The pickup belongs to the couple I met on the trail. The other vehicle was a couple who arrived just after I’d got back. They were looking for the trailhead and trail.
Near the trailhead, I noticed this tree (below), which appears to be a thong tree (Native American trail sign), but looks to my uneducated eye to be far too young. But it’s in the right sort of place and pointing in the right sort of direction…
Wrap up
According to the GPS I hiked a total of 12.5 miles this trip, bringing my monthly total to 18.99 miles and four nights out in the hammock. Not quite the 20 miles I was aiming for, but close.
Gear & Notes
- The backpack worked well, but I need to re-think my wet weather gear. I do not need a heavy, backpack covering poncho when I have a waterproof backpack (not to mention that all the dry things are kept in a plastic contractor bag inside my pack).
- The Fancee Feest stove worked well too, but I’m going to take out a Trangia next time so I can compare the two. It may be I’ve not given the Fancee Feest (or myself) enough time to get acquainted, but I don’t like (okay I’m not particularly good at) finessing the amount of fuel I put in. That’s not a problem with the Trangia.
- I’m not overjoyed about using stuff sacks for my quilts, but the backpack is much more comfortable when I do. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get away without stuff sacks when I switch to my much smaller summer quilts.
- Now I’ve worked out the best setup for my pack I need to get out on another trip to check it out and refine it 🙂
- I’m going to leave my journal behind in future. I hardly use it, and if I need to make notes I can write on the back of the map.
- Spare Meal. Somehow I only packed one main meal, so having the spare on-hand was a great help, or I would have been a hungry Gary on Day Three.
- I need to be more careful. Twice I stepped on slippery fallen tree trunks and slipped off. “That’s how you break a leg.” I thought to myself at the time. I was very careful near the river which, incidentally, was running fast. Even so, I ended up slipping and falling on my backside getting down to the water’s edge. I forget I’m now in my sixties and probably need to take a bit more care.
Day One & Two
Day Three
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