Part 9

CAMPING IN THE EMIGRANT WILDERNESS –

14 DAYS AT KENNEDY MEADOWS – 2010

May 9, 2010 – Sunday

This is my first entry into my new journal for 2010. This begins our journey into the wilderness and our experiences that lay before us.

It has been a long struggle with much uncertainty about my future. For seven months, each month passed with little or no work. Then in March I picked up a large project that was put on hold from the previous year. It was a lifesaver for me financially. I had hoped it would be the beginning of a good year of work.

The friends I was staying with, thought it was time for me and Shiloh to go. I was hoping to stay with them for a time longer, but their generosity had to come to an end. I had no place for us to go. Those were scary times with so much uncertainty in the economy. But things some how seem to work out. I reached out to an old friend, asking if he was able to help us out? He said, “Yes.” He had an extra room we could stay in at the very house he grew up in.

Before actually moving in with his family. I had picked up a big project that gave me some money, and asked him if he wanted to go camping for two weeks at Kennedy Meadows?

Bill was open to the idea, so we planned the two week camping trip at the end of May, depending on weather conditions up there. I was able to delay the move until the end of May from my other friends place to Bill’s place, a day prior to when Bill, myself and Shiloh would leave for our camping trip to Kennedy Meadows once again.

The camping trip was planned for the purpose of working on different survival skills and perfecting them. And of course for me and Shiloh to get back to the wilderness that we both loved. And also to reconnect with Bill. Bill really did not know what he was getting into. I told him to trust me, it will be great! We actually took our first backpacking trip together with another friend, many years ago.

Bill and I were excited about leaving for the wilderness, but not necessarily for the same reasons.

We had a very wet and late winter with a lot of snow in the mountains. Our plans were to go to Kennedy Meadows, or another area I was looking at, Golden Trout Wilderness as an alternative, if we could not get into Kennedy Meadows due to snow. Although I wanted to try a new place to camp, the drive down to Golden Trout Wilderness and the planning involved would have been somewhat more hectic. And we only had 16 days including driving time to get to our destination and back. Because of my stay at Kennedy Meadows with Shiloh the previous year, we knew this area well, and would make it a familiar setting for our two week stay.

On the last remaining days before departure, we got a confirmation that Kennedy Meadows would be our destination. We would be going up to 7,800 foot elevation, but being able to get our gear up there by pack animal could be questionable. The pack station said they would get us up there. Since we were one of the first to go up to Kennedy Meadows, no one knew what to expect, even the packers. There were one or two other groups that the pack station was to take up to Kennedy Meadows and they ended up canceling because of uncertain weather conditions. I did not really know what we were in store for, but all I knew was I wanted to get back up there. Matt the Owner of Kennedy Meadows Resort was glad we were still going. It can be always risky going this early in the season, but I was willing to take the chance. Famous last words.

We will be headed for Kennedy Meadows for fourteen days. It will be nice seeing it with a lot more snow, but the question is how much more snow? When I was up there last June there were only patches of snow on the mountains and snowed on the mountain peaks one night with a little dusting. I wanted to leave early in the season because I wanted Shiloh to experience snow for the first time. The closer we got to leaving the more uncertain it was of making it there. The high Sierra Nevada mountains were still getting snow in June and the weather can be unpredictable. I wasn’t sure if the pack station at Kennedy Meadows Resort would be able to get up there with the pack horses. It was also questionable if we could get up there with or without the pack animals. We took our chances. The worse scenario was turning back. The weather outlook seemed good for us with no bad weather in the forecast, but it doesn’t mean we can’t get hit by a bad weather system at higher elevations. It can be a crap shoot. It can also become very dangerous. I was a bit over confident and somewhat cocky in my attitude that I can get through anything Mother Nature throws at us. That is a bad, and potentially dangerous attitude to assume. One should always have the deepest respect while in mother nature.

The week before we were to leave, it was confirmed they would get us up there. The problem was how much snow would be up there? I didn’t really care if we hit snow, I just wanted to get up there and we would deal with whatever needed to be done. Bad, bad attitude. I soon learned there was more to consider than I thought.

I remember when my friend Greg and I went on a four day backpacking trip in late May. Once we got to higher elevations it became questionable if the trails were going to be clear to get through to our destination. We found a ranger and asked him if he knew the conditions, and it wasn’t encouraging. But most of the time they typically don’t know. We talked about if we should even try, and decided to go for it. We hit little snow on the trail, and only patches of snow on the ground.

