burned off a quick hike today. Was halfway to the trailhead and i realized i forgot the camera. Probably just as well. (more on this)
these pics taken after i got home)
the gear:
my Blow-Out Pouch woods/survival kit, CS Carbon V recon tanto, Pat Randall Bushcraft and Emerson CQC-11 Utcom. In my vest i had a plastic bag of TP, 2 Clif bars, TruFlare launcher/bear bangers and a roll of flagging tape. Over my shoulder i had my map case and leather pouch with mini firekit and my SUUNTO KB14 compass.
Started off by finding and marking "N" on the aerial map of the area. In all my years in BC, i have yet to actually explore this section of the North Shore.
found my directional bearing, wrote it down and calculated the backtrack bearing. Grabbed my ham/cheese sammy from the truck and plunged into the woods. It was sunny out, but the woods (as always here) were stil drenched, soaking wet from the morning storm. One thing you must remember for this area is that its a rainforest. In fact, its an ideal place to make a swamp bed (off the ground) as its Rare that the ground is ever dry.
anyways, strolled, clambered , slipped, climbed, and bumbled my way thru the wet soggy muddy thick woods.
its gets interesting here. Halfway thru my stroll, the forest went black. I mean black, dark, hard to see dark. This literally took place in seconds. This was at 1315 hours, on an otherwise sunny day. I felt my beard and neck hairs stand up my nose wrinkled a bit form a sudden ozone like odor and then i went blind for a second. The lightning struck very close about 30 ' away ffrom me. Then i went deaf as the thunder boomed overhead. The hikers that came up behind me were scared crapless. They had almost been hit too. I gave them clear detailed instructions on how to get back to the main road form where we were.
I myself pulled out the compass, found my return bearing and plunged off the regular trail, taking the direct route back to the truck. I was soaking wet, but very warm with my wool cap, wool mitts, U.U. heat shirt and surplus CDN Forces fleece jacket and my shell vest. Oh i wore pants too in case anyone was wondering. They got wet from the rain and wet brush. On the feet were three layers of thick wool socks and my surplus leather boots, treated with Obenaufs LP. Feet were dry and HOT. In any case i was
I beelined thru the woods, over logs, thru mud, thru water pooling on the forest floor and in the dips and hummocks, thru thick brush and thru/over several small streams. Stopped a couple of times tocheck the compass. The entire time the rain was coming down harder and harder. Visibility was about 10 feet with the rain and the fog, and it was very dark form thebalck clouds overhead. . Compass steered me well thru it.
emerged from the woods back onto the road, 20 feet from my truck. Murphy is a real son of a gun, because as i wrang out my cothes, the rian stopped, the skies cleared and the sun shone.
Anyways, that was my short 2 hour hike today, i'm glad i left the camera at home, it was way too wet to have brought it.
A little exercise, frsh fresh air, some knife testing (not as much as i would ahve liked though...)
goood times.
:thumbup:
these pics taken after i got home)
the gear:
my Blow-Out Pouch woods/survival kit, CS Carbon V recon tanto, Pat Randall Bushcraft and Emerson CQC-11 Utcom. In my vest i had a plastic bag of TP, 2 Clif bars, TruFlare launcher/bear bangers and a roll of flagging tape. Over my shoulder i had my map case and leather pouch with mini firekit and my SUUNTO KB14 compass.
Started off by finding and marking "N" on the aerial map of the area. In all my years in BC, i have yet to actually explore this section of the North Shore.
found my directional bearing, wrote it down and calculated the backtrack bearing. Grabbed my ham/cheese sammy from the truck and plunged into the woods. It was sunny out, but the woods (as always here) were stil drenched, soaking wet from the morning storm. One thing you must remember for this area is that its a rainforest. In fact, its an ideal place to make a swamp bed (off the ground) as its Rare that the ground is ever dry.
anyways, strolled, clambered , slipped, climbed, and bumbled my way thru the wet soggy muddy thick woods.
its gets interesting here. Halfway thru my stroll, the forest went black. I mean black, dark, hard to see dark. This literally took place in seconds. This was at 1315 hours, on an otherwise sunny day. I felt my beard and neck hairs stand up my nose wrinkled a bit form a sudden ozone like odor and then i went blind for a second. The lightning struck very close about 30 ' away ffrom me. Then i went deaf as the thunder boomed overhead. The hikers that came up behind me were scared crapless. They had almost been hit too. I gave them clear detailed instructions on how to get back to the main road form where we were.
I myself pulled out the compass, found my return bearing and plunged off the regular trail, taking the direct route back to the truck. I was soaking wet, but very warm with my wool cap, wool mitts, U.U. heat shirt and surplus CDN Forces fleece jacket and my shell vest. Oh i wore pants too in case anyone was wondering. They got wet from the rain and wet brush. On the feet were three layers of thick wool socks and my surplus leather boots, treated with Obenaufs LP. Feet were dry and HOT. In any case i was
I beelined thru the woods, over logs, thru mud, thru water pooling on the forest floor and in the dips and hummocks, thru thick brush and thru/over several small streams. Stopped a couple of times tocheck the compass. The entire time the rain was coming down harder and harder. Visibility was about 10 feet with the rain and the fog, and it was very dark form thebalck clouds overhead. . Compass steered me well thru it.
emerged from the woods back onto the road, 20 feet from my truck. Murphy is a real son of a gun, because as i wrang out my cothes, the rian stopped, the skies cleared and the sun shone.
Anyways, that was my short 2 hour hike today, i'm glad i left the camera at home, it was way too wet to have brought it.
A little exercise, frsh fresh air, some knife testing (not as much as i would ahve liked though...)
goood times.
:thumbup:
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