| I enjoy the few months of waiting until the roads open in the Sierra and I can return to some of my favorite areas. Not only does this off time allow me to reflect on last years adventures and the lessons I learned, but I can also take advantage of this down time to read, think about new ideas I want to try out or just sit, staring at my maps, day dreaming about the not so popular wilderness "hideaways" I would like to visit someday. Simple pleasures.
One of my favorite activities during "the wait" is to rummage through my wilderness gear making any necessary repairs and deciding whether or not I'll be adding any new tools or other pieces of camp equipment. Often times, I'll remove an item or two that may not get used that often, has failed testing, or is just taking up too much space and weight. Simple pleasures. Just before these gear "rituals" of mine are about to end and I'm ready to place everything back into the old weathered wooden chest, I pick up my much used fire blackened cook pot, close my eyes and holding it to my nose, inhale deeply. Immediately, smokey visions of past campfires that I shared with friends and enjoyed by myself curl lazily through my head. Simple pleasures. Due to drought like conditions, the road I usually take into the Sierras opened unusually early this year. I have never been up there this early and after receiving word from my contact that conditions were "perfect," I immediately tied up a few loose ends in the urban wilderness I've been living in and began making preparations to head up to the mountains for a few days. I really didn't know what to expect when I began the long haul up the mountain side for the trail head parking area. Would there still be a lot of snow on the ground? Would it be cold? Would I be hit with a winter storm once I was miles into the mountains? All these questions were racing through my head. My contact was right. The conditions were in fact perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, very little snow left on the ground and very warm. Absolutely ideal for traveling on foot. |
| The Mini Kitchen |
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| The night at the trail head was like most others. I slept very well and never awoke once due to being too cold. In the morning I set up my mini kitchen and whipped up some pancakes and coffee. This was the first time I used powdered milk in the mix and it worked quite well not having to worry about keeping regular milk cold.
It was so early in the season that the bear resistant trash containers had not been brought up yet. I had to laugh when I dropped my trash through the can opening, didn't hear the usual "plunk" of the trash hitting the bottom of the can, and looked around to see my trash lying on the ground. I ended up hanging the trash in a nearby tree as opposed to having a bear tear my truck door off as in so many situations due to people leaving trash in their vehicles. |
| The gear |
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| On this particular trip, I would be trying out a couple new ideas I had as well as testing several pieces of new equipment. They are as follows:
{The Trail Tube} The Trail Tube is an idea I came up with that would allow me easy access to items carried in my bedroll. A traditional bedroll requires the additional items to be rolled up inside. Naturally, to gain access to these items, a person has to unroll everything, retrieve the item, and roll everything back up. In camp it doesn't pose much of a problem but on the trail it can be a time consuming burden. To make the Trail Tube I simply rolled my wool blanket and body bag around what I believe to be a surplus Swiss mortar storage container. The tube is basically a reinforced lightweight metal tube with a hinged water tight lid. A heavy clasp keeps the lid closed. The blanket/bodybag combination is fastened to the tube using two quick release straps. For a shoulder strap, I slid my leather belt underneath the two straps. I then slid my axe under the straps which held it firmly to the side of the blanket. First, I slid my cook can to the bottom of the empty tube followed by a 21" Svensaw. I then placed one package of Mainstay Emergency Rations along with some dry spaghetti inside of the can. On this, I placed my rolled up poncho that was stored in a small nylon stuff sack. Last, and closest to the opening was my camera. |
| The O&E (Odds & Ends) Shoulder Holster |
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| {The O&E Shoulder Holster}
I prefer to carry a Ruger Redhawk . 44 magnum when I'm in the wilderness but for me, it's a bit too heavy to carry on my waist. I started looking for a solution to my problem and a cross draw shoulder type holster seemed to be what I was looking for. The holsters I was looking at ran anywhere from $130 all the way up to $500. For a holster I wasn't sure would work under the conditions I wanted to use it in, the prices seemed a little high. Up until this point I had been very impressed with all of my holsters made by Blade-Tech and since I already had one for my Redhawk I thought that I could possibly make some type of shoulder holster myself. After some experimenting, using my existing Kydex holster, I was able to fashion a system made from an old leather cinch strap, some 550 cord, a brass snap, a surplus shoulder strap pad, a nylon strap and a cartridge holder from Gun Mate. I wore the O&E (odds and ends) Shoulder Holster around the house for a while and was convinced it would work well for me. |
