NW Pa First Annual Winter Hang 2011 Trip Report
Well myself FixedByDoc and Screamer arrived at my camp Thur afternoon about 1:00 pm watched some hiking videos from past trips ate a good meal at a all you can eat Chinese Buffet. came back to camp around 6:00 pm and furnace quit working so outside we went to warm up from time to time :lol: To bed at 9:30 Doc and screamer were beat 15 hr drive from upper peninsula of MI .
Day 1
Meet SkyDog , Herber, Myteather Tammy myself Doc and Screamer at the Benezette Cafe for breakfast at 10:00 am Pulled out a little after 11:00 am for the parking area at the Beaver Run Natural Area. arrived with sun and temps in the lower 60's snow about 8" was left out of 15 and was pretty slushy . Found that my camera was missing and Doc was nice enough to loan me one of 3 he had with him . Got our hammocks strung while waiting for more happy Hammock forum members to arrive . Myteather and Tammy viewed the different hammocks that were available . As I was finishing up my setup Blisterboy arrived followed shortly by Hobbit later that afternoon ChillyHiker and jloden came trekking in . after dark HWS appeared with a Priest he found down the road who helped him find the parking lot, who actually was amazed by the hammocks and hung arround with us for awhile HWS had thoughtful gifts he did not have a hammock and felt to late to pitch camp so he would stay the night at the Benezette Hotel and tomorrow bring us a great hot peach cobbler which we devoured pretty quick. Dinner day 1 was brats with german mustered with soft rolls and potato soup . we sat and ate around the campfire till 9 or 10 pm. When we went to bed temps were still in high 50"s but wind was something else upwards of 60 mph gusts.
Day 2
Awoke from my warm hammock to find temps in the 20's and my boots frozen had to fight for 10 minutes to get my feet and inserts in. got down to fire and got it going again as a few others awoken and joined the fire. coffee was started on peoples alcohol and wood burners as I set up my 9 cup stainless still peculator got going, found out the perk on top was not glass it melted but held up had coffee and heard a yell was Joe Cross he had past the site up. Joe arrived at 3 am this morning slept in his vehicle and later that morning joined the group. SkyDog commented that when I select a site next time make sure it's not in the flightpath of commercial jets wasn't sure what was worse the wind noise or the low flying jets that shook the ground lol . Well after breakfast we went 1.5 miles down to a trail bridge post holing as we went , Had shoes but left them in the jeep oh well live and learned. Joe Cross and Screamer decided to do another 7 miles and loop back to campsite .Rest of the group wondered back found Skydog talking to a Virgina gentlemen lol . We hung around the fire drinking hot apple cider and snacking on Venison Jerky we decided we would just base camp were we were after all the digging in we did. Joe and Screamer returned Joe found a site down the road and left to camp solo must have been to scary looking lol HWS arrived a little while later without a priest this time lol. he had made his cobbler at the hotel and almost burnt it down with his plastic tote that now resembles a toilet seat lid :lol: had dinner around the fire was entertained by Doc's harmonica and stories . herber packed up as he had prior engagment for sunday morning jloden made some smores for those who wanted them. Bed for most was about 9 pm was still windy and cold low 20's with a wind chill of 12 ° .
Day 3 :(
Well most were up just a daylight creped over the horizon , awoke from a warm hammock to a cold morning broke down camp had to use the ax tho break away ice to get guidelines and stakes out sheath came of once and managed to cut one guideline, glad I had more speer no tangle for back up.
loaded up the pulk and packed out the trash. Said our goodbyes to a great group of people . we left with the others while SkyDog remained sipping his coffee and enjoying the peace and quite. I stopped for coffee with Doc and went to my camp to look for my camera which was found underneath my bed lol. Ended up catching Doc and Screamer at the Brookville TA truckstop for the breakfast buffet had breakfast and headed home with fond memories and a warm heart.
Thank you for a great Hang guys , Sorry that those who wanted to come for some reason or another couldn't attend we hope to someday meet up once again.
