Thanks much for the comments on the sheath. I'm pleased to say that it's doing just fine - it has been re-wet-formed and hit with a few coats of neatsfoot oil. I will look into some of your suggestions re: more intensive waterproofing. For the record, I love patinas and blade wear, and I'm not worried about a little oxidization. I was just curious to hear some opinions on leather warping.
Sasha, I'm afraid I didn't take many more mushroom shots, and of those I did, only a few turned out. Here's one:
There were mushrooms everywhere on this trip - bright little red ones, orange ones, brown ones, etc. - not to mention loads of tree fungus. I'll remember to take additional pictures next time.
mcrob, it sounds like you are in an amazing line of work! Algonquin has a real special place in my heart, too, and Fall is by far my favourite time to be there; I prefer the cool weather, and the colder water is a reasonable trade-off for the autumn colours. Now that you mention it, though, there were a few trees already starting to turn when I was up north.
We did pass a few people - couples and groups - going in the opposite direction. There were two larger groups of kids (13-18, I would say), probably affiliated with Scouts or youth groups. They seemed to be having a good time, though the range of gear and preparedness was interesting to see - I recall one girl with one of those string-around-the-shoulders-I-shop-at-the-Gap backpacks, trudging along and
carrying her tent in her arms. We briefly shared our campfire with some uni students from kgd's neck of the woods, who had wandered around the lake looking for other campers. I suspect they were looking to share a bottle and hang out, but with my young cousin around, I was on a strict cigar-only diet.
I really don't understand why everyone seems to hike the Algonquin loop trails in the same direction. The Uplands trail forms a large figure-8 (plus side trails), allowing for plenty of different approaches. The trail is blazed in both directions, with the only difference being that the 'correct' direction has a little picture of a hiker on top of the blaze. Going 'backwards' allowed me to stop and chat with everyone we passed, and ask about good campsites, fishing spots, and trail conditions ahead. This worked to our advantage big time, but I couldn't help but wonder why we were the only group who switched things up.
Dan, I got a chuckle out of your sheath-pants story. I have never had that happen, but I do recall one wet outing where the weight of my BK-9 sheath stretched the heck out of a nice Italian leather belt that I was given as a gift. It went from size 30 to size 50 over the course of a week!
The W&SS forum knife does make a top-notch PSK knife. I think it has the best size : cutting ability ratio of any knife in my collection, when you take thickness into consideration. My cousin noted that it looks like a "kick-ass throwing knife". Kids.
All the best,
- Mike
. I like the different views of the lakes at different times of the day :thumbup:. Glad you managed to find a good hiking bud as well.
