If I won the lottery

[silenthunterstudios]

I went for a hike on the Appalachian Trail with a friend on Friday, and had a blast. The air might've been a little thin for me, but I got to thinking that I should take a sabbatical, and go trapping, hunting etc on the mountains for a couple months. Riding up and down fire roads, trying to find easier access to Chimney Rocks, we just decided to park at the AT parking, enough for about three cars on the side of the road, and go for a walk. We found quite a few "hidden campsites" that weren't so hidden that time of year, we found a few bear holes and fox holes, maybe coyote or cat holes. Heard a few pops on the mountain, saw some people that must've wondered at our MD tags in PA. Met some people on the mountain. It was a beautiful time.

I've been in the mountains in MD, but this was the South Mountain area in PA, the highest point in PA I believe, in Michaux state forest. I've got pics, but don't have an imageshack etc account. I will say that it was the first time I wasn't loaded down with blades, and I didn't feel under knifed, I was confident in my abilities. I knew that I needed a small fire kit, and while I have some faith in my slipjoints and Umnumzaan, I probably should have had a small fixed blade on me. Night and the cold air came up fast on the mountain, and we had to rush back to our cars, it went from 60 to much cooler very quick, and long before sunset.

I realize that I'm civilized, and like the company of my fellow man (women moreso ), on the trail, but if I manage my time better, I would be caught up at work, and able to run up to the mountains on a Saturday, or for the entire weekend.

Nothing like fresh air on the mountain.

 

[Herlock]

Hi! Nice post . I can somehow relate to this. I like to hike with my family and friends but, many times, I just climb up my mountains alone and it’s a “regenerating” activity. Soaking into the silence, the scenery, the Nature, feeling the pace of my steps, one after the other, feeling the fatigue of the climb, it’s a kind of “purification”. Yeah, “ascension” it’s a good term . A stop for a snack or light lunch, setting up a small fire, sometimes with “primitive” tools, hanging up a tarp in case of rain and test my outdoor abilities, it’s a relaxing and rewarding thing for me. Then up there, alone, 2500-3000 mt above the busy world , with the sharp, merciless wind blowing in my face, surrounded by the barren rocks and the perennial snow I really get my things in perspective and my sh!t straight.

There is a writing engraved on a big rock on one of the trails I often walk. It translates more or less like this:

When you're sad, you go to the mountains.
When you cannot find the key to the problem, go to the mountains.
When you have a thousand thoughts mixed up in your head, go to the mountains.
When you have to make important decisions, go to the mountains.
The mountain will not solve things, but it will help to shed light within yourself.

It’s really like this for me .

If you have the wish and the possibility to take a sabbatical period and roam your mountains, why not? It will be a great experience. But also dedicating just one or two week-ends a month to a good mountain hike or an overnighter in the woods helps a lot in releasing stress and helps body and soul health. In a smaller scale, running also have a similar effect on me. As far as knives, if I am out for one day walk (I mostly hike marked and somehow “populated” trails), I just take one folder I like. If I plan to have a fire going long or plan for an overnighter, I generally grab my Fallkniven F1 and the Felco 600. Take care.

 

[jackknife]

Glad you had a good hike, Dan. Nothiing quite like getting out in nature to clear the mind. :thumb up:

Unfortunately, there's no mountains in this part of Texas, so I have to settle for cedar brush country. At least there's rivers and lakes, and being a Maryland waterman's decedent I gravitate to water. I often go for walks along the San Gabriel river to clear my head. The air smells like ever greens from the cedar's.

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Of course, I always take a fixed blade into the woods with me, so my old Buck 102 goes on my hip, just in case. But the little peanut does most of my cutting. It was given to me by a good friend!

 

[Mongo]

Where's your pipe Jackknife? Pic looks incomplete....

 

[Tombo 65]

I love spending time in the woods and mountains. I love being out there by myself, or with my dogs. I spend a lot of time searching for edible mushrooms and simply exploring. More time in the woods than in the mountains, and I seldom spend the night in the woods. I'm pretty much surrounded by it, so I don't have to go far or make a big deal out of it. I used to kayak and camp, or simply take off for a few days in the woods, but work and family make that pretty uncommon now. Getting out in the woods three or four times a week is good enough for me at this age and place in my life.