| Geared up and ready to go |
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| {The Swiss Messengers Bag}
This is a little bag I picked up at a local surplus store and is made quite well. I use it for smaller items such as my firemaking supplies, maxi-kit and other small essentials. I needed a small shoulder bag that would ride behind my shoulder holster. My usual bag made by Lowe Alpine would be too large. {Filson Mackinaw Cruiser jacket} I've really been looking forward to using this jacket in the wilderness. I've heard many great things about Filson products and the history behind them. Judging from the craftsmanship it looks as though the jacket is made to last forever. {Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe} If this axe is anything like the other Gransfors Bruks products I've used, I know I won't be disappointed. Preferring to travel light, it may be a little heavy for my needs. {H. Roselli Hunter's Knife} This is a traditional hand forged Scandinavian style knife from Finland. I ordered it from Dan Shechtman at Blue Ox knives and it seems like just the knife I was looking for. It's a simple yet beautiful design with "magic" written all over it. I plan on wearing it as a neck knife due to it's light weight. {Geier elkskin gloves} ML recommended these gloves and I'll have to say that for the past months that I've used them, I have been very impressed with their fit, comfort and most importantly the quality materials and craftsmanship that went into making them. A good example of getting what you pay for. All my other gear is basically the same items I take with me on all my trips. |
| The first day on the trail was routine and for the most part uneventful.
One of the first things I did was to check the 9/11 memorial I built and erected last summer to make sure it made it through the winter and was still standing. It hadn't moved in fact now that the dirt and rocks supporting it had time to settle, it was more stable than ever. That "good feeling" I had when I made it was back. I soon came to an area I like to call "Marmot Central I." Several marmots were sunning themselves and thinking back to a recent forum discussion of hunting small game with a large caliber firearm, I began an experiment. As soon as I was near the rocks where the marmots were hanging out, I dropped down out of sight and began sneaking up on them to see how close I can get. When I peered over a boulder, it was obvious by the direction the marmots were looking, that they were expecting to see me appear further down the trail. They had no idea that I was ten or so feet behind them ready to take a mock shot. It was a good little last minute experiment. It's funny how certain natural features in familiar terrain bring back memories of past trips. Everytime I pass a certain boulder along the trail, I immediately look to my left and look for a burnt dead tree on a distant hillside. It's in the boulders under that tree that I stayed during my first solo trip. At one point I decided to stop off the trail to take a half hour break. While I was nestled up in some rocks relaxing, a hiker came along and stopped to fill up his bottle with water. As an experiment, I stayed motionless and silent to see how long it would take for him to see me. I always wear colors that blend into my surroundings. I must have really been "blending in" really good because for a half hour or so, he was walking around my area and never even saw me. I was just sitting there trying not to laugh until he eventually moved on. I think he must have been working for the Fish & Game because he seemed more interested than most with the water and willow. My contact mentioned they were somewhere in the area. |
| Fallen giant |
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| Once I was back on the trail, I remembered I was nearing an area of interest I visited last summer. After the Mini Tractor trip with fellow Dirt Eaters Wally and Bill I was walking out by myself and remembered hearing the sounds of a tree splitting just as it does when it's about to fall. I found the tree and stood off to a safe distance patiently waiting for the old giant to fall. Everytime the wind would blow I thought to myself, "This is it, this big boy's going down!". Well, the tree never did fall and I eventually moved on. It sounds funny but I felt as though the tree wanted to be by itself and fall with dignity. Sometime in the last months, the old tree finally came down. Oddly, the tree looked as though it was relieved that the ordeal had ended and was finally resting in peace.
