At the Pole (Pete) Hollow Trail Junction. 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! +1
cellphone
Day Three. Tucked up in my hammock. Deep Hollow, January 2024.
January 4, 2024 8:38
Heating water for dinner — Using my Firebox Nano wood stove.
January 3, 2024 16:52
Hammock sunset — Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’ January 2024.
January 3, 2024 16:20
Just to prove that I was there.
January 3, 2024 14:00
View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness.
January 3, 2024 13:47
Camped on the side of ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ The start of Day Two of my trip.
January 3, 2024 7:57
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.
January 2, 2024 14:16
What? No end of hike selfie? Nope. So, this will have to do. It’s a scenic overlook on Little Paddy Creek, taken on my hike out.
December 7, 2023 13:46
Snake on the Trail — 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. +1
December 7, 2023 12:40
My quilt got a little frosty, though according to my notes it was only 30°F. +1
December 7, 2023 7:11
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. +1
December 6, 2023 15:11
Looking down Big Paddy Creek — not a lot of water flowing. No surprises there.
December 6, 2023 15:10
A selfie for the folks back home — I actually had some cell service here!
December 6, 2023 14:22
Scenic overlook on the Big Piney Trail — Looking Northwest.
December 6, 2023 14:05
Scenic overlook on the Big Piney Trail — Looking Southeast.
December 6, 2023 14:04
Scenic overlook on the Big Piney Trail — This view was the reason for my trip. I’d seen this vista in the spring, and I wanted to come back and see it in winter. I’m glad I did.
December 6, 2023 14:03
Making lunch — That’s the objective of this trip achieved, I’m at the Big Paddy Creek Scenic Overlook. It is time to make lunch and enjoy the view.
December 6, 2023 13:56
Signs of civilization — The yucca plants appear wherever there used to be an old homestead. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, December 2023.
December 6, 2023 12:41
Frosty Morning in Paddy Creek Wilderness — Not that it is easy to see the frost in this picture, but it is there!
December 6, 2023 9:19
Running Repairs — I’ve always had a plan for dealing with broken shoes on the trail. But … that plan reckoned on the toe post breaking not the side posts. I did a bit of head scratching before I came up with this solution which lasted me the ten-plus miles I needed to hike to get back to the car.
December 6, 2023 8:14
Frosty Morning in Paddy Creek Wilderness — The temperature dropped to 19°F (-7°C) overnight. The predicted low was 28°F. Once again I was glad I changed my mind and packed my bigger and heavier 10°F quilts. 4
December 6, 2023 8:13
Not where I expected to be, not what I expected to find, and some minor problems along the way — Finally I found a spring with lots of water. 3 2
December 5, 2023 14:51
Don’t take a step back …