rough trip

[low_delta]

I went on a photo expedition today. Ugh. It was mostly sunny and hot, though that wasn't my main problem. The big thing was that many sections of woods are impassible.

I went across the fields near our house, then struggled through a narrow section of woods into the fields beyond, then walked across several more. At that point, I planned on following the open area under the power lines, but it turned out they were blocked by brush. I tried getting around the brush by going into the woods, but the underbrush in the woods was too dense. I was trying to get to the river, but I had to turn back. If I had studied the satellite photos better, or remembered them better, I would have found the route. But I didn't so I went back home. By the time I got back, my shirt was drenched in sweat. I rested and rehydrated a bit, then got in the car and drove to the river.

The bank was muddy, so I hiked down a path on the far side of some woods. After a while, I pushed through the woods and made it to the river. I walked in the river for a while, then tried getting up to a road on the far side. I couldn't find a way without walking through people's yards, so I went back to the river. I walked further up, then decided I didn't want to walk in the water anymore (it's a bit strenuous), and went into the woods. Big mistake. The underbrush was pretty much impassible. I tried following some deer trails at first, but the deer must have learned to crawl on their bellies, because they were tough to follow. Then the trails petered out, and I was left in the undergrowth, trying to find a way out. I should have headed back to the river - at many points. Sometimes I was crawling, sometimes I just forced my way through the dry bushes. Not fun. Finally, I made it back to the river near the road. That part that was muddy? Way muddier than I expected. The soft, squishy mud was over my ankles.

I was in rough shape by the time I got home. A little scratched up, exhausted and dehydrated, and a huge blister on the side of my foot from my expensive sandals.

The best pictures I got were very near home. I saw a little wildlife. Turkeys. I scared up a pair of deer, catching a glimpse of one as it hightailed for cover. I found a blue jay feather. Caught a glimpse of a heron up the river, and saw it take flight when it saw me (at a distance). Big freshwater mussel shells. Little fishies. Manymany dragonflies.

Cyn asked if this was like the tunnels hike in Hawaii. No, that one had a payoff. And was much more interesting along the way.

Comments

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

but the deer must have learned to crawl on their bellies, because they were tough to follow. at this point, I laughed out loud! Thank goodness I got to go to work today.

I do know I would surely die if left to be a natural adventurer. First of a whole body poison ivy rash followed by sunburn and mosquito bites. Then of broken bones from tripping and falling on things. No doubt lockjaw from stepping on something unclean, and stomach travails from drinking unclean water or a berry with invisible bird poop on it. Oh and spiders....and bat bites.

It would not be comfortable.

But I look forward to your pictures!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

You'd eventually learn what poison ivy looked like. And you'd only walk into nettles once. Food and water would be your real problem.

Pictures? What pictures? :-D

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

:) an adventure!

When we were teen-agers, a friend and I grabbed a USGS topo map, and found what looked like a accessible way from one campground we liked, to another. We wondered why there wasn't already a trail through there.

We followed deer-paths and such up to the top of a ridge, and could see about a mile or so off where the other camp was. The brush was a bit thick, but we thought we saw a way.

An hour later we were climbing on top of the ultra-dense underbrush, mansanita, and scrub oaks. Every now and then we could see light through the brush - a sign that we'd gone over a cliff and should climb back up and around. We eventually made it.

After that we only hiked by topo if it looked passable and wasn't more than a mile, or looked like something a trail would lead to. We found a couple neat springs by doing that. :)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Cliffs. Yeah, that sounds like a problem. I don't know what things are like out there, but I generally assume that if a trail were possible, there would be one. But I guess they could be overgrown.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

We learned hiking and hunting that most wild animals don't like to have to force their way through thickets and will go around if they can. In fact, you're more likely to see a deer on or near a dirt road than in the thick parts of the forest.

Turkeys! N. Cali has tons of turks in the wild, but none make it this far south. Up north they're almost a pest!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

The deer trails I was on seemed to be well-traveled up to a point, but then became overgrown. No tracks on them. All the deer tracks I saw were in open areas - riverbanks and the edges of fields.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Sounds like a nightmare except it was real.
Like Lynda, I'd be in bad shape if left to explore that kind of territory. I hate the feeling of mud on my feet.
LOL

Looking forward to the wildlife pictures.
:)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

You would have hated this mud. It was more like goop.

Who said anything about wildlife pictures? :-)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Who said anything about wildlife pictures? :-)

You said you took some! Or not?
;)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Actually I didn't. When I said, "The best pictures I got were very near home. I saw a little wildlife." those were actually two unrelated sentences.

I didn't get many photos worth sharing at all, but we'll see what I end up with.