We had some experience backpacking, but we were not experienced enough to deal with certain situations that could be encountered or the necessary equipment. The wrong decision made could mean an expensive rescue, or death.

Backpacking has become increasingly popular, with many backpackers going out into the wilderness areas ill-equipped, and/or not familiar with the gear they bring, like being able to read a compass, or a topo map, or bringing the wrong clothing, or sleeping bag. Their are many who focus on bringing a lot of food as a priority, and not the proper gear. There are many things to be thought out when venturing out into the wilderness that many don’t consider. I was guilty of this. We have this idea that we can handle any situation that comes to us. And of course the risk could increase for something to go wrong very wrong.

May 30, 2010 – Sunday

We moved our stuff over to Bill’s house and began preparing everything for our camping trip for the next day. Bill, Shiloh and I picked up some additional food that afternoon for our trip. Bill brought enough food for a month stay (As mentioned above, Bill was one of those people focused on food). I didn’t care much since we had everything packed in, and we didn’t have to carry it in. Also a consideration was being able to keep all the perishable foods from going bad while up there.

I didn’t really think too much of staying at Bill’s house in the moment, because I was focused on our two weeks in the wilderness. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking how long will this stay be for? And will this moving place to place ever end? Will things be as they were. But for two weeks I could forget all the troubles in the world while we are in the wilderness.

I knew Bill for many years. We grew up in the same neighborhood and lived only a few house from one another. We were best friends for the most part of our growing up, from the beginning of grammar school through high school. Bill still lives in the same house he grew up in. For me, going back to the old neighborhood and back to the city I spent twenty-one years growing up in, brought back a flood of many fond memories growing up. Many were with Bill.

I was always hoping things would get better in our situation soon, that this can’t last forever? I am sure many people, and families felt the same way. Our government as with many, did very little to help the common man. They did not know how to fix it. As the rich continued getting richer, I, with so many others, would soon realized that it would only get much worse. I had a goal and business plan in place, it was just getting it started and having enough funds to get it going. I am sure millions of Americans thought that things would begin to pick up with the economy, but there was no way of looking into the future, and what the future would bring. One of the major problems with what we now call the Great Recession is, we have become a world economy with each countries economy connected to the rest. Most of the Western European nations and the US had gotten caught up in this greed that created the economic collapse that impacted not just most of the civilized world, but what is now termed as the 99% of the people. The surprising thing about this whole thing was while the middle class started to become the poor, and the poor became the destitute, the governments and the banks made sure the 1% were still getting richer. Our world was becoming once again a world that was controlled by the very rich, and the dwindling middle class and the poor to fend for themselves with an economy that provide few jobs and higher prices for necessities such as jobs, housing, gasoline and food. In the building industry I was in, it just stopped. It seemed the whole industrializes world just stopped.

May 31, 2010 – Monday

I was really excited to get on the road. We got up around 7:30 am and got everything together to put into the truck. It took no time at all to load the truck with another person helping. It would have taken me twice as long just doing it by myself. Everything went smoothly and we got on the road at 9:30 am. We stopped at the Ranger Station for a fire permit, then onto Kennedy Meadows Resort, arriving around 1:00 pm. It was so nice to be back. Once we got checked-in and everything unpacked in our small one room cabin for the night, we relaxed, had lunch, and talked about old times. Shiloh and I took a walk to the river so Shiloh could play in the water, and to walk around a bit. I wondered what he was thinking? Was he thinking about if we were going camping in the wilderness again? Did he know we were going back up to Kennedy Lake? Did he even remember Kennedy Lake? I wish I knew what was in his thoughts, in these moments, if anything? Actually I think he loved to hike. It was an adventure for him. He felt, he was born for this. It was in his blood to be a dog of adventure.

The weather at Kennedy Meadows Resort (Elevation 6,350 ft.) was warm, about 60 degrees and overcast. It was a beautiful day. Both Shiloh and I were ready to once again experience the wilderness, but we won’t be alone. Bill and I had not seen each other for many years I was looking forward to the two weeks with my old friend.

Later we had dinner and then went to the cabin to get organized, and then to bed. We had an early start tomorrow.

As usual our small cabin was filled with all our gear and very little room to move around comfortably.

