End of hike selfie — I’ve not taken an end of hike self-portrait in a while. Here I am all ready for the drive home. Trip over, four days, three nights, 21 miles, and 1800ft. climbed. Two-minute read.
Backpacking – 12-12-2024
Four days solo backpacking. December 2024.
Hiking the Whites Creek Trail, Irish Wilderness, counter-clockwise.
Camp Five Pond, Irish Wilderness. From the western side looking towards the trailhead and parking lot. Once more, ours is the only vehicle present.
December 15, 2024 14:20
Whites Creek Trail, loop complete. +1
December 15, 2024 14:07
The Whites Creek Trail South Loop is much easier going — As I’ve mentioned this before. If you don’t like hiking through oak woodland, this is not the trail for you.
December 15, 2024 13:55
Whites Creek — there was water running where I camped, but I’d filled up at Fiddler Spring.
December 15, 2024 11:50
Spring — This spring pool was almost empty when I arrived, but it filled up overnight. The rain must have done some good. I’ve never taken water from this spring, for some odd reason I have never trusted it.
December 15, 2024 11:49
Mist after rain — After yesterday’s rain last night and this morning were very misty.
December 15, 2024 8:38
Day Four — Misty, damp morning. I was planning on spending the night at Fiddler Spring, but there was a hunting camp set up there (no one was at home). I grabbed three liters of water from the much slower than usual spring and decided I’d head away from the hunters to this established primitive campsite around three quarters of a mile away.
December 15, 2024 8:37
Dry – Looking up Whites Creek. Now to get to my campsite for the night. Two-minute read, +1
December 14, 2024 15:26
Dry — Whites Creek was dry. The hike here was good, taking me and hour and fifteen minutes to get to Whites Creek. The rain had eased off, and I used a compass bearing to get me from where I’d camped overnight back to the trail. As is usual for this section of the Whites Creek Trail, I lost the trail often, +1
December 14, 2024 15:25
Dry — Whites Creek was dry. The hike here was good, taking me and hour and fifteen minutes to get to Whites Creek. The rain had eased off, and I used a compass bearing to get me from where I’d camped overnight back to the trail. As is usual for this section of the Whites Creek Trail, I lost the trail often, +1
December 14, 2024 15:24
Day Three — View from my hammock, rain and more rain.
December 14, 2024 10:07
Gary at the Eleven Point River Scenic Overlook, Irish Wilderness, December 2024.
December 13, 2024 14:40
Eleven Point River Scenic Overlook, December 2024 — I had a lot of fun getting here. The Whites Creek Trail North Loop was tough to follow, and the downed trees across the trail made for many diversions. Two-minute read
December 13, 2024 14:39
Hammock Camping in Irish Wilderness. If you don’t like this view of the trees, then Irish Wilderness is probably not for you. The view of 90% of the Whites Creek Trail looks just like this. +1
December 13, 2024 7:59
Day Two — Breakfast. As usual, I’m heating my water on my Fancee Feest alcohol stove. And I’m using my boxed Firebox Nano wood stove to keep the alcohol burner off of the ground. +1
December 13, 2024 7:58
Dawn, Day Two on the Whites Creek Trail. Tales of stupidity, critters, and angry deer in the night Two-minute read.
December 13, 2024 6:57
Dusk in Irish Wilderness. A couple of hours later and I’d left the trail in search of a spot to stop for the night. It was just about to get dark as I selected some suitable trees for my hammock. +1
December 12, 2024 16:55
Camp Five Pond, Irish Wilderness. December 2024. What a wonderful afternoon to be hiking in the woods! This is the view from the trail across the Camp Five Pond earthen dam. +1
December 12, 2024 14:36
Camp Five Pond, Irish Wilderness. December 2024. +1
December 12, 2024 14:34
Gary at the Camp Five Pond Trailhead, Irish Wilderness — It’s late in the day (14:30), and I’m carrying 4 liters of water. I want to get around four miles in and camp set up before it gets dark, in about three hours.
December 12, 2024 14:32
It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Irish Wilderness from Springfield.
December 12, 2024 12:37
Prepping for a four-day hike in Irish Wilderness — There’s a break in the weather and even some rain in the forecast. Tomorrow I’m driving the two-and-a-half hours east to Irish Wilderness, and I’m hiking the Whites Creek Trail counter-clockwise and I’m going to take a leisurely four days to do it. Two-minute read, +2