HWS Hammock Quest and 1st Hang
Day 1:
Worked a double not by volunteering, planned to meet medicjimr and some of his early arriving posse hangers at 10:00 am in Benezette Cafe, Pa.. Plan A- Out the window. Sorry Myteathor for not being able to meet you hopefully next time. Loaded up and headed out on about 3.5 hours of so called sleep. My fault for not asking for phone numbers to let the breakfast club know I was not able to make it. Although a cell phone signal for them was most likely questionable at best. With an approx 3.5 to 4 hour drive ahead I pushed on.
Running on mostly adrenaline to get my first look and experience my quest of “Hammock Gear,” I couldn’t get to the PA Hang fast enough. On the way nearing my destination with about 30-40 minutes left, I lost GPS single. I saw out of the corner of my eye a small heard of Elk in a deep mountainous valley, which I stopped and took a few pictures of and a quick shaky video of. Continued on to my quest to medicjimr Feb 2011 PA Hang.
Leaving my house in a hurry and without printing medicjimr hang route instructions, although plan A was to meet for breakfast and I would convoy from there to the hang site. The hang destination was located down a long up hill climbing road with everything looking the same to me and not much for me to grasp to find the hang site cut off. I had my laptop with me with the instructions with a dying battery. Which I powered up to scribbled down some notes for directions. I was a bit antsy trying to locate the site and missed the turn off to the trail head. Hindsight, directions were written properly.
After driving what seemed to be a half of an eternity, I spotted a lone Outback vehicle with a gentleman getting done with a hike and reading a topo map. Pulled in and asked for some directions. After introductions and finding out Don was a Catholic Priest! He said he thought he knew where my scribbled directions might be headed for and offered to help me find my destination. Don found medicjimr hang’s trail head. We arrived as sunset was approaching, I offered if he wasn’t doing anything he could hike back and meet the PA Hangers with me and check out some hammocks and he did! :laugh:
Coming down the trail towards me was chilleyhiker and Screamer, our first meeting with me and my Priest in tote. :D Chilleyhiker and Screamer made me feel instantly comfortable and gave me directions to the hang site. The Priest and I walked into camp and were immediately met with warm welcomes by medicjimr and the rest of the hanging posse it was awesome. Everyone was relaxed and made their introductions it was a fantastic meeting. I on the other hand felt like I was doing 220 on a 120 line driving to get there, getting lost, lack of sleep, must had made a real madman first impression! :lol:
I was offered some venison jerky in a large plastic bag by medicjimr in which I took some pieces of and chewed on it slowly savoring each bite. Herber then introduced himself and talked with me briefly taking me over to show me his bridge hammock that IMO he had professionally set up and with his tarp impressively pitched. Circled back around and met up with SkyDog who offered his pulk to me for bring in my gear, Dutch Oven and cooking supplies. Hiking back to the trail head the Priest came with me and said he really enjoyed himself meeting everyone and thought the hammocks were amazing, crazy to winter camp in them but amazing. As we got to our vehicles, we said our goodbyes and I loaded up the pulk with my gear strapped on a head lamp and hiked backed in.
After getting back to camp, I noticed that medicjimr picked out a perfect spot. Trees had fallen in an L shape that made for natural seating with the camp fire placed in just the right place. Meeting and talking with the rest of the hangers, Hobbit, Blisterboy, FixedByDoc and jloden, I quickly learned how much they were enjoying themselves and myself as well and felt totally comfortable and in synch with my surroundings and my new found friends.
I had a tent with me thinking I might pitch and stay the night but after settling in for a while - darkness, fatigue and exhaustion was setting in. I apologized to the group about not being up for making the promised peach cobbler that night but vowed that I would make it the next day for them. They all were understanding and took me up on my new offer. I had milled around camp a bit a broke through some heavy snow/melting ice by a fallen tree root system and took on 2 boot drenching soakers. I dried my feet by the fire a bit. Being bear country, I decided to pack out my gear; Dutch Oven and cooking supplies back out with me. With the blessing of another SkyDog’s pulk loan I pulked back with SkyDog, Screamer and Herber who all accompanied me back to my vehicle. After loading my vehicle, SkyDog pulled his empty pulk back to camp for me as Screamer and Herber headed back with him. Heading for a Hotel in Benezette down a lonely mountain road destination about 13 miles I checked in. Took a hot shower and before going to sleep reflected on the kindred spirits I had met and the awesome day I had.