June 1, 2010 – Tuesday

Bill and I talked until about 12:00 am. I didn’t fall asleep until about 2:00 am. Bill’s snoring was a frightening ordeal for me. Never heard anything like it before. I was not looking forward to the 14 nights in the wilderness with that. I got up at 5:00 am to take Shiloh out for a walk to the river, it was nice breathing in the fresh mountain air once again. We then came back to the cabin. I fed Shiloh, and I hopped in the shower. The last shower for two weeks.

While Bill was getting his shower I loaded up the truck with all our gear and headed for the loading dock at the pack station. We got to the loading dock just before 6:30 am – the requested time to have the equipment ready for loading up the pack animals. We had a lot of stuff we were taking up there – I think it was mostly Bill’s food.

After unloading the truck at the loading dock, I parked the truck then Shiloh and I headed for the restaurant for breakfast, meeting Bill there. As usual, Shiloh had to stay outside. But I made sure I had something for him after we were done, like some slices of bacon for being so good. If I had my way, he would be in the restaurant eating with us. He wasn’t even allowed on the veranda.

We got on the trail about 8:30 am. The pack horses had already left. Bill is paranoid about bears, and he felt it was necessary to bring his pistol with him on the hike. Bill has never really had any gun training on how to handle a gun or on gun safety. This had me a little concerned.

It was nice being back on the trail again. Everything looked very familiar. It was a little like returning home for me and Shiloh. Shiloh did find his little pond along the trail and took advantage with a drink and a little dip. He looked like a happy camper. He led the way the whole trip.

Knowing we are on the right trail are the three steal bridges we would cross over the fast flowing waters of Kennedy Creek that cascades through a rocky canyon slot down to Kennedy Meadows Resort, and ending into the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River that runs along Hwy 108. There is only one other trail off of the main trail, that leads to Relief Reservoir (Elev. 7,246 ft.). The Kennedy Creek provides a continuous trail marker throughout the hike. And one area along the trail that passes through a small growth of ancient Sequoia trees with reminiscences of it’s thick bark slabs strewn about. The thickness of the bark can be 6 to 10 inches thick, and can even reach up to 2 feet thick. A truly amazing tree. In one area of the raging creek, a small pine grips it’s roots into a rock ledge.

On the way up the trail I spotted the pinemat manzanita with its white clustered flowers in full bloom. Most people know manzanita for it dark red bark. The word Manzanita in spanish means “little apple.” Its flowers and berries are edible and the red berries are enjoyed by such critters as some birds, foxes, and bears, and the seeds are relished by chipmunks. A similar species of the manzanita is the Kinnikinnick; Bearberry. The word Kinnikinnick, a Native American word for many tobacco substitutes. It also had many medicinal uses with the Native Americans. Many California Indians made a cider from the berries. Bearberry came from the enjoyment the bear had for the tasty berries.

It was my first opportunity to try the manzanita flowers with a little taste sampling. They weren’t bad. They had a slightly sweet taste to them. I took a handful of the manzanita flowers with me to make a refreshing drink when we got into camp (unfortunately never got the chance to make this drink). The drink is simply made by putting a handful of manzanita flowers in water and letting it sit for 24 hours for the refreshing drink.

One of the first small meadows we approached I saw dandelion flower so I gave them a try as well. It was the first time for me with these plants, and I found them to be just okay. The dandelion was actually introduced into North America by the European settlers as a food crop and medicinal cure-all. The whole plant is edible, even the roots, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Pick the young plants for an edible treat to nibble on along the trail. The leaves can be very bitter if the young ones are not chosen. It can also be made into a delicious wine. Dandelions are rich in vitamins A, C, E and B-complex and contains considerable amounts of iron, protein, and a wide spectrum of trace minerals. It is not only tasty, but very healthy.

I saw no signs of the Indian Paint Brush which is usually abundant up here. There are approximately 21 species in the Sierra Nevada and they are considered edible, but in small quantities. I usually just sample them here and there when I run across them. Each species has a little different taste from their cousins. If selenium is present in the soil, these plants should not be consumed – period.

One thing about eating flowers from the wild, they can tend to go down dry, so it always helps to have something to wash them down with. On these trips I usually bring a large amount of packets of Gatorade that provides some electrolytes and gives drinking plain water some flavor.

