Gifford Hike Video on Youtube
Temperature on Hike In: 54 Degrees
Clothing: Long Sleeve Rec Tech Shirt
Kuhl Liberator Pants
Lightweight Crew Socks
Baseball Cap
Distance Covered: 1.7 Miles
It was amazing that on the 21st of January I could step out and start a hike at 54 degrees. Right now I am relaxing in the hammock as the water starts to boil for some cocoa, even though it's not that cold. On the hike earlier, I followed the road up to a sign that said state wildlife management. From there I just checked out the map and headed straight for the river. Once I hit the river I started following the bank east. I found two good spots not quite as close to the bank as I would like, so I kept going. I was able to find one spot that allowed me to see almost the entire river from my hammock.
I tested out my two pack-tach clips to see if I could snug up my Convert. The two clips allow me to throw a little shock cord over my Ridgeline and it pulls my underquilt snug up against my body. I don't believe I'll have to bring my Eno Ember 2 to help snug everything up anymore. One great aspect of hammock-camping came to light as I tromped around camp. The ground where I had been moving from my hammock, to my pack, and to my stoves had turned into a giant mud pit. This was due to the fact that I was camping on the flood plain near the river. This spot would not have been possible with a tent on the ground.
My alcohol stove lit on the first attempt with my fire steel so I could make some cocoa. I used my Etekcity burner at the same time to heat my dinner of Kernel's Corn Chowder, which I watered down way too much. Even though I drank it, it was delightful. From here, I did some wandering and found a few chunks of bark. I brought these back to camp and made my own ground mat under the hammock to avoid the worst of the mud. From there, it was time to relax. I climbed into the ENO with all my down and just enjoyed nature until it got dark.
Once I decided to officially go to bed. I brushed my teeth, used the bathroom, and did a quick lap around camp to make sure all was in order. I slept great, and was plenty warm. I only remember waking up 4 times, all due to visitors near or at my camp. First, there was a very brave possum. My camp stool was right next to my hammock, and he was attempting to climb it when I woke up and he ran off. Next, came a deer. Nothing huge, and a doe, but she was about 6 yards from me along the bank drop-off. As soon as I turned to get a good look at her, she jumped off. The third visitor scared me quite a bit as it crashed through the trees and landed in all its turkey glory a few yards from my hammock. He then waddled around behind my hammock for a minute. He also hurried off as I twisted and turned to get a better look. My final visitor may have been the same as the first, but this time he wasn't as sneaky, getting only within 5 yards before waking me and getting scared off. If I would have had my GoPro in a more accessible pocket, instead of my zipper pants pocket, I might have gotten some footage of them. For now, you'll just have to believe me.
The next morning was not very rushed, since I knew I only had a 20-minute drive home. The one hiccup of the morning was that I ran out of fuel for my Etekcity stove. Not a big deal, since I had my alcohol stove. I did learn the hard way why some people say they sleep with an ounce of alcohol for the morning. I could not get the stove lit to save my life (or to make breakfast, which was not nearly as important, but still preferable). I took my fuel bottle, tucked it into my pocket, and went for a short walk. When I returned, I topped off my stove with the warm liquid, and it lit right up. Breakfast was now cooking.
As the water for my breakfast and coffee came to a boil, I was able to pack up my camp, all but my hammock and stool, anyway. I ate in the splendor of my hammock, and when I was finished, I packed that up as well. I initially was leary of having my cook set hanging on the outside of my pack, but this little trip has shown me that it is completely worth it. Not only did everything stay in place during both legs of the hike, but I was able to pack everything besides my stool and cook set. Once I went down to the bank to clean everything out, I simply slid my cook set into the side pouch, and strapped my stool to the bottom. I was ready to hike out.
The only event to note from my hike out was losing my GoPro. I was attempting to take a few shots of me as I hiked out, and when I went back to get it, I was not able to find it. Since the area I was hiking was flooded at one time, trees and tall grasses were mangled and tossed all over. You couldn't walk more than 10 yards without changing direction to go around an obstacle. I had done just that as I went to retrieve my camera, and had been looking in the wrong place. Luckily, I found it, and was back on my way. So ended another successful hammock-camping trip. This one being my first by myself, though. I'm excited to take another trip and bring my brother along next time.
Temperature on Hike Out: 36 Degrees
Clothing: Long Sleeve Rec Tech Shirt
Kuhl Liberator Pants
Heavyweight Wool Socks
Baseball Cap
Marmot Ajax Down Jacket
Fingerless Gloves
Distance Covered: 2.42 Miles
I will also be adding a couple extra movies. This first one is over 30 minutes, with the whole trip and lots of my talking. I will add videos of just some of the gear and other topics later.
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