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Day Three — Trail Buddies and the end of the trip
Trail Tortoise #1 – I found this little fella/fellette on the trail. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. a quick check of my pulse confirmed what I thought. I was in AFIB again. I took a pill, tried to relax
It had been a good night, but I woke up feeling very unsettled and a quick check of my pulse confirmed what I thought. I was in AFIB again. I took a pill, tried to relax — hard when your heart is going all over the place — and worked out a plan of action for the day. I was due to meet Ginger between noon and 1 p.m., the latter being the deadline we’d set to head back to the trailhead from Ginger’s camp. That meant I had to leave by 9:30 latest. I could have messaged Ginger’s InReach, and delayed our exit, but I didn’t want to do that and mess with the plans for the rest of the day. I decided to take it easy until around nine, and hope that my pill and some gentle exercise hiking out would help to settle my heart back into a regular rhythm.
By 9:15 a.m. I was ready to get on the trail. I was feeling a bit better and I made sure I drank plenty of water on the hike out.
I’ve met several tortoises on the trail over the years, so seeing the one (above) wasn’t a huge surprise. But less than an hour later I came across another!
Trail Tortoise #2 – less than an hour later I came across another little fella/fellette on the trail. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
The hike out went without incident (thankfully) though the final climb up to the Pees Hollow Trail Junction was harder than it should have been. Once I got there I managed the descent down to Ginger’s camp in 10 minutes. When I arrived Ginger was already packed and ready to head out. However, I needed a rest before turning round and climbing back up to the trailhead.
At 1 p.m. we set off, and the climb out to the trail junction took nearly 30 minutes with lots of stops. From there it was only a short 10-minute walk to the trailhead and the end of our trip.
Later in the day I checked my heart rate for the hike and discovered that I’d maxed out at 177 BPM on the last climb on my way to meet Ginger. That’s way above my recommended max of 155 BPM, and not good when I’m supposed to be recovering from/controlling a bout of AFIB. Taking it slow on the climb back to the trailhead kept my heart rate down where it ought to be, 151 BPM.
Lessons
- Backpacking, none really. It was a good trip. Nothing broke or went wrong. Life lessons, however, are a different story…
- Having access to all this health ‘information’ all the time, makes one wonder. What would I have done ten years ago? Just keep plugging along probably and hope for the best — which I tend to do now anyway — Is it actually good, or bad? Does having this knowledge make any real difference?
- Keep exercising regularly between trips.
- I have got to be more careful and less concerned with the clock and deadline watching. What is it they say — Better late than dead?
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Mini campfire
Mini campfire. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I left a full fuel bottle with Ginger, and while I had enough alcohol for dinner and breakfast, I decided to save fuel and get out my Nano Firebox and have a mini campfire to cook on.
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Bath time
Bath time. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’m looking pleased with myself. That’s probably because I have warmed up after my wilderness bath. The pool wasn’t as deep as I thought — mid-thigh — and a lot colder than I’d anticipated, so I didn’t go for full immersion, but I did stick my head under the falls.
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Bathing Pool in ‘Deep Hollow’
Bathing Pool in ‘Deep Hollow’ — It looks very inviting, but the water was cold! Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Bathing Pool in ‘Deep Hollow’
Bathing Pool in ‘Deep Hollow’ — It looks very inviting, but the water was cold! Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Inaccessible
Inaccessible. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Well, almost inaccessible. Looking downstream from the Bathing Pool in ‘Deep Hollow.’ I timed my arrival just right as the sun was shining through a gap in the trees and lighting up the creek, pool, and falls.
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Meanwhile, back at basecamp
Copyright © 2022 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved. While I’m off hiking Ginger’s enjoying her spot in the woods.
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Day Two – Back at the Pole Hollow cairn
Back at the Pole Hollow cairn. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Here I am, back at the Pole Hollow cairn in Hercules Glades, but this trip is a little bit different.
