| Introduction
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When asked where I'd be going on what would be my second trip to the Sierra of the summer my response was, "Well, I leave in a couple days, I better have a look at my maps and figure that out!"
Looking over my maps, I spotted an OHV (off highway vehicle) trail
that could take me quite a bit deeper into the wilderness than I had
ever been before. I could feel a real adventure in the works, hopefully
I could make it happen.
The plan would be in three parts or stages. The first stage would
entail driving the truck 30 miles into the mountains with the bike in
the back. The second stage of the trip would be threading my bike
through another 35 miles of back roads which included a rather hairy,
four-wheel-drive-vehicle-only style trail. Finally, I would take off
on foot and hike another 7-10 miles.
I imagine this trip could be compared to the different
stages of some of the earlier rocket ships used to propel astronauts
into space. As each stage of the vehicle gets spent and ejected, the
next stage is standing by to take over the next leg of the journey.
In the end, this "woodsnaut" could be easily and very quickly
propelled a good 75 miles into the deep woods, quite a bit further
than he had ever been before!
I would also be keeping a video journal of the entire trip, another
challenge added to an already large undertaking. Like "Chapter 1" of this
series of stories the photographs you'll be viewing in this chapter
will be pulled directly from the video footage.
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| Day 1
Friday July 16 , 2004
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The first day started out rather simple with a several hour drive up to
the first trail-head. Once there the bike was pried (see my Injecting
an XR/L into an FJ-40 article) from the back of the truck and loaded
down with equipment.
Due to the lack of cargo space on the bike, I soon realized that I
would need to leave some items behind. I decided that I could do
without two of the more bulky items, my trusty wool blanket (not that!)
and poly-tarp. After figuring out how I was going to carry all that
stuff on the bike (see my Woodsbiker article), I was off into the
unknown.
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| Transition from Stage 1 to Stage 2
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| The backwoods trail was challenging in spots but overall it was a fun
and interesting ride. There were plenty of obstacles that included
large rocks, exposed tree roots, and wave after wave of large "whoops"
in the smooth meadow roads, just the things to help hone my off-road
riding skills.
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| Deep in the woods
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| Resting after a rocky section of trail
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| More miles ahead
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| Taking in the scenery
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| Once I reached the end of the trail, I located a spot well off the
road and leaned the bike against a tree. Hopefully it would be there
when I returned several days later.
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| The end of Stage 2
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| Next, I switched to the third stage, the foot portion, and began
looking for an area to spend the first night. Because it was late in
the day, I really didn't have time for an elaborate shelter. A pine-
needle bed next to a log would have to do.
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| Beginning of Stage 3
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| To help stay warm throughout the night, I stuffed two trash bags with
pine-needles and stuffed them inside my body-bag. The bags would serve
as crude but effective blankets.
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| Creating a layer of insulation
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| Preparing to turn in for the evening
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| Day 2
Saturday July 17 , 2004
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| I slept warm the entire night and to my surprise, didn't need the two
"blankets". The body bag, along with my usual multiple layers of
clothing were all that I needed to stay warm. Even though the body-
bag serves little in the way of insulation, it does a fair job of
keeping my body heat from escaping.
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| Another beautiful sunrise
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| After filming a small fire lighting tutorial using flint, steel, and
char cloth, I stashed my backpack and other bike supplies under a nearby
rock and started out on foot.
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| Catching a spark
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| A patch of smoldering char-cloth
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| Blowing the jute tinder into flames
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My destination that day would be a remote cabin located on the edge of
a meadow. My plans didn't include staying in the cabin but that would
soon change as the day progressed.
During the day, I observed an abundance of wildlife that included deer, squirrels marmots and hawks. I also stumbled across several old cowboy camps. I find these abandoned camps of days past very interesting and rich in history and often spend a good amount of time poking around looking for clues
that would offer a glimpse into the past.
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| Trailing a pair of deer
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| The people that once occupied these camps were often careless and didn't think much about leaving their cans, bottles, and other trash behind. One of these days I'd like to focus on cleaning up some of the really bad areas, sort of a way to give something back to an area the has provided me with so much pleasure over the years.
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| An old can
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| Another old can
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As I approached the cabin, foul weather moved in and it began to rain. Luckily my trusty poncho was within easy reach so I was able to keep myself along with my odd assortment of gear from getting wet.
Inside the small unlocked cabin was a variety of items including tools,
cots, and other camp comforts. Since it was still raining, I decided
that it would make for an interesting "twist" on things if I were to
convert the cabin into my temporary residence and experience cabin life
for a couple days. Why not after all it's spur of the moment decisions
like this that make my trips so exciting!
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| A view inside
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| Dry at last!
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| During the soggy afternoon, huddled in my little cabin, I converted a large coffee can into what some refer to as a "Hobo Stove". I filmed the stove's construction process parts of which highlighted several features I felt would make the stove more efficient and user friendly. I also demonstrated how I was able to cook on the stove in the rain; one of the main reasons why I made the stove.
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| Showers in the Sierra
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| Filming the stove's construction
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| Stove ready to light
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| Cooking in the rain
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It was very peaceful sitting there in that rustic little cabin looking
out an open doorway at the rain falling in the Sierra and before long
it was time for bed.
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| Enjoying a break in the weather
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| Take it from me, falling asleep listening to the sounds of
thunder as raindrops patter against the roof of a tiny mountain
cabin is just about the best sleeping pill anyone could ask for.
