some hose and connectors for a gravity water filter, which will hopefully put less stress on the dirty water containers after I split one back in September.

The weather is set to be cold tonight, 33°F, and then get steadily warmer with a chance of rain on my last day. Despite tonight’s cold forecast, I’ve brought my summer (40°F) top quilt but I’ve paired it with my winter (10°F) under quilt. I’ve got my merino wool baselayer and my puffy jacket to keep me warm.