Outdoor Activities

Time spent in the great outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, paddling, and shooting. Anything well away from the madding crowd.

Ready to get on the trail — I’m planning on spending four days hiking the Whites Creek Trail. This time I’m starting with the South Loop (I don’t know why they call it a loop it is not. But hey!).

At the Camp Five Pond Trailhead — It’s good to be back. It might be a challenging trip, it’s very early in the season so the trail is going to be difficult to follow. I’m hiking the trail backwards — clockwise, leaving the eight-mile, possibly water-less, section for the last two days.

A break in the weather means I’m off on a four-day hike of the Whites Creek Trail, South and North Loops at Irish Wilderness. Just for a change I thought I’d take out my old 60/70-liter Deuter backpack for a trip. Then I changed my mind. 2

Journal: Three days solo backpacking in Hercules Glades Wilderness, January 2024 — I’m off out for three days, blowing away the cobwebs and walking off some holiday season excesses. Journal: 4 10

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

Day Three. Tucked up in my hammock. Deep Hollow, January 2024.

Heating water for dinner — Using my Firebox Nano wood stove.

Hammock sunset — Camped above ‘Deep Hollow’ January 2024.

Just to prove that I was there.

View to the south from the slopes of Lower Pilot Knob – Hercules Glades Wilderness.

Camped on the side of ‘Twin Falls Hollow’ The start of Day Two of my trip.

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.

Journal: Four days hiking the Big Piney Trail, Paddy Creek Wilderness, December 2023. I spent four days on a hike of the 16-mile loop of the Big Piney Trail in Paddy Creek Wilderness. This is a follow-up to my trip back in May. Journal: 10 38

Paddy Creek — Day Four.

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.

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

My quilt got a little frosty, though according to my notes it was only 30°F. +1

Paddy Creek — Day Three.

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

Looking down Big Paddy Creek — not a lot of water flowing. No surprises there.

A selfie for the folks back home — I actually had some cell service here!

Scenic overlook on the Big Piney Trail — Looking Northwest.

Scenic overlook on the Big Piney Trail — Looking Southeast.

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.

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