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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.
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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.
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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.
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Packed and Ready to go
Packed and ready to go. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The Bishop’s staff (that would be me and my co-workers) were delivering the second of two training events for new vestry and church leaders this Saturday morning. Like most meetings nowadays, it was on Zoom. I got to be slide master, and we all gave 10-minute talks to introduce ourselves and let the folks know how we can help them. While I was running the slides, some of my colleagues were diligently playing mute the microphones whack-a-mole. Of course the weather is set fair today, and I was working.
I decided I’d fit in a quick one-nighter and packed ready last night. As soon as we’d finished delivering the morning’s training I was ready to get changed and head out of here!
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Post-trip, looking at this picture I realized there are a few things I can do to improve how I stow things.
Currently, the right pocket is used to keep my waterproofs, and mini-tripod and the left pocket is where I keep my water bottle.
The giant mesh back pocket looks like it is pretty jampacked, and it is, but it’s all things that can get wet and so don’t need to be kept in my pack, leaving room inside for more food, clothes, and other goodies.
What’s in my mesh pocket?
- Water scoop, filter and purification
- Back-flushing syringe for the water filter
- Dirty water pouch
- Alcohol fuel
- Lunch (noodles)
- Trash bag
- 6′ x 2′ Tyvek groundsheet
- Hammock straps
- Stakes for the tarp
- Camp light
- Cathole trowel
- Wash bottle (aka backwoods douche)
- Baby wipes
- Towel
And here are the changes I’m planning.
- Camp Light. I’ve been keeping the camp light in this pocket because it is water-resistant and has a big magnet. I didn’t want to keep it with the other electronics and more specifically, my compass. However, I’m moving my compass to a more accessible location (probably my front shoulder pocket), I can now keep the camp light with all the other electrical gear in my pack.
- Back-flushing syringe. It can be left behind. I can use the platypus water bladder to flush the filter. I shall be glad to see it go. It’s big, has to be kept clean, and I’ve never used it on the trail.
- Alcohol Fuel, Water scoop, filter, etc. I’m moving them to the right-hand pocket, and I’m moving my waterproofs to the mesh pocket. It just makes more sense to make better use of the side pockets.
- Cathole trowel, Wash bottle (aka backwoods douche), and Baby wipes. I’m going to experiment with these, and see if I can fit them in the side pockets. Whatever I can’t fit elsewhere, will stay in the mesh pocket.
In theory, all I’ll have in the mesh pocket in the future are:
- Waterproofs
- Noodles (for lunch)
- Trash bag
- Dirty water pouch
- 6′ x 2′ Tyvek groundsheet
- Hammock straps
- Stakes for the tarp
- Towel
- Tarp (see below)
The freed-up space in the mesh pocket will let me move my tarp out of my pack, which is great, as it is the first thing I get out when I make camp, and often, it’s the last thing I put away. With all the wet weather I’ve encountered recently, I’ve been stowing the tarp wet, and I’m not keen on keeping wet things inside my pack, even if all my gear is kept in Dynema dry bags.
Now I need a break in the weather and a weekend when I’m not working to be able to get out and test if this new arrangement is going to work.
Update: It worked fine. here’s my pack all squared away with my new packing regime.
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New work profile picture
Gary Allman Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It’s time for a new profile picture for work — the old one was taken in 2011, ten years ago. How did that happen? So here’s goofy Gary in a quick self-portrait. Well not that quick, because I needed to use the 35mm lens, and my arms aren’t long enough to handhold the camera with that lens, so the tripod and remote shutter release had to be set up, and the latter’s battery was expired… So much for a quick selfie!
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Snow February 2021
Snow February 2021 – And this is the last time you’ll see the three trees at front of the house. Before the snow melted they were cut down. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. The snow was really fine and fluffy. Very easy to work with. Though I must confess, Ginger cleared the pathway down the drive (I was working at the time — no snow days when you work online). I cleared the path to the house and the front decks.
And yes, enjoy the three trees at the front of the house. A week later they were cut down. One was rotten, the other was a nuisance, and that little cedar just a pain in the backside.
Snow-covered front deck – there are three decking levels hidden under the snow. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Snowy Feat
Snowy Feat – despite it being around 13°F (-10°C) it wasn’t too cold. I ended up spending around 20 minutes outside clearing the snow off the front deck and path. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I just couldn’t resist giving it a try. Despite it being around 13°F (-10°C) it wasn’t too cold. I ended up spending around 20 minutes outside clearing the snow off the front deck and path.
