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10/00 Wildcat Hollow
Sunset on the hike in to Turkey Point Day 1 Ahhhh! The wilderness at last! It feels like a million years since I've been out for some good old fashioned decompression! I got off work at 2PM and left straight from there. I got to the trailhead by 5:30 PM. I've come to the conclusion that there is no way to get here any faster than 3 1/2 hours. It's worth the drive time though. I just wish I had more time to spend here. Work isn't stressful but it is a big time commitment and it's nice to get out here and take care of no one else but good ol' Nigal. =) Once on trail I humped it pretty good as I was glad to be on the trail and I wanted to make it to my favorite camping spot by dark. There are a lot of pine stands that are great for camping in but this one spot is the best. It is a small flat spot that juts out over a hollow. One of the first times I ever camped here it was one of those magically still, quiet evenings and I watched wild turkeys running over the ridges with reckless abandonment. For that reason I have named this spot "Turkey Point". It's a dry camp so there are hardly ever any bugs here year round. One of the great things about this trail is that it is so well laid out and there are no designated camp sites. It's the perfect length and ruggedness for a relaxing over-nighter. Yes, there are some oil pump sights around here and there but that's part of the area's history. I used to get put off by stuff like that but now it is just a fact of where I live and where I hike. Tis far greater than sitting one's butt on the couch! For some reason I'm a bit nervous this evening. Usually I have no trouble being out by myself. I keep finding myself looking around constantly. Maybe it is the fact that this sight seams so exposed and I'm used to camping in confined, out of the way spots? Now that I've had dinner and a Fosters I'm beginning to unwind. I used my little pie pan cook fire rig this weekend and it works very well. I cooked a Lipton Noodle dinner on it and while I ate I kept feeding the little fire to keep it going. When I was done eating I put a bit of water in the pot and heated it up over the tiny fire and used the warm water for washing the pot. When it was rinsed I put it back on the fire to sterilize it for the morning. Now that all the chores are done I'm sitting back against a log sipping another Fosters watching the full moon rise up over the ridge. It is so bright! I can watch the hill behind me and see the shadow of the ridge line slowly creeping down to me as the moon rises higher and higher. I found some great African music on my little radio and am enjoying the evening. It should be brilliant as there isn't a cloud in the sky. It was almost hot this afternoon. It was in the mid 70s but was warm. The lows are calling for the high 40s. I can't check the temp because the switch on my digital thermometer got switched on some how and my battery is dead. BUMMER! Day 2 I woke up kind of late this morning surprisingly. I have a stiff 10 mile hike out this morning and I'm going to double time it out and stretch my legs for a good asskick out. The farther I hike the more it looks like water will be a problem today. I had thought that the creeks and washes would be flowing this year but I was wrong. Doom on you Nige! This fact just made the hike all the harder as I had visions of waterfalls and gallon buckets full of clear, cool water going through my head. It was a tough hike and I paid the price of dehydration in the form of sore muscles for a few days afterward. All in all a great hike! CT Gear List Sil-tarp w/stakes Kelty Gale pack Z Rest 3/4 Slumberjack 50 degree bag Poncho Foil fire pan [This worked out great. Takes a bit more time than a stove but it is great. I must watch out for boil overs though.] Grease pot Pot cozy Chopsticks Lighter 1/4 Pack towel Tupperware cup SWA filter/bottle 2 LT. Platypus 100 oz. CamlePak Radio Journal/pencil GoldBond powder Hand sanitizer Floss FirstAidLastNeed kit Magnifying glass Thermometer [Dead batteries. I must look for a way to keep the switch from being turned on in my pack.] Cord keepers Documentation clips Camera Compass Leatherman Micra Photon Micra Bandanna Long sleeve shirt Fleece long undie bottoms Thin wool socks Neck gaiter/hat Fleece jacket Food Lipton Pasta Rice w/Raman spices 2 Oatmeals 2 Carnation Instant Breakfasts [Didn't use.] Coffee w/filters [I tried pouring water though a suspended filter and it flopped bigtime. Back to filter disks!]
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