I’ve decided that I’m going to make my next trip during the night. I haven’t been to the pond for a few weeks now so I’m not sure what to expect regarding water level. There’s been a bit of rain, but not a whole lot.
So there are a few considerations. First (and probably most important) would be to use the fancy schmancy shower bag thingy I have. I’ve been carrying it around but not using it because there was plenty of water around, and because I was getting home early enough to pop in the shower to clean up properly before climbing into my nice clean bed… This time that won’t be possible, so… I will have to clean up better.
Second, there is some question of how late to wait before getting hopelessly stuck. Now I’ve had the luxury of being alone when I’ve gone there during the day, but again, I’m still not 100% comfortable because I can still hear activity relatively close-by. I’d like at least one good solid minute of warning if I need to hide… Especially if I have to actually dig myself out of the mud first! There is also the fact that this pond is most likely a popular watering hole for wildlife. I’ve seen racoon and deer tracks so far, but nothing resembling bear tracks, which is a very good thing. So, the question here is: Should I wait till the early hours of the morning, or start as soon as I feel comfortable (which could be the early hours of the morning, or right around sunset)… Sunset time is the best time because there’s enough light for me to see while not being too friendly to hikers who may stumble by. Quads and dirt bikes have headlights I’d most likely see at that time too, and of course, I’d hear them coming.
Third, the last trip I made I noticed my pack is getting a bit heavy. I seem to swing between having minimal stuff for minimal weight, and having everything I might possibly need for less-than-optimal weight… So there’s gonna be a brief review before I commit to hauling the pack around again. Since I’m not really spending hours at a time walking around, this is a bit less of a concern, but something I want to address anyway.
And what’s more… I’d like to expand the hole a little bit. Right now it’s just big enough that I can comfortably kneel in it, and be able to lean back against the ‘shore’ for comfort. I may give up the backrest in favour of a much larger hole. And since I also enjoy the actual preparation stage, being able to use a larger space is desirable. I just gotta remember the farther I get from shore, the more effort and escape time is required to get *back* to the shore. 🙂
Oh yeah, I must remember to bring soap!
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