Camping / Hiking
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Slowly does it
The shoulder is nearly back to normal now… Opon which I decided I’d go hiking for a week. I mean, no work permit, no drivers license, so I have to stay home everyday. Which is OK as I can do a lot of programming on a project I am currently workin ok…
So on the spur of the moment I decided I’d go hiking… Joy dropped me off at Rockfish Gap, southern terminus of the Shenandoah National Park, it was admidst the fog that I kissed her and started north for a proposed weeks hike…
Well, the hike lasted two and a half days… I had skillfully achieved some majour blisters on the backs of my heels and under my big toes… They were bleeding and I could barely walk, so I rang Joy around 12pm on Tuesday… Forgetting she had parent teacher night that night… So she never got my message until 7:30pmish….
So in its nearly dark, I made my way down to the shelter near the road where I said I would be if she didnt arrive by 7pm… So… Right.. I’m just about to cross a little stream when a big black mumma bear rushes out from behind the shelter, and her little one comes out after her… She made some huffy noises and WAS NOT happy to see me at all!! Scared the crap out of me, with bloodied feet ran back up the hill as fast as I could with a 30 pound pack on…
Decided not to try and go back, so I hobbled in the pitch black down the road to the campground, and its COLD! No cars are going past, so I shuttle myself 6 miles in pitch black (and its dang spooky in the national park at night)... Lots of deer about, I see feral tick infested green eyes looking back at me, or I hear some serious comotion right next to me as they flee…
Manadged to get to the ONLY phone in the southern half of the park (can only make 1800 calls on it as well… its some tourism phone).. Called my mum-in-law and her husband was apparently on his way up to get me, and sure enough, 20 minutes later I was safe inside the van!! whooeeee
To say the bear scared the crap out of me is an understatement… I had not seen bear until the previous day, and then today it had been TOO close for comfort.. dang wild animals and all…
Apart from that… This past weekend we went back up to Harrisonburg for the Mennonite Relief Sale, where they raise money for relief organisations… Had a beaut breakfast cooked right there on the spot.. mmmmm… Watched the aution of lots of handmade stuff (furniture, quilts, etc).. This year the highest a quilt went for was over 5,000 dollars…
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Thursday, March 10, 2005
Journal Entry : Post #1
Well, I’m off trail! How quick was that? Well, that night outside of drymen, I spent the entire night from 6pm to 6am in my sleeping bag with everything on and I was still shivering like mad. Could not feel my fingers or toes, and my nose just seemd to not be there, i could touch it and not feel myself touching it… I was freezing. It sounds kinda silly, but at the time the thought of making hot tea never even crossed my mind, all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wait for the sun to come up… I dont think I was thinking too straight at the time.
Considering the weather was ‘good’, I decided to get out incase the weather turned bad, had there been any snow or rain, it could have got a lot worse. Plus it was easier to make this decision while I was relativly close to a town than had I been further up the trail.
I’m not quite sure what happened, gear that had held up well with the snow in the smokies froze me to the core on a wee Scottish hillside…
I’d rather make it to my own wedding than risk hypothermia and loose some fingers or toes…
For some reason, I feel like I cant trust my sleepingbag anymore… nevermind..
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Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Journal Entry : Milngavie to Drymen
Journal entry for 8/3/05
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Monday, March 07, 2005
Journal Entry : Darlington to Glasgow
Journal Entry for 7/3/05
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Sunday, March 06, 2005
Gone Hiking
I’m off hiking for two weeks, doing Glasgow to Inverness (The West Highland Way and the Great Glen Way).
Then when I come back its off to London for my Fiancee VISA. whoooooo!
Anyway, take care all and see you in two weeks.
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Monday, February 07, 2005
Gorrillas in the mist #2
I forgot, this is what we hiked up for the first bit
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