The terrain in Vermont is not that extreme. Lots of small mountains (hills really) along with beaver swamps, trout brooks, and small ponds. This is a pond that used to be a logging mill-pond back in the 1890's. There was a small town in the hills around it, mostly small houses belonging to the owner and workers at the mill. Now if you are way off-trail you might stumble upon an old stone foundation with large trees growing out of it. Vermont was mostly clear-cut at that time. Very little old-growth trees.

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The dogs love exploring, but keep me from seeing any game.

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My wife and daughter go with me sometimes, as well. Alone is best, though.
I usually don't take a camera because I'm more focused on experiencing the woods, or crawling around under trees collecting edibles. On the rare occasion that I do have a camera with me, I sometimes do see some less shy critters.

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This guy is about a 40 pounder. Most of the coyotes around here run between 30 and 50 pounds. I've seen and taken some 60 and 70 pound ones, but they are less common. The smaller ones seem to run alone, and the larger ones run in packs. A friend was chased out of the woods by a pack of seven large coyotes a few years ago. No gun with him at the time. Barely made it to the truck. He made the damn fool mistake of running, even though he is a seasoned hunter. They respond as expected when you act like prey and run. Stand and face them and they typically slink back into the woods. Better yet, shoot the biggest one and they scatter to the four winds.

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This is what I normally carry in the woods. Enzo Trapper, Fallkniven Kolt, S&W 686 stoked with 200gr hardcast lead long-range drill-press rounds, and usually a small mushrooming knife or SAK. Fire steel and/or lighter go along, as well as a compass. I don't bring a phone or electronic device of any kind, except for those times I have a small camera - but thats rare. By the way, I don't bring the Bulleit Bourbon with me. Got to get a small flask for that, but I don't have one at the moment.

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If I expect to encounter more dangerous critters, I take these:




If they are really dangerous critters, I'll take all of these:

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And for the absolutely worst circumstances I'll bring this:

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But since I look like this now, I seldom need more than the walking stick:

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[22-rimfire]

I hit Smoky Mt NP a good bit for my personal time. I almost always go alone. I usually hit Cades Cove early and look for wildlife, hunt with my camera, and then take a hike in the woods to explore. I found a cave entrance I didn't know existed this week and saw a couple bears and many deer. It was a very good day afield. One of these days I'll post pictures just so you see what I like to do. I feel sure this cave links into the rather large cave system there that has been closed off. During the 50's, it was a bomb shelter. Now the bats are sick (white nose syndrome-a fungal disease) and they don't want anyone messing near them.

 

[buzp]

Tombo, best post ever.

 

[Liberando]

Tombo, best post ever.

+1, outstanding Tombo!

 

[22-rimfire]

I believe the highest point in PA is Mt. Davis (3213 ft) in Somerset County to the west of South Mountain. The South Mountain area is a very popular natural area to visit in MD. I seem to remember that South Mountain in PA was one of the largest tunnels on the PA Turnpike.

The second highest mountain in PA is Blue Knob (3146 ft) which is close to where I grew up. Not to pick on your post however. I just am a stickler about such details.

Great to get out none the less and do some woods wandering. Personally I think you had all the knife you needed for the day. I carry a SAK just about all the time and seldom use anything else that I might have with me. But I usually have a fixed blade with me in the woods because they are stronger and is available if the unforeseen happens.

Tombo, Are those pups foxes or coyote's? Great picture by the way!

 

[jmh33]

Yep on Mt Davis being the highest in Pa.. And a pretty cool place to do day hikes too.. John

 

[22-rimfire]

I didn't realize that the highest point in MD is actually higher than anywhere in PA. That would be on Backbone Mountain (Hoye-Crest) at an elevation of 3360 feet. I just assumed that the mountains were lower in MD, but far western MD feels almost like it's in another state.