Will post some pics next, stay tuned for day 2....
My "Hammock Quest" : Day 2:
Day 2:
Got up early the next morning wanting to get back to the trail head leading to medicjimj’s PA Hang Camp. Remembering about the night before, the windows of old motel where I was staying shaking wildly because of the wind. Wondering how the PA hangers faired because of the wind blowing so hard.
Not feeling so well perhaps something I ate the night before. Laid back down and slept in a bit longer. I got up feeling a little better and got dressed to start my day. Debating my options to hike back to the hang site with my Dutch and supplies to camp cook or just to cook the cobbler right here at the hotel in the parking lot, because of the convenience factor, deciding on the latter.
It was getting to be late morning. Went outside to my vehicle it was fairly cold and windy, allot colder than the 55 degree plus day as before. Pulled my vehicle to the corner of the hotel parking lot to be out of the way, parking tactical and sideways parallel to the on coming wind to use my vehicle as a sort of a wind brake. Organized my cooking supplies starting the coals in my Weber chimney coal starter and pulled out a plastic tub with some gear in it to use it to cook on. Placed a blue sit pad on it with many multiple layers of sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil and placed on top 2 heavy tin roasting pans. Layered some hot coals down on the tin pans and covered the Dutch to start heating her up.
Made the cake mix, opened the peach cans dumping the peaches in the Dutch with some spices. Spread over the cake mix, covered the lid and setting some coals on top started the baking process. As I was putting some extra coals in the coal starter I smelled plastic burning! The Dutch melted through all my fire preventions layers and the hot plastic started all the contents of items in the tub on fire!
Pulling the Dutch off and placing it on a near by log, I proceeded to save the tubs contents of gear and what knots. The wind gusted and knocked the bag of charcoals on the burning tub catching that it on fire. I pulled items out and separated them to extinguish the flames. When a pack of napkins caught on fire and started blowing around the parking lot with some ending up plastered against the outside wall of the hotel or yes they were still on fire! I caught sight of people pulling in to park for lunch. I saw them stopping to stare at the fire house cook trying to calmly put out the blazes erupting everywhere around my vehicle. If you ever visit the Benezzete Hotel in PA and hear about this story. My name is FPG (Fire Prevention Guy) Testing fire prevention and fire extinguishing techniques!
I finished the mad house Peach Cobbler baking and cleaned up. Loaded up my vehicle with the Dutch Oven and burnt tub and top now looking like a toilet seat and would later remark to the PA Hangers about how I could show them to mod their tubs like mine and the ease of now getting to the contents without taking off the lid. LOL
Heading out to the PA Hang site, almost to my destination I saw some wild turkeys entering the woods up ahead which I stopped to shoot a quick video. As I pulled into the parking lot at the trail head. Herber was packing up to leave. I asked him if he would like to try some of the Peach Cobbler and he said he could be easily talked into it and asked if I needed any help. I said I would need a pulk to get the Dutch Oven back to the Hang Site and needed to organize some of my gear. He said he would get a pulk and would be right back.
I did some quick reorganization of my gear and loaded up the pulk and hauled back my Dutch and now new molded tub. Heber hiked back to camp with me chatting along the way. We entered camp as I was greeted by everyone. I briefly showed my new moded tub and cover and got a warm laugh from the hangers and later confessed my story. With Heber’s help set up the Dutch and server the Peach Cobbler. I think everyone enjoyed the desert and was happy that I was able to come through with my promised plan.
Chillyhiker invited to show me my “Quested Hammock and Gear Tour” which I eagerly accepted. We went to his rig first. A beautiful site it was. Chilly had an OES Standard Tarp, with a Griz Beak covering the leading wind side as he opened the tarp for me to see my first real live hanging hammock. I feasted on a Black WBB 1.1 starting from the bottom up was a Jacks R Better poncho weather cover, then a Jacks R Better UQ, with a 3 Season Yeti hiding underneath the hammcok. What a sweet rig! We walked through the camp and went through each hangers set up. Like a kid in a candy store I was wide eyed and excited.