Once we hit snow at the higher elevations, it was like Shiloh knew what this white stuff was. He headed right for it, eating it and playing in it. We were encountering more large patches of snow on the trail and Shiloh was loving it. I was getting a kick out of watching him interact with this new experience with this white stuff. It was the first time Shiloh had ever seen snow before. I intentionally wanted to come up here as early as possible hoping to run into some snow just so Shiloh could experience it, as for I. I wanted to do some winter camping with Shiloh early this year, but it unfortunately it did not work out for us.

I was expecting we would run into the packers on their way back from dropping off our gear. The plan was to camp at our September 2009 camp. I thought we would see them by now, because we were moving pretty slow on the trail. We got off trail for a short distance following the horse tracks and I realized it was not the main trail to Kennedy Meadows. We were a little to the west of the main trail, so we adjusted our direction where I thought the trail might be. If we didn’t adjust we were heading straight for a boggy meadow, and I knew this wasn’t right. Because we are in a canyon on pretty much of the trial it was impossible to get lost. In fact the whole trail from Kennedy Meadows Resort to Kennedy Meadows is impossible to get lost on unless you are totally not paying attention. Taking detours from the trail in snow can also screw up ones direction possibly getting disoriented. I was paying attention to our direction, so hopefully this wouldn’t happen. It helps when one knows the trail as we did. But snow on the trail can make a difference in making it more difficult following any kind of trail. One always has to look ahead to determine the direction of the trail. The tracks left in the snow by the horses also made good trail markers.

I knew we were getting close to the gate entrance of Kennedy Meadows. I was getting excited knowing we were almost there. About 100 yards up the trail just beyond the gate I noticed the pack horses with our stuff still on their backs. I thought this is not good. When we reached the packers they told us the camp we wanted was covered in snow (this was the camp Shiloh and I stayed at in September of last year), and the log bridge to cross the creek was gone. That would mean we would have to cross the creek, and in the process, getting soaked in our efforts getting to the other side. One of the packers scouted around prior to us getting there and found only two other campsites that had enough dry ground for a tent. We were almost snowed out. The rest of the campsites were covered in snow. He described one campsite, and because I knew the area from our previous trips last year I was confident I knew the campsite he was talking about, and I felt it might be the best possibility of the two campsites. With all the hiking Shiloh and I did last September up here, we got to know this place pretty well and I knew most of the campsites if not all of them in the area. The campsite was closer to the lake, had good access to both sides of Kennedy Creek with a mishmash of downed logs creating a tangled web of a bridge, but it was crossable. I knew the western side of Kennedy Creek would have the best chance of providing a good source of firewood for us. I was just hoping the dry spot was big enough for our tent (I brought the large seven-person tent on this trip for all three of us to sleep in.). If not, we came prepared with shovels to remove snow if need be. I was trying to think ahead on this trip for the possibility of a lot of snow, but not really prepared if it was much worse then it was. It would have made things a bit more complicated, but we would just have to deal with it, because we were here to stay for the full two weeks – rain or snow. We did luck out on this one site I have to admit. The main meadow was free of any snow because of the full exposure of the sun, but there wasn’t really any good campsites, there was no good firewood, and the meadow overall was one big bog.

We reached Kennedy Meadows / Kennedy Lake around 1:15 pm. It was an exhausting hike for both Bill and I (basically from being out of shape, and the high elevation), and we occasionally hit snow on the trail that made the traveling more difficult. Shiloh did not seem to be having any trouble with the hike. He is usually up ahead of us old farts, and he displayed a look of excitement on his face. He was a happy camper. He remembered the trail from our past two trips here. We got off trail a few times because of the snow and had to look for horse tracks from the packers. The horse tracks actually took us off the regular trail. The outfitters were probably looking for the best route for the horses. It was there first time up here this season. We were lucky to be the first ones up here. We saw one other person hiking to Kennedy Meadows on this day, and had not seem him since. The weather was mostly cloudy with blue sky occasionally appearing. There was a little chill in the air in the beginning of our hike.

Prior to our trip here, I was experiencing some sciatica pain for a couple of months, but had no problem with my sciatica pain on this hike. Once my muscles warmed up the discomfort was gone.

My sciatica problems flared up again a couple of months ago while taking my friends dog, Donner and Shiloh for a walk at the park we usually go to. Donner was pulling me every which way on the leash and that is when I started having problems with the sciatica again. Usually once I got the muscles warmed up the sciatica would disappear. I was hoping it would disappear completely before our trip. I was not so lucky, but then, it could have been much worse. Having sciatica problems can be very debilitating.