 

[Tombo 65]

Those are fox kits. The mother has a den about a mile from my house at the edge of a meadow overlooking a lake. The kits played on the edge of the meadow this spring/early summer, but stayed pretty close to the den until mid-summer. Our back yard is bordered by a trout stream. Just the other side of the stream is a small field that gets hayed twice each summer. Produces one to two round-bales each time. After the first haying, when the hay had been put into wind-rows, the mother and kits showed up and hunted mice and insects for a whole afternoon. Fun to watch. They also stalk the ducks and loons that live along the banks of the brook that feeds into the lake near the house.

For the remainder of the summer we could hear the foxes calling to each other at night. It's an eerie sound that sends my dogs into apoplectic fits. Between the foxes crying, the loons raising a ruckus because of the foxes, and the dogs waking up and barking at the outdoor noises, we don't sleep thru the night very often. Still better than traffic noises or sirens, though.

We did see two coyote pups in the spring/early summer, but didn't have a camera. They looked to be about 8-12 pounds each and were not far from a sheep pasture. If I'd had a rifle with me I would have taken the pups and the mother, but they were 150 yards from me and the 2-1/2" barreled 357mag didn't seem like the best tool for the job.

Not much in the way of tall mountains in VT. The tall stuff is usually reserved for ski resorts. Mt Mansfield is the tallest, at 4,393'. That's in Stowe, VT. I'm on the Eastern side of the state where the mountains are smaller, and rounder. I can see Mt Washington and Mt Lafayette (in NH) from our area, but the tallest point near me is Roy Mountain, about a mile from us, at 2,091 ft, and Harvey Mountain, a half mile from us, at 1,263. I have to confess I'd rather be in the woods than on a peak. Fat and old don't mix well with hiking steep stuff. There is a good variety around me. Lakes, swamps, cedar bog (yep, in VT), farmland, brooks, rivers, two large reservoirs, and more dirt roads than paved.

Here is a neat video taken by a drone of our area during foliage season. This is not me, but the hill the guy starts the video from is called Devil's Hill and is about three miles from my house. It's a nice hike up to the top, and a beautiful view both East and West. This guy took the video aiming toward the East. The rock he is standing on provides a great view to the West and Mount Mansfield. You can see all the way to the Adirondacks on a clear day.

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This is a view of Peacham Bog from the hill. Not my picture, but a good shot of the area.

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And these are some pictures of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor bracketing Lake Willoughby about 40 miles North of us. Beautiful hike to the top of Pisgah, 2,785ft. The lake looks like a fjord from either end, and is about 320ft deep. Great fishing spot, although I've not had much luck myself. I'm better at catching small brook trout, which are very tasty when crusted in slivered almonds and fried in butter until the skin is nice and crispy. Only the last picture is mine. 7am on the lake before the fog burned off the pass between Pisgah and Hor.

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[22-rimfire]

Tombo, that is beautiful country. I grew up with a trout stream nearly at our front door. We kids spent an awful lot of time along the creek or the "crick" as we called it then. I have many happy memories of the crick. My journal which I started around age 8 or so, highlighted how important the stream was to growing up. After all those years, I still keep a journal.

I thought those pups (kits) were red foxes, but I have never seen coyote pups. At one time, we had a fox kit as a pet that we dug out of a den. Don't remember what happened to it, but I suspect we left it go when it was big enough to take care of itself.

With regard to ski resorts, both Mt Davis and Blue Knob have ski resorts in PA. Used to hike up the slopes on Blue Knob both in the winter and summer.

 

[Tombo 65]

My grandmother had a fox for a pet when I was around 8 years old. She found it when it was still nursing age - having killed the mother who was eating my grandmother's chickens. Seem odd that she decided to keep the kit, but she did and it made a great pet. Acted like a cross between a cat and a dog. My grandmother also had raccoons as pets. That left an impression on me, and I ended up having a few raccoons as pets, too. Very lovable, endearing, but destructive little critters.