At one point I decided to leave the trail to search for a small nearby meadow I'd been wondering about. I found the meadow but coming back out got turned around with my directions. Using the compass feature on my watch I was able to use my map and get to an area that I was familiar with. It was a simple yet effective lesson on how easy it can be to lose ones bearings. It was a nice meadow by the way. I'd like to return someday and stay longer. I didn't see any signs of an old sow bear that was rumored to be in the area. As with any trip, I was sure to drink a lot of water. I've been though the area I had been traveling many times and was familiar with various water sources. So far I had eaten two squares from my Mainstay Emergency Rations. I had never tried these bars prior to this trip and frankly, I thought hey were quite good! I'm one of those people that eat most of the raw cookie dough before the cookies are even baked. These bars reminded me of a slightly dry sugar cookie dough only without the scolding and sour looks from the cook. Before long I was crossing the meadow to my first camp. I've stayed at this camp several times and I'll admit that it's beginning to feel like it's my own personal camp. The camp has everything I need within a few minutes walk. Marmots, fish, willow, water, etc. Best of all, it's tucked away inside a secluded canyon with an incredible view. First things first. Shelter. |
| First nights shelter |
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| I knew there was a cave like shelter nearby and began searching for it. When I found it, I went to work to make it a little more "homey." Most importantly, the cave needed to be warm and dry. |
| The "Bed-tick" |
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| I used two Contractors Bags as "Bed-ticks" by filling them with pine needles. I was happy to have my pair of Geier elkskin gloves to protect my hands from the sharp pine needles and debris. There have been several occasions where I'll be digging through the dirt and duff and run across a bunch of broken glass. It's unfortunate that a person should have to worry about cutting themselves on trash in the wilderness but it could happen especially around old camp sites. |
| Inspector Z |
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| These bags were then placed end for end inside the cave to serve as a mattress, providing insulation from the cold earth. I placed my bodybag on top of the mattress, followed by my wool blanket. I filled the stuff sack that I'd been using to protect my poncho with pine needles to use as a pillow. In the past I've found that sleeping without a pillow of some sort will result in a very restless nights sleep. Once the sleeping area was constructed, I made sure everything would stay in place by constructing a simple frame by placing a log and a few stones along the side. |
| "Sorry Mr. Bear...no vacancy" |
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| Starting a fire using a burning lens |
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| By the time I finished my shelter preparations, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the canyon wall. I wanted to light the evening fire using the burning lens from my tobacco tin (firestarting kit). The problem I would have was that the place where I wanted to start my fire was in an area where the sun wasn't shining anymore. To solve this problem, I filled my cook-can with pine needles and walked to an area where the sun was still shining bright. Once the pine needles were lit and smoldering I carefully carried the embers down to my campfire area and blew them into flames. I didn't have any food that needed to be cooked so that evening I warmed up to a can of pine needle tea.
That evening I slept very well. I woke up a couple times to urinate but didn't need to get out of bed to do so. My cave shelter happened to be on a slope so all I had to do was roll to one side toss back the covers, lean over the edge of the frame and go! |
| Fire in the hole |
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| The next morning I tried out what I like to call "Ron Hoods Fire in the Hole Technique". For this you simply find a large stone in the area you wish to have your fire in, roll it to one side and start your fire in the hole. After your fire is dead out, you roll the rock back in its hole and there will be no visible evidence you ever had a fire there. Neat idea.
Breakfast was one square from my Mainstay ration. I broke camp and started heading towards my final destination. My friends Wally, Bill and myself had discussed a small area on the map that may make an ideal place for a permanent camp of some sort. The area is a small meadow behind a couple mountains that sits along a nice stream. It's far from any main trails that would tend to draw people in. A "wilderness oasis." I stopped to visit the Mini Tractor camp from the summer before. I hadn't expected anything to change much but for some reason, I found myself walking around inspecting the area and just thinking about my friends and the good times we had there. |
| Salt deposits |
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| I traveled through "Marmot Central II" and didn't see any residents (dinner). Soon, I came to a large white field in the middle of the meadow. It seems to be the dried up remains of what used to be a body of water. "Salt" I thought. I little bit on the end of my tongue proved that yes, it probably was a salty deposit of some sort. I wondered if these deposits were sometimes referred to as "salt licks." |
| Meadow of rocks |
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| The most direct route to Wilderness Oasis was though an area between two mountains. I lined myself up the best I could and started my way into the timber. I soon lost sight of both mountains due to the dense cover. When I began climbing a steep mountainside, I knew I was turned around and going in the wrong direction. Using my map and compass feature on my watch, I came to the conclusion that if I were to go to a nearby meadow of rocks, I would have a good reference point and would be able to begin navigating from tree to tree.