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| Day 3
Sunday July 18 , 2004
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| The next sunny, mist filled morning started out with yet another luxury,
a trip to an actual outhouse! Unfortunately someone forgot thier
butt-rag so a piece torn from a bag of Kingsford charcoal would have to
do. Luckily I didn't have to worry about paper cuts as there was a roll
of toilet tissue with my name on it in the outhouse. Hey! If it's there
why not use it!
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| A curious morning sun probes the cabin
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| Misty meadow
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| A breath from heaven
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The coffee can stove was worked like a charm the evening before as
well as in the morning to cook up my usual hearty breakfast of oatmeal
and coffee. It's a nice feeling using something that I made with my
own hands.
Much of the day was spent exploring the mountainside for whatever
needed to be found. I ran across another very old camp far from
where I was staying deep within the woods. Other than an old rusty can
and a few tree stumps, there was very little remaining which would lead
anyone to believe that anyone had ever stayed there. It was by far one
of the oldest and most secluded camps I have ever discovered.
Given the fact that the camp was so isolated and that I may like to
return there someday, I left an indicator beside a dry creek that would
direct me back to the spot.
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| A three stone indicator points the way
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Later in the day, while resting on my cot, I heard a rustling sound
outside towards the rear of the cabin. "A squirrel" I thought and soon
hurried outside with my Ruger Mark II. Too late, the squirrel
ran up the tree and was soon well hidden in the limbs. Within several
minutes the squirrel re-appeared this time ending up as dinner. The
fixed sights on the little Ruger were right on!
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| The Ruger Mark II finds its mark
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| Preparing dinner
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| Cooking dinner
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| Enjoying dinner
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| Day 4
Monday July 19 , 2004
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| On this morning I decided that it was time to move on. I was beginning
to feel a bit pampered with cabin life (toilet tissue and cots will do
that to a guy!) so I decided I had better get back into the dirt, find
a log to sleep in, and suffer some more.
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| Preparing to leave camp
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After returning the cabin's contents and camp to the state in which
they were found, not to mention making an exciting last minute
discovery (sorry, have to keep this one to myself), I was soon on my way
back to the area where my bike was stashed.
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| Locking up
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Soon the creative juices were again flowing. Thinking that I could
take advantage of the pile of trash I found at that cowboy camp on the
first day, I thought I'd construct some type of shanty or shack to stay
in during my next visit to the area.
I could recall spotting several sheets of tin roofing along with the
remains of a tree-crushed picnic table. I felt those items may serve well
for whatever it was I decided to make.
It didn't take long to find the camp and before long I was gathering
items to use for my shanty.
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| Salvaging lumber from an old picnic table
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| Taking inventory of materials
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| Shelter site
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There were several times during the construction process where the rain
forced me to huddle under a single sheet of tin propped up against a
tree. For those rainy moments that piece of cast off tin was worth its
weight in gold, keeping me and all of my possessions dry and well
protected from the elements.
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| Waiting out another storm...
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| ...under a piece of tin roofing
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I ended up with a simple lean-to type structure which covered a pine-
needle bed. Later in the day, I unearthed several more sheets of tin
which I used to cover the sides of the structure. I also made use of
a heavy cast iron griddle which made a very sturdy table when placed on
some nearby stones.
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| Improvised level
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| Constructing the sides of the bed
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| Adding the mattress
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| Taking time to cook up some words
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| Finished shelter
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| Another view
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All my evening meals for this trip were of the freeze dried variety.
They all required 1 1/4 cup of boiling water be added then placed back
into the packaging to "cook".
Knowing that it's not always possible to have boiling water handy, as
an experiment, I used cold water instead. After an hour or so, the meal
was fully soaked and really to eat. I used the lasagna with meat sauce
meal for this particular test but I'm fairly certain any freeze dried
meal would soften up if left long enough for the contents to soak up
the water.
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| Day 5
Tuesday July 20 , 2004
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Other than waking up a few times cold, life in a tin shack is not all that
bad. God forbid if I'm ever cast out onto the street, I'm confident
that I could take advantage of found materials. Let's hope it never
comes to that!
Skipping the morning coffee and (hot) oatmeal, I was packed up and
ready to leave in under an hour. I stashed my walking stick that I
fashioned earlier in the trip inside the shelter. Like a faithful dog,
I couldn't help but wonder if it would be waiting for me the next time
I visited the camp. Look at me, attached to a silly stick!
In less than twenty minutes I had my bike and belongings located and was
soon motoring back to my truck. A perfect ending to yet another
memorable trip.
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| Closing thoughts
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Once again I'm very pleased with how well this latest trip turned out. The filming process continues to develop and is beginning to feel like a natural part of the documenting process. I feel that having to "survive" and do all the filming myself may add to the "vournel's" authenticity giving the viewer a better feeling of what I'm going through.
This summer I'll be intentionally leaving certain details out of my reports hoping that the online and filmed versions will end up complimenting one another. Hopefully the end results will provide a better tool for learning.
One of the keys to good shots is making sure the camcorder is accessable and ready at all times. I've found that wearing the camera bag fanny-pack-style in front of me allows quick access to the camcorder (and camera) without having to dig through a bunch of things to get to it.
As far as the bike goes, I'm still learning. It's definitely a challenge packing everything I'll need without effecting riding comfort and more importantly, safety. Like anything though, learning comes through experience and I feel each trip on the bike gets easier.
Eric
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Copyright © 2004 by Eric Stoskopf. Last updated 09/02/04
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