Bill was extremely tired with very sore feet, and he did not want to go any further. He was more than happy to just take the closest campsite which was just about 50 yards from where we were. I knew this would not be a good campsite and would really limit us if we wanted to hike to the lake or elsewhere in the valley. Also access to firewood could be a problem.

I told Bill it was a very short distance to the other camp and we would be there in five minute. I lied. It took about twelve minutes and five minutes to cross the logs with our jittery and tired legs, hoping not to fall into the icy cold creek.

It really makes a huge difference when one is familiar with the area, and can provide more confidence in dealing with any challenges that may come along. It minimizes any second guessing if you made the right decision or not. Especially when one is physically and mentally exhausted as we were.

I may have been just as tired as Bill, but because I knew the area and how far we had to go, it got me energized to get to camp. The unknown question is, will this campsite work for us?

Our short walk from the entrance gate to our campsite through the main meadow was absent of any snow, but snow was clearly seen covering the mountains surrounding the valley, with heavy patches of snow in the woodlands. It was an incredible and beautiful sight to behold.

The packer that scouted the area for us did a great job in searching for a campsite for us. That helped us a lot, otherwise it would have been a guessing game on where to go.

It was a little test for both Bill and I crossing the uneven bridge to our campsite, with overlapping logs to climb over, especially with both of us being exhausted from our eight mile hike, and with unsteady legs to support us. Shiloh just took the easy route through the creek. My balance has gotten worse with age, and I never really felt comfortable going over water on logs, seeing the water rushing down below me.

The packers wasted no time unpacking everything. I had to hold Shiloh back away from the horses and mules so not to get them all riled up. The packers saddled up and wished us good luck, and we were soon on our own for two weeks. We were the only people up here beside the one backpacker we met on the trail heading up with us.

When we arrived at the campsite there was a small flat area clear of any snow for the placement of the tent (just enough room to fit my large tent), and a very small area of wet ground that was also clear of any snow. The inside of the fire pit was damp ground with a small patch of snow resting against the outside of the stones of the fire pit. There were large patches of snow covering most of the campsite. The meadow next to the campsite was free of snow with the exception of a few patches close to the edge of the tree line. The sun drenched sagebrush area that lays at slightly higher ground, and to the south of our camp was also clear of any snow. There was a couple of feet of snow that still remained throughout the wooded areas. The camp was perfect in the that it was workable with very little effort. I was excited to be here. Everything seemed to be working out for us. I am not sure how I would have reacted being here alone. I had Bill to help in the camp, and for a sense of emotional support.

The first thing we did when we got into camp was to set-up the tent, then begin organizing the camp. I originally planned on organizing the camp the next day, but again, one can get twice the amount done with another person, and setting up the camp went fast.

After getting unpacked, and the tent set-up, I scanned the area from our camp for firewood and at first it looked very bleak in all directions due to the snow cover that seemed to be all around us. There was a lot of tinder and kindling on the ground that seemed to be dry to the touch (so I was hoping, although in the back of my mind it probably wouldn’t light).

Our camp was open from every direction giving us good visibility. It was just a short distance to the creek, on a rise, and opened to a small meadow covered with a carpet of yellow flowers. We had moderately good tree cover from the winds on the north, east and south sides of our camp. The forested area was set back a short distance from us to the west. The north and east facing slopes had the most snow and about a third covered on the south and west facing slopes. I felt the wintry mood of the mountains I was hoping for, for Shiloh and I. It also gave me another wondrous perspective of Kennedy Meadows’ many personalities. It had such a different feel than the year before when we were here in June. Shiloh is going to love this cold weather. For him, the colder the better. The packers said, the snow in our camp would melt quickly, and we quickly found that they were right.

Once the camp was somewhat organized, Bill set off to look for firewood, and I attempted to get a fire going with the tinder and kindling I gathered around camp and a small amount of wood that I found close by. My first attempt at making a fire failed and I was too tired to start over. The fatigue of the hike and the high altitude began getting to me. I had to sit down and rest. The tinder and kindling I got from the ground which I thought was dry, probably still had some moisture in it. I also should have taken the time to place a dry wood platform in the fire pit, over the wet ground. I should have learned this from my first time here last June. Never use tinder or kindling from the ground in wet conditions. It should be taken from standing trees. And if the fire pit is wet or has snow in it, use a platform of dry wood for the base.