Using my compass, I would spot a distinctive looking tree in the distance and travel to it. Once on the other side of that particular tree, I would line up with another tree and walk to it. I used this method for a good while and eventually ended up almost exactly where I wanted to be, the mouth of the canyon at Wilderness Oasis. |
| A "Wilderness Oasis" |
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| Overlooking the small opening into the meadow it was just as I had pictured. A clear stream with plenty of large trout, secluded and other that a couple overgrown fire rings, no sign of anyone having recently visited. |
| Another view |
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| A I explored the stream, I stopped to look over the surroundings. I didn't pay much attention to a small "rustling" sound coming from a nearby willow thicket. I was looking in the distance and as I brought my head around, I noticed a coyote running up the slope on the other side of the stream. I have no doubt he was watching me the entire time from the thicket. I rested for a while by the stream then began to search for a good shelter site. |
| Resting the dogs |
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| Second nights shelter |
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| Eventually, I found a nice flat area between two boulders that I thought would work well for a shelter. I made a couple bed-ticks and constructed a sleeping area similar to the one I used the night before. My only concern with this shelter was the lack of protection overhead. Using my new Small Forest Axe, I began harvesting branches to use in a framework that would allow my poncho to be used as a makeshift roof.
After my shelter was in place, I examined my axe and found the cutting edge to be damaged. The cutting edge was bent over in several places and I'll have to say that I was a bit disappointed in what I saw. I had used other GB axes and hatchets quite heavily on the same type of wood under the same conditions and never had a problem. I assumed it was a problem with the tempering process. I knew GB axes carry a 20 year warranty so I wasn't worried. |
| Keeping in mind I had many miles to travel the next day, I began making preparations to make things a little easier in the morning. Even though I wasn't going to have a fire that evening, I still gathered fire materials and organized them so I wouldn't have to do it the following morning. It was 8:30 PM and with the fire materials in place I ate my last Mainstay square and went to bed. I read a couple chapters from E. H. Kreps' Woodcraft and drifted off.
I woke the next morning at 5 am. I started the fire and began cooking some spaghetti while I started breaking camp. I returned the pine needles where I found them and made sure my camp was as close to it was when I found it. I ate some spaghetti and placed what was left over in a plastic bag for a small meal later in the day. I made sure the fire was dead out and proceeded to travel to the spring that would be my starting point. While passing a group of rocks, I decided to take a few shots with my Redhawk at one particular boulder in the distance. I've never fired the Garrett cartridges using the Redhawk fearing they may damage the indoor range I normally shoot at. I was very impressed at the power as well as the damage inflicted upon the granite boulder. These cartridges were designed to take down large game. It's reassuring knowing that if I do my part, I have the proper tools to take down a charging bear. The day was long and sometimes painful. My body was running on little fuel and had at least twelve hard miles to cover. I took many 3 - 5 minute breaks a couple half hour breaks. I had two steep passes to conquer. The hardest pass was last. I cursed. I cursed some more. I wondered why the hell I choose to do things the way I do. Why don't I sleep in a tent and sleeping bag? Why don't I stuff my bag with all the latest gear and gourmet meals? Why don't I just stay home and watch others do what I'm doing on television? Why not just read about it? When will I get to the top of this friggin' pass? Why? It's always the same questions as I trudge up that last pass. But as I drive home through the desert munching down a burger and fries, slurping a cold frosty chocolate milkshake, looking at the sun as it sets behind the mountains I just traveled through, I begin with the second set of usual questions, "I wonder where I'll go next month. I wonder what new knife I'll bring along to test. I wonder where this trail will take me. I wonder..." Simple pleasures. The End |
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Copyright © 2001 by Eric Stoskopf. Back to the Contents page. |