The difference is Ginger and I came out yesterday and spent last night camped at Ginger’s new favorite campsite. Today, I left Ginger back at camp and I’m off on a solo one-night trip staying at ‘Deep Hollow.’ I’ll be back tomorrow, meet Ginger at her campsite, and we’ll hike out together. This plan gives Ginger some R&R time in the woods, and I get to hike a few miles.
It’s hot today and there’s a bathing pool at ‘Deep Hollow’ that I’m looking forward to cooling off in when I get there. But that’s six miles away, so I’d better get on.
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Journal: Two nights at Hercules Glades Wilderness, May 2022
Bath time — looking pleased with myself. That’s probably because I have warmed up after my wilderness bath. The pool wasn’t as deep as I thought — mid-thigh — and a lot colder than I’d anticipated, so I didn’t go for full immersion, but I did stick my head under the falls. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. A two-night stay at Hercules Glades Wilderness. Ginger and I hiked in Friday night and camped at a nice spot Ginger found last year. Saturday I hiked the six or so miles to ‘Deep Hollow’ and spent the night there. Sunday I hiked back to Ginger’s camp, had some lunch, and then we headed back to the trailhead.
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Ginger’s Glasses
Ginger’s Glasses. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I find them everywhere. I scoop them up from their hiding places and put them somewhere they can be found. She must have 10-20 pairs.
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Hike over
Hike Over. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Now to get back to Springfield and pick up a rental car and drive to Kansas City this afternoon.
Three nights, and 18-ish miles. That’ll do.
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‘That’ cairn
Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail Junction. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It was dark when I hiked in on Friday so I took my customary photograph of the cairn at the junction of the Pilot and Pole Hollow trails on the way out.
At the Pole Hollow Cairn. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Wet trail conditions
Wet conditions. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Hercules Glades Pilot (Tower) Trail
Pilot (Tower) Trail – the trail was a little wet. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Day Three, and the start of the spring turkey hunting season
Day Three, and the start of the spring turkey hunting season – All ready to hit the trail again at ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The spring turkey hunting season opened this morning which explains my snazzy hat. Not that anyone should be taking a potshot while I’m hiking on the trail, but I am camped well away from the trail. Beyond the 200 yards distance you are supposed to be before discharging a firearm.
I’m standing where I hang my hammock, which gives some idea of the lie of the land here.
One day I’ll remember to look at the lens and not the phone’s screen. Le sigh.
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Day Two. Camped at ‘Deep Hollow’
Camped at ‘Deep Hollow’ Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It rained through most of the night and into the morning. It was supposed to warm up today, but that didn’t materialize. I wanted to get a few miles in and be in a good position to get back to the trailhead before noon the next day. My plan was to hike down to Long Creek via the Devi’s Den Trail and then cut back up to the Pilot Trail via either the Glades Trail or the Cedars Trail, do some exploring up ‘Twin Falls Creek’ and find a new place to camp. That would give me a seven or eight-mile hike for the day.
All set up at my ‘Deep Hollow’ campsite. Have I mentioned I forgot to pack my camp chair? Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Rainy Sunday morning – quick picture before I break camp. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
There’s a lot of room under the tarp when the hammock is out of the way. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
Stopped for lunch – Not only did it rain, but without a camp chair I had to eat standing up. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It started raining while I was stopped for lunch in the Devil’s Den (about three miles into my day’s hike), just off of the Rock Spring Trail (Long Creek Trail). While I was eating lunch — standing because of the lack of a camp chair — three hikers came by, which was another incentive to get off the popular Rock Spring Trail as quickly as possible. I decided to take the shorter route via the Glades Trail back to my old stomping ground, ‘Twin Falls Creek’.
Sticking with the plan I explored up ‘Twin Falls Creek’, but my efforts didn’t uncover any nicer camping spots than I’ve already found. I ended up back at the campsite I used on Friday night. Oh well, I did try to find another campsite.
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Looking down ‘Spring Hollow’
Looking down ‘Spring Hollow’ – A new (for me) Scenic Overlook. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I followed a spur trail that I’ve passed by often and wondered where it might lead, and it brought me to this scenic view. My best guess was that ‘Spring Hollow‘ was in front of me. A quick check on the GPS showed I was right.