Most people tend to rush, in making a fire. And when it doesn’t light quickly, they may give up like I did, or using quick methods like gasoline or a lighter fluid. Bill came back with damp punk wood and I was thinking that is not going to burn and he put chucks of it on the fire after he got the fire going. I do have to say, he did get a good fire going. I have to also add that Bill used paper from a magazine he brought to help get the fire started. Whatever it takes. When one is tired or just in a hurry to get a fire going, it is better if one does it methodically, and slowly, then one has a greater success in getting a fire going, and keeping it going. One also gains a greater respect for fire.

Both of us were exhausted from our hike and ready to just sit back and enjoy the fire. Even Shiloh found a nice comfortable spot in the snow to rest a bit.

For dinner, we cooked up a freeze dried meal. I was too tired to prepare anything else. I wrote in my journal after our meal and it began to cool down quite a bit. I began shivering slightly from the cold. It was 50 degrees with a slight breeze. Shiloh, Bill and I hit the sack early. It was 7:30 pm when we went to bed. We all crammed into the back portion of the tent. Bill on one side, me on the other, and Shiloh in the middle. I was hoping Shiloh wouldn’t get stepped on if either Bill or I had to get up in the middle of the night.

Earlier in the day I did see some mallard ducks flying over the creek next to our camp, and two beautiful red-headed wood peckers around our camp. I could not find the species of wood pecker in the field guide. They may have been the red-breasted sapsucker. I brought all my usual books, field guides, on plants, trees, birds, mammals. As with some survival books to read, and for referencing on the things that I had seen. I had a lot planned for me and Shiloh to do for the two weeks stay. The weather and the snow played a big part with what I was able to do up here as well.

It was a very active night and all through the night, birds were singing and frogs croaking. I was surprised there was so much activity on such a cold wintry night. It was great being up here with Shiloh to experience, and live in nature once again. Truly a wonderful gift nature provides to us. One annoying and disturbing noise I was expecting, did occur, and that was Bill’s snoring. It was not as bad as the night before though. The thought of hearing him snore for two weeks would be unbearable.

June 2, 2010 – Wednesday

The temperature at 7:00 am was 37 degrees in the tent, the skies are blue, and the warmth of the sun rose over the mountain ridge around 7:30 am.

What a beautiful and majestic place to wake up to. The birds are continuing their songs into the morning from last night.

When we first arrived in camp yesterday there was moister on the ground, a puddle around a portion of the fire ring, and snow clinging to the stones. When we got up this morning, there was no trace of it. The large patch of snow in our camp, we used for keeping our ice chests cold – nature’s ice box. Shiloh also used it for a nice cool spot to lay down on. It was a daily cycle that occurred when the snow patch next to the fire ring would begin receding from the warmth of the day and the heat of the campfire. This caused the snow melt to drain around the fire pit and into camp. Then at night it would stop the melting process and dry up. A portion of this drainage flow was draining towards the tent. To stop this from continuing, I dug a shallow ditch to divert the water away from our camp and the tent. This canal did its job well.

Last night I called Shiloh into the tent for bed and he plopped down between Bill and I for most of the night. I put his bed in the front portion of the tent to give us and him more room. The seven man tent was a perfect size for two people and a big dog. Even better for just me and Shiloh. When Shiloh and I camped alone he is usually sleeping where Bill is. After that night Shiloh knew his new place in the tent and settled into that spot for the rest of the trip without a complaint. It just did not work with all three of us next to each other. I probably should have put Bill in the front of the tent.

Amazingly and thankfully Bill did not snore at all while we were at Kennedy Meadows except the first night. Can’t figure that one out, but it was a very, very good thing. I may have had to shoot him if it continued or have him sleep outside far, far away from us. Maybe it was the clean thin air that helped him with his snoring problem.

Besides the brief snoring episode, I am glad Bill came along. After awhile I finally fell asleep, waking up off and on during the night, but I feel I had a half decent night sleep, and feeling fully rested this morning.

Shiloh and I are feeling at home once again up here, though the first night I thought different. Some doubts were playing in my mind about being up here. Not really sure why. Being in any new environment especially extreme changes like we are experiences takes a little time for adjustment. I am guessing this is probably it, just getting situated in a new environment. I do feel much more confidence than a year ago. I see it as a second home. Although the familiar gives a sense of comfort, camping in a different campsite gives a new perspective to a familiar place.