I agree, a brook or stream has always been central in my lifestyle. I'm fat and love cold water. I lived in Middlebury VT for a while, and our house had the Middlebury River right behind it. More of a boulder-filled trout brook than a river, it flowed out of the mountains behind the house and a lot of it was snow melt in the spring. Max water temp even in August is around 65 degrees at the base of the hill where our house was located. I loved that brook. Waterfalls, boulders, fish galore, and so clean and refreshing on a hot day. I enjoy water down to about 50 degrees, and can stay in quite a while. I have a built-in cellulite wetsuit that I can't seem to take off, so being in cold water helps drop my core temp down to where I feel normal instead of the constantly overheated state I usually exist in. My wife wouldn't put her toe in the water, but I'd soak in the river every night after work with just my head and the mouth of a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout sticking above the water. Much better than a hot-tub in my book.

What is the Blue Knob and Mt Davis area like? I've been to Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg, but that's the extent of my familiarity with PA. The forest land looked pretty inviting when I flew over it on the way to Harrisburg from up North.

We used to hike the 1-1/2 miles up into Smuggler's Notch in Stowe after they closed the road in late fall. Once snow falls, the road is closed because it's too steep, winding, and narrow to plow. We would head out after dark on cross-country skis and towing sleds. When we got to the top is was peaceful, dark, and quiet. We would take off our skis and sled down the tracks our skis had made on the way in. It was best when the temp was around 15 to 20 degrees below zero. Up here, the temps in January and February typically drop to below zero around the time of the full moon each month (not sure of the connection, but it's pretty predictable). At 15 to 20 below, the snow doesn't melt into a glazed surface. Instead, it stays in individual flake form and glistens like a million small jewels in the moonlight. Sitting on a rock up in the notch, looking down on the landscape glittering in the moonlight was magical. It often felt like we were the only people within a hundred miles. I love the cold, and snow, but oddly I've never downhill skied. I've skied downhill on cross-country skis, but never gone skiing in the conventional commercial sense. I prefer the cadence and overall experience of cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing.

If you have any pictures of that area in PA, I'd love to see them. I've never journaled, but it sounds like a neat idea. Must be fun and interesting looking back on all of your old journal entries. Great way to chart personal growth, or just reminisce. Your tag shows a location of Tennessee. I had relatives in the Pulaski area, but they are all deceased now. Any pictures of that area? I hear the mountains are beautiful there. What is the wildlife like?

 

[Getahl]

Tombo, are you Richard Karn (All Borland, from Home Improvement).

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Tombo 65]

No, but I used to get that question a lot. I like flannel shirts, and used to work in construction. People often told me I looked a lot like Al Borland. The thinning hair and dry sense of humor didn't help matters, either. If I was bright, I would have found a way to capitalize on the resemblance.

 

[22-rimfire]

Tombo, I haven't lived in PA for 40 years. I left the day I graduated from college and moved west and then to the Southeast. I still have family in PA who are very outdoors oriented and big trout fishermen. Haven't really gone back much since my Mother died, and then my Dad died. Trips back were very important to me when I was younger. If you are a member of Trout Unlimited (TU), you might know of them. One brother was head of PA TU for a while. He was young then and idealistic. We tend to look at things a little differently as we age.

I have honestly never been to Mt. Davis or the mountains surrounding it other than passing through in cars. Blue Knob.... well, I looked at Blue Knob from my bedroom window for the first 18 years of my life. One stream there I used to fish a fair amount when I went home was Bob's Creek which had a mix of stocked and native trout. It is a freestoner. I generally gravitated to the limestone streams in the State College area for serious fishing. But the brookie fishing was always a lot of fun in the mountains (catch & release for me). Basically the limestone streams had bigger trout and I only had so many days to fish when I visited.

You hit the nail on the head with the pleasure of the journal. Every now and then I'll spend hours digging back through them reading what I was interested in then and life's little challenges. Since the early 90's, I have used a computer for that versus some sort of written journal on paper. When I was a kid I used to write stuff like... saw two ducks, caught three trout, shot a couple boxes of 22 plinking down at the "crick". In hindsight, it was really a wonderful place to live, simple. We sold that house after our Dad died and I hope the new family that owns it are experiencing the same pleasures we did as kids.

I mentioned earlier in this thread about my trips to Cades Cove (Smoky Mt NP). Those trips are all about the wildlife. I have some really good deer and bear pictures. Some have been published.