I had to climb up on a boulder to get this picture and the best of the view.
Behind me was a big fire ring. Unfortunately along with the fire ring, there was a huge discarded blue canvas tarp. Far too big and heavy for me to even consider carrying it out. I’m guessing someone brought it in not thinking about how much weight it would gain when it got wet, and so abandoned it. Maybe they plan to come back. Who knows? What I do know is that the tarp is an eyesore.
Fire ring – Unfortunately along with the fire ring there was a huge discarded blue canvas tarp. Far too big and heavy for me to carry out. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Ready for the day’s hike
Ready for the day’s hike – just about to leave ‘Twin Falls Hollow.’ Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I spent the morning waiting for the rain to clear and contemplating the scenery. Hiking back to the trail, I passed by the falls and both falls were running, it’s been cold, so there was no cold shower today. I took a picture of the falls last time I was here, so I didn’t stop and just carried on hiking.
My plan for the day is to camp at ‘Deep Hollow’ an easy hike of just over three miles. Ginger says, quite rightly, I’m getting predictable with my trips. The truth is with limited time, a return deadline, and wanting to get at least a few miles in while keeping away from people, Hercules Glades is my best bet.
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Sig Sauer P938 & Alien Gear Shape Shift Holster
Sig Sauer P938 & Alien Gear Shape Shift Holster. I may (or may not) have been doing a little target practice. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. So far I’m pretty pleased with this setup. It fits on my pack hip belt well, and I’ve worked out a way to fix the holster to the ridgeline of my hammock. The holster has the retention release on it so the Sig is not going to go anywhere.
The only thing I’m not so keen about with the Sig is its single-action trigger. This means if you carry the gun with a round in the chamber, which I do, the hammer is always cocked. It’s still safe, there’s the safety (and holster) stopping it from being fired. But I prefer the Beretta’s double-action trigger, which you carry with the hammer down. I thought about this a lot before getting the Sig. The difference is mainly psychological. As it turns out, after years of carrying the Beretta ‘locked & loaded,’ I have no problem carrying the Sig with the hammer cocked.
Update
- August 2025 — I’ve just discovered that the Alien Gear ShapeShift holster system no longer includes the retention holster option shown here. When I contacted them, they stated that it had been withdrawn due to safety concerns. Call me cynical, but I think it’s because they are pushing their Level II Duty holsters and Rapid Force system. If they really had a safety concern, they should have issued a recall notice. 🙁
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Once again in ‘Twin Falls Hollow’
Day One – Camped in ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ – I arrived at 9:40 p.m. yesterday after hiking in on a dark and foggy night. Copyright © 2022 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’ve not had a chance to draw breath this year. Work has been super busy, plus the weather and catching up with chores at home have managed to keep me off the trails.
I wasn’t going to be able to get away this weekend either because I do some things on social media for work that I cannot schedule in advance. Ginger volunteered to do them for me so I could get away. It was nearly six-thirty when I left home, with a one hour and fifteen-minute drive and then a couple of hours hiking ahead of me, it was going to be a night hike with a promise of rain.
I was on the trail by seven forty-five, about half an hour before dusk. After hiking for under an hour it was pitch black and very foggy, but at least no rain. Despite the fog, I saw two deer, a rabbit, and my first lightning bug of the year. I also heard some peepers (frogs). The lack of visibility didn’t seem to slow me down too much, I arrived at my campsite in just under two hours. Setting up camp, I was most dismayed to find I’d left my camp chair at home. Oh well, three nights of sitting and eating in the hammock it will have to be.
It rained a lot overnight, but I was snug, dry, and warm. The forecast is for warm-ish days, cool nights, and more than enough rain. I’m staying out for a total of three nights. I would have liked to be out longer, but I have to be back in Springfield to pick up a rental vehicle Monday afternoon and then drive up to Lee’s Summit for a meeting. No extended trips for me at the moment.