When I got up this morning I walked Shiloh to the creek for a drink and my sciatica was acting up. I could barely walk. It seems to be fine after I get the muscles stretched out and warmed up.

I am looking forward to these two weeks, spending quality time with Shiloh and having Bill here. The new growth of plants are just beginning in the meadow. There is no Indian Paint Brush to be found; the sage brush has not recovered yet from the winter; very few wild flowers have bloomed; the alder leaves still have a golden color of fall to them and are mixed with a purple hue from the branches. The willows have no leaves yet, but some of the willow are beginning to show their buds. The aspen are still without leaves as well. It will be interesting watching what transformation will be seen in these two weeks we are up here. It is like witnessing a new birth, a new beginning. The meadow next to camp is carpeted with subalpine buttercup flowers. The first flowers I have seen so far at Kennedy Meadows. I could not imagine winter conditions up here in June like what we are experiencing. It is great!

Last night we heard the coyotes howling and Shiloh quickly perked up from his exhausted state. It was music to my ears. It seems Shiloh enjoys being up here again. He was great on the hike up.

Today we will gather firewood in the sagebrush areas behind camp where there are a lot of downed tree, and in an area that looked like it was hit by an avalanche some years ago at the base of the mountain. As always in the wilderness, firewood gathering is always a time consuming event. Me and Shiloh will also check things out in the area around camp to become familiar with it, and then I will finish organizing camp. Not much to do since most of the organizing was done yesterday.

This morning we saw two mule deer doe’s on the west facing slope above the willows.

The first thing that needed to be done is to put the coffee on and build a fire. It seems Bill’s time to get up is when the coffee is ready and the fire is going. It was nice to wake up to nature with Shiloh and enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and spend a little time writing in the journal while enjoying this beautiful mountain scenery.

We had a great breakfast and on the menu was bacon and eggs. As I mentioned before we had brought a lot of food and probably had enough for another week and half stay, maybe even two weeks. It is obvious to me now, that Bill likes to eat.

After breakfast, we sat around for a while next to the campfire, got our fishing poles ready, and then looked for some firewood. We brought back enough for another fire. Walking back and forth from retrieving firewood to our camp, although it was only a short distance away, was an exhausting ordeal dealing with the thinner air of 7,800 ft. elevation. Bill was more out of shape then I was and he had a difficult time adjusting to the altitude change. Shiloh was checking things out in the area while we were gathering firewood. He was never far from me and followed me everywhere. He never wandered off from camp, unless he went for a drink at the creek or looked for a place to go to do his business.

Evening Entry – Today we had good weather all day.

We tried our hand at fishing in the creek with not even a nibble using salmon eggs. The creek was moving swift and high. We will try the lake outlet tomorrow. I saw lots of mallard ducks and robins today.

While fishing Shiloh spotted a coyote in the meadow, and when I looked in the direction Shiloh was looking, I saw him. I told Shiloh to stay. I noticed this morning there were no hawks around or any birds of prey for that matter. I am guessing because the ground squirrels aren’t out of their borrows yet. I have only seen a couple of ground squirrels so far. The chipmunks are active though. It is very peaceful up here – very quiet.

For dinner we had salad and hot links. Bill’s favorite are the hot links dripping in fat.

It is 7:40 pm and the temperature is 50 degrees. Even sitting next to the fire doesn’t keep us warm unless we are on top of it. The sky is clear.

June 3, 2010 – Thursday

Shiloh and I got up at 7:30 am, 45 degrees out, overcast and breezy. It feels like rain or mist maybe near. I think it may burn off soon. I made coffee and got the fire going and Shiloh is wandering off somewhere for his morning walk. I got the fire going easily just by using the hot coals from last night’s fire. This is our third day up here and Bill and I are beginning to hear unexplained noises. Nothing unusual for me and Shiloh for the times we have been up here. The Kennedy Lake spirits are awake.

Though it feels great to be back in the wilderness, it is taking a little adjustment time to really get back into it. Probably normal being away for so long, it’s been about 8 months since Shiloh and I got back from Kennedy Meadows last September. While writing this a strong cold breeze just blew in and it feels good. The benefits of experiencing nature, is being in it and experiencing all her wondrous moods.