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Snowy backyard with chairs gathered around the fire pit
Snowy backyard – this was before the final snowfall that added another couple of inches. What the picture doesn’t show is the myriad floating and twinkling ice crystals glinting in air. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It got cold. -13°F (-25°C) cold. Yes, we had a couple of short power cuts, but they were a minor inconvenience. Fortunately a week or so before the cold snap we had our furnace replaced with a new high-efficiency model.
Snowy backyard – this was before the final snowfall that added another couple of inches. What the picture doesn’t show is the myriad floating and twinkling ice crystals glinting in air. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Cold – Ho hum
It is 0°F (-17°C) outside, and we’ve just been told that there are going to be ‘rolling’ blackouts of 30-60minutes. Yay.
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Snow day gear repairs
Gear Repairs – Cat briar damage. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I’m usually pretty easy on my equipment, but recently I’ve got careless and damaged three items of my backpacking gear. My puffy jacket, my underquilt protector, and my rain skirt1. My last backpacking trip in 2020 accounted for the first two when I burned a hole in the cuff of my puffy jacket and then tore my underquilt protector falling out of my hammock. The rain skirt I tore on my first trip of 2021. I put it on when it started to hail, and then not paying good enough attention to where I was going, I got into some cat briars.
Today I removed my temporary duct tape fixes and applied permanent repairs to my underquilt protector and rain skirt. Given how difficult it proved to remove the repair tape from the backing sheet, I’m not tempted to take the repair tape out backpacking. I’ll stick with my current duct tape solution, which will hold until I can put a permanent repair into effect. I should mention that the repair tape is a lot harder to see in real life. I took advantage of its more reflective finish to make it stand out in the pictures. I also worked more on getting the last traces of trapped air out. As there is missing (burned away) material on my puffy, I have some black tenacious tape I’ll be using to effect that repair.
Anyone with children should know why I’ve got the red tape on my scissors.
1Rain Skirt. I’ve found that the rain skirt is much lighter and more practical than rain pants. More practical because it has multiple uses, provides much more freedom of movement, and isn’t as hot and sweaty to wear. I shan’t mention that it makes taking a pee a lot easier too.
Darn, I mentioned it. 🙂
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Hmmm, bacon
Any day that starts with bacon is good…
I start every day with bacon. 🙂 -
Ugh!
Today is a triple espresso + Mountain Dew type of day…
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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.
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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.
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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. -
All packed up and ready to head home
All packed up and ready to head home – and it’s only six-and-a-half miles of fairly flat going. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It’s 12:46 p.m., the rain is due to start at 2 p.m.(-ish), and I have a six-and-a-half mile hike. A year ago, I’d allow nearly seven hours for the journey, which would get me there around 8 p.m. I reckon I’ll do it in four to five hours at my current hiking speeds, which should get me back to the trailhead before dark.
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Gear damage
Gear Damage Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. I tore my under quilt protector when I fell out of my hammock on my last trip. Despite spending half-an-hour looking for the damage at home, I didn’t find it. I’ve now made careful notes of where the damage is so I can repair it. I’m usually pretty easy on my gear. In the past couple of trips I’ve:
- Burned a hole in my new down jacket,
- Torn my under quilt protector,
- Torn my rain skirt.
I’m hoping tenacious tape will fix all of the above.
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Improvised water filtering arrangements
Improvised water filtering. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. This is what happens when you don’t use a packing list and pack in a hurry. I forgot to pack the 64oz water pouch I use for holding unfiltered water. The pouch screws onto the filter, squeeze it, and you have clean water. Fortunately, my 8oz squeezy washing bottle has the same fittings, so I used that instead. It’s good to know I have a backup if I ever burst my 64oz pouch.
Of course, I could have chemically treated or boiled my water, but this worked fine.
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Hot chocolate to start the day
Hot chocolate to start the day. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. It rained — a lot — overnight. It was expected, and there is more rain forecast from 2 p.m. this afternoon too.
A misty, drizzly day – Once again my trip is forecast to end in rain. I think that’s every trip since September. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’
Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’ – Despite exploring for several miles yesterday, this appears to be the only place near a water source. Oh, and it rained (a lot) overnight. Copyright © 2021 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
