Un-toasted bagels and machettes - HNF tr ip report

“I was late because of a bagel, had no idea as to where the #&%!$ I was leading the group, and a lady with a long machette!

That is just a taste...more to follow.”

“Pictures

http://community.webshots.com/album/454938147bmGBTO”

“Looks like you had a lot of fun!”

“Yep, we did.”

“Hey, how about editing that last, great group shot and putting in some trailnames?

Otherwise, great fun photos!”

“OOPS!

Yep, I will get that fixed.”

“first off, that first pic- EW!

the rest are cool :) sorry I had to miss it!”

“Saturday September 17, 2005

Up at 4:45 AM. I had the car packed, except for a few items, so I was pretty much ready to go. This was to be my first overnight hiking trip since the end of last September so I was pretty excited to get going. I picked up Laura (We can call her Rusty for now, not sure what her trail name will be) shortly after 5:30 AM and headed down a dark I-65 in the direction of Crash Bang. I received a call from Ms. Doolittle about 45 minutes away from picking up Crash advising that she woke up with a cold and that she was not going to be able to make it.

Picked up Crash close to 8 AM, running late. We made good time down to Bloomington except I forgot I had not packed a bagel for my breakfast for Sunday morning. We stopped at the local McDonald’s where I made it clear to the Mickey D’s employee I needed a plain, un-toasted bagel. Luckily, it only took one try and the order was served correct.

We arrived at the Blackwell horse camp about 30 minutes late. After weighing everyone’s packs with Dub’s scale (Laura pack was close to 50 pounds, I think Charlie and I tied for the lightest at 28 pounds) we headed out hiking counter clockwise on the Grub Ridge trail.

Not having worn a pack on my shoulder’s for almost a year, I started feeling its effects only after about 3 miles in. The shoulder blades began to burn, but the knees felt great. We stopped for a short break after crossing the gravel road that cuts the park in two sections. Dub, his friend Troy and Chin Music had camped at different sites Friday night and left their gear in the car which was parked near the Axom branch trail head, so they had been hiking with daypacks. After crossing the road we hit the trailhead so Dub, Troy and Chin went right and up to retrieve their packs. The rest of us waited.

While waiting, we had a group of 3 horseback riders pass had head back on the trail we had just come from. Oldog was making his way to us on this trail and after he arrived, he said that one of the horseback riders said something to the effect of having to share the trail with us. We contemplated chasing them down to taunt them, but something happened next which made us abandon the idea.

A family of 4, 5 if you include the dog hiked past us. We exchanged pleasantries and we all noticed the mom carrying something. I though at first it was a hiking staff, but after she passed to the other side of Charlie, I noticed it was something else. She had a tight grip on machete! The blade on this sucker was long, almost hitting the ground as she strode past us. We all made a few jokes and shortly thereafter Dub, Troy and Chin re-joined the group with full packs.

We had made excellent time up to this point and it was still early in the afternoon. My first ever hike was on this trail (almost 3 years ago) and I know of a site coming up, not marked on the map, that had a small pond near us. All the creeks we had passed up to this point were bone dry, so we knew we needed to camp near one of these small ponds. We hiked a few ore miles and decided to stop at a large site under a mess of pine trees for lunch.

We all sat around eating BSing and someone brought up the women with the machete. Since Dub, Troy and Chin were getting their packs, they missed this sight so my big mouth started talking. As I say, “The chick with the machete,” a couple happens to walk by. I freeze and say, “OH #&%!$! It’s the machete woman!”


Part 2 coming soon...”

“WK, you should have seen the Canadian Border Patrol freak out one year because I was bringing a machete into their country! Too funny!

Good TR so far! You didn't have to draw up a schematic to help the McDonalds employee get you your plain bagel?”

“We all stared at the lady as she walked past, then we looked at each other. It was classic. Crash kept making fun of me the whole trip because of the way I ordered it. The funny thing was that after stopping just to get the bagel, I ended up forgeting it back in the car!


Part 2

We joked that I was first to get started when we started hiking again, so I started out at the beginning of the pack. Shortly after we started hiking, we spot them coming to us. As they draw closer, we figure out that this is a different couple and all is well. The campsite I wanted to find was getting close, so I kept my eyes open. Before you know it, we hit the peninsula trail, way past where I wanted to be. I dropped my pack and journey off into the wood, hoping to find the pond I so remembered from my last trip, but I find nothing. I turn around and as the group comes back into view, I scream out “I don’t know where the #&%!$ I am!” I am just glad someone grabbed a map because I did not have one. Crash said that a great site is close so we make our way to it.

The site has no one on it so we claim it for the night. Plenty of room and water, plus Patton cave is right below us. We find the exit, a tight fitting hole, then we journey over to the main entrance. Crash and I duck and crawl in to a point where you will now have to spider crawl on your stomach to get through. I don’t do tight spaces very well so Crash goes on ahead and I chicken out and head back the way I came in. Snapped a few photos and exited to the sight of Crash above showing himself. Maybe next time I will try it.

We all collect firewood and start dinner. The sun sets soon so the fire gets started and all start to swap stories of past adventures. No rain was predicted that evening, so I did not attach my fly. Tossed and turned a bit but I finally got to sleep, snug as a bug in my new bag!


Sunday September 18 2005

The morning gray with high clouds and some fog. I got a small fire going because we had leftover wood and there was a chill to the air. We all ate and packed up. The hike out was uneventful, Charlie even took an opportunity to talk with his wife (I think) while hiking in front of us.

We all got back to the cars and Oldog had cold beer waiting. 10 AM cocktails!

It was great to be out on the trail again with others I have not seen in awhile and other I have never seen. It was a pleasure to hike with everyone this past weekend and I look forward to hiking with all of you again in the near future.

Sorry if I burped too much!”

“Bumping this all the way back to the top to say "I think it sounds like you camped where G-Force, two lurkers and I camped this past Spring."

Beware women with machetes. They might be disciples of Lorena Bobbitt!”

“i believe that was the trip i planned and had to bail on!”

“Hey!

any of you guys get chiggers? I think I got them again! Little red bumps all ofer my legs.

I feel like taking my pants off and running around the office! I cannot stop scatching!”

“WK !great trip report, and the pic's were cool.
Hey ,you got room for one more on the Mammoth Cave trip. put me down for maybe”

“Sure we do!

I'll bring the beer this time :)”

“WK, I would not recomend taking your pants off and running around the office. I got lectured once for that.”

“Yeah, I got some chiggers...annoying little things. Today is my day off so hopefully I'll have my pictures up by tomorrow morning for you guys.

Not sure if I'm gonna make it to Mammoth...I gotta work that weekend but I'll see what I can do.”

“Yep. I'm in chigger misery too”