Overnight backpack to Gladon Creek with no excess action
10/16/21
The words trail and camp have always been two of my favorites. I use trails on occasion and enjoy them to some extent. The problem with a trails is that they tend to be commonly traversed and lead to locations that many hikers frequent. This equals crowds. I hike to escape crowds, not seek them out. Following a trail is like being told where to go. I have never enjoyed being told what to do. Camping is good in almost any form. I do not consider staying in a miniature apartment in the outdoors to be camping. These units should not be referred to as campers and should be abolished. I seem to be rambling. I will now tell of my story involving near death.
On Saturday morning, breakfast was had at the Old South Restaurant in Russellville. This is the best place to have breakfast in the area. Eat there now! After this it was onward to the north on Hwy 7. The morning was beautifully sunny and cool. A stop was made at the Rotationally Molded Ann Rest Stop high on the Ozark Plateau of manliness. Here, the facilities were utilized. It was then...just after this utilization, that I continued on.
The forest was entered at 9:40 with 48° and the aforementioned cloudless skies. This being the opening day of muzzleloader deer season, I was ensconced in fluorescent orange attire...not! I actually wear no orange. Please never mistake me for a hunter. A fair amount of noise was made by me as I passed through the woods. I saw no hunters and heard no shots that morning from anywhere close. I realize that 10:00 a.m. is probably late for deer hunting, so no hunters were expected to be encountered. My path took me along a ridge and then down into a hollow to look for a waterfall. This is a spot that I have always wondered about but have never visited. The shrubbery was quite dense on the way down. On arrival to the expected waterfall location, there was found to be a low flow of water in the tiny creek. This did drop over a convoluted rock face into a pool below but displayed very little character. I no longer wondered about this potential point of interest.
Now, it was back up the difficult slope to the ridge top and then back to the bluff line on the other side. This was followed until my camp site was observed and mounted. It being 12:30, lunch was partaken of. This was comprised of a sandwich with toasted sourdough bread, honey ham, white cheddar cheese and the whip that is a miracle. Also of note...generic corn chips were ingested. After this, camp was erected. The wind was around ten mph and the terrain was quite moist due to rain just yesterday. These factors forced me to dismiss the desire to plan on a cozy fire after sunset. After all was prepared, I eased into the expensive and custom made made hammock that had just recently been suspended between two pines that met the standards for such duty. The distance was a bit far apart, but still worked well. My desire for a nap was not fulfilled, but lying there in the breeze with a view of the valley was quite refreshing.
The day passed and eventually the sun was viewed as it descended below the ridge across the narrow valley. A dinner consisting of a hard boiled egg and an unheated mini container of Beefaroni was consumed as the light faded into the night. The first light in the sky was to the southwest and low on the horizon. This, was taken to be Venus with a smaller and reddish light nearby that just might have been Antares. As the sky darkened, more of these lights came forth to display their beauty, unobstructed by clouds. By now the wind had completed subsided and all was calm with a temp around 48°. After lounging for a time, it was to bed where sleep was not realized until around 11:00. I woke frequently, as is typical, but slept fairly well. The moon was at least 3/4 full and provided a feeling of loveliness. At around 3:35 I was abruptly awakened by a close by sound that was loud and not really identifiable. It sounded like the yelp of a lone coyote, to me...but? This was very near, it seemed, but I heard no movement along the leafy forest floor. The decay there was still moisture laden and this may have muffled the sound as it circled me. I was prepared for confrontation, but none ensued. I eventually drifted back to sleep and was forced to rise by alarm at 6:45. The low temp was 38°. The sunrise was soon thereafter and was of fine quality. Camp was struck and the hike back begun. I arrived back to the transportation unit with 52°. No hunters or flying bullets were observed. I then drove home with the usual sense of renewal.