Taking pictures along the way studying each unique and functional set up. Screamer was just getting up from hammock rest after doing a 7 mile hike. By then Hobbit joined us as we walked to his rig and went through his gear and shared with us his hammock wisdoms and experiences. I went by Blisterboys and FixByDoc Rigs taking picture and mental notes as I went along.
I have to echo Blisterboy “You can watch videos and read books, but the chance to hang out with a group that knows and loves what they are doing,well I am a lucky guy.”
You can read and study for six months but seeing and learning from these well educated woodsmen is just unbelievable and extremely invaluable. I have to say I learned as much in 10-12 hours than all my researching and studying for the last many months. The good thing for me was, I read so much about hammock gear. I could pick out and understood everything by site.
Next we came to medicjimr site, Powee-Baaam-Zoom there stood a perfectly pitched Warbonnet SuperFly in all of its glory. A tight orange ridgeline suspending it with orange Persik knots at each end. Staked out with side tie outs deployed a real thing of beauty it was. Moving along to jloden’s rig. He had the if I’m not mistaken the OES Micro Tarp, WBB 1.0 Hammcok with pads. Jloden rig was IMO meticulously set up with his gear covered sitting on a ground cover and neatly stacked under his hammock.
Walking back to the camp fire SkyDog met me and showed me his setup. I could tell this was not his first rodeo. SkyDog talked about his different trials and gear usages and passed along valuable information to me that I much appreciated.
We continued on together to the camp fire and I heated up some water in my peak pot on the fire and made a cup of soup. When finished I was going to heat some more water for tea when Blisterboy offered his fuel stove for heating my water. I appreciated this fact since I didn’t have the lid it would keep the ash out. Blisterboy produced a double burner stove and had two separate cups of water boiling in no time. I settled back on a log seat and took in the sites and smells of the fire and woods. Conversations were easy to come by and gear talk was abundant. FixByDoc made some acorn flour and mixed it with cocoa as a paste. Cooked it up on his stove and gave me a piece to try. It was really good. FixByDoc said it holds a high amount of protein in it.
I learned Joe Cross came in did a day hike with the PA hanger posse, found a remote camp site and later left for a solo hike and solo hang. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you Joe Cross, perhaps next time.
Talked a bit to everyone about gear, camping and about themselves as FixByDoc played his harmonica by the fire. Dark was set in and I warmed up by the fire. Wishing I had a hammock so I could stay, Stayed for as long as possible, but then having to pulk out the Oven and gear I had brought along it was time to go. Blisterboy was kind enough to lend me his headlamp. SkyDog again obliged me with his pulk. Loaded it up and hiked back to my vehicle to unload. Grabbed my forgotten head lamp half melted from the fire but still functional. I headed back to drop of the pulk and returned Blisterboys headlamp.
Saying my goodbyes I sadly left the camp. Hiking back my headlamp flickered off. Suffering from burns from my Peach Cobbler cook off, my headlamp went out, to a pitch black night. Couldn’t see a foot in front of me, no moon or star was out. I fiddle with it and brought a breath of life back into it, about a quarter ways back to my vehicle. Screamer came bounding up and hiked with me for company back to my vehicle. These are the types of guys I was blessed to have met and will think about often.
Summary:
First off one huge benefit for all my back and forth hiking and pulking had totally knocked all the stress out of my body. My shoulders became unknotted and I felt re-centered and relaxed.
The melting snow produced a lot of water and wet boots. Making me think about what a good winter footwear system would be. I saw boots being dried by the fire. Something I’ll have to research further for myself.
The sensation of kindred spirits was unmatched from the day to day grind of the world, so refreshing.
Lastly, I sensed these hangers have a deep love and respect of the outdoors as do I. Their knowledge base of hiking and outdoor skills was simply amazing, which they freely shared. I learned a lot from these kind folks.
For me it was better than going to Disneyland! Lol… HWS
P.S. - I would be remised if I didn’t mention on Day One, that Hobbit made a big ole batch of potato soup and heated it up in a big ole pot by the fire to share with everyone. It was most excellent!!!
Happy Trails to You All!