Bill and I have been talking old times we have had sitting next to the fire and it is great having him along. Bill tells me we have been best friends since we were four years old. I don’t really remember when it began, but we were good friends all the way through high school and then we began moving apart because I was more focused on a girl friend I was deeply in love with.

For most of the morning Bill and I stayed by the fire warming our cold bodies. I was waiting for the cold wind to calm down so Shiloh and I could go fishing. The skies where overcast most of the day with spots of blue sky and the occasional droplets of rain.

Today more firewood (an on going thing). I want to explore some areas and if the weather is good, and go fishing. I hope to start practicing survival skills tomorrow. I think the two weeks will be gone before we know it.

Shiloh is loving the snow and the cold. It could be cold and windy and he would be lying on a patch of snow like he would his bed, while Bill and I are huddled next to the fire trying to stay warm. He was playing in the snow yesterday with his squeaky ball I brought up for him. For those who don’t know what a squeaky ball is, it is an oversized tennis ball with a gadget inside that makes a squeaking sound. He loves it. Most of the snow up here is crunchy, hard pack snow except for in the deeper wooded areas, or around the trees. I could only imagine how much fun Shiloh would have in powder snow. Maybe I can take him to the snow this winter or better yet, I am hoping Shiloh and I can do some winter camping this year, if I have work. I am also hoping, maybe we will get some snow while being up here.

The snow patch in our camp is receding quickly. It has receded a foot to eighteen inches so far in our camp, becoming smaller and smaller each day, while giving us more room in our camp.

With the winds, it has been much colder here in the mornings, and hard to leave the little warmth the fire provides us. It is hard getting motivated to do anything, but staying near the fire.

Evening Entry

We got more firewood about 10:30 am and the winds and weather seemed to be getting better. The area we were getting firewood from was not really that far from camp, but with the chopping and hauling, both Bill and I were huffing and puffing each step we took, back and forth to get a good amount of wood to last us a day or two. I am glad Bill is doing his part with the firewood. We are burning a lot of wood. The weather looked promising for fishing, so we took off to go fishing.

Bill went with us part of the way and he stopped to drop a line in what he thought might be a good spot. Shiloh and I went on to our fishing spot from last year. With no luck, Bill decided to go fish at the creek next to camp. He caught a nice 14” Brown. For me and Shiloh, we got skunked at our fishing spot at the outlet of the lake. Shiloh and I are going back tomorrow. Shiloh usually takes a snooze while I am fishing. It keeps him out of trouble and I can focus on fishing. I always have to be on the watch for coyotes, because Shiloh will go after them if he has a chance, or for that matter probably any other critter. Coyotes are bad enough, but I don’t want him going after a bear, mountain lion or any other critters that could possibly do some harm to him. It would be interesting to see how Shiloh would react to a bear though.

While taking a short walk just outside of camp, I noticed areas Shiloh and I walked many times, looking different with each direction I turned. Though I felt I knew this place well, each campsite has its own perspective and things seem to look very different campsite to campsite. Walking through a campsite does not give you that experience of its personality unless you actually stay in it. Being in a new campsite and being up here with the feel of winter hanging on, it is like experiencing a new place with the Spring season barely waking up from the long winter. I could only imagine what this place would look like in the dead of winter.

During our time fishing, I saw a western tanager – an incredibly beautiful bird. I remember seeing quite a few for the first time up north by Six Rivers Wilderness in the northern part of California. It was the first time I have seen one up here.

It looks like the wildlife up here is slowly becoming more active. I saw a ground squirrel, heard quail, and a gray squirrel. The wilderness is beginning to awaken from it’s deep sleep with new life once again coming alive. Being able to experience this process is amazing to say the least.

For lunch I cooked up the trout Bill caught. I wrapped it in foil and threw it in the coals to cook. And of course it tasted great. Nothing like fresh trout.

I was watching Bill start the fire this afternoon and he just stacked a bunch of firewood on the coals and blew. The beginnings of a good fire was in the making. Once a good amount of hot coals are in place it is pretty easy to restart a fire even if the wood is damp. I would have done it a bit different by putting smaller pieces of wood in first to get a fire going, then adding more wood. Fire making is an art and doing it correctly and methodically is crucial in survival situations as with constantly working and improving this important skill. We also learn to respect fire through this process. I am constantly aware of how important these skills are in my failures getting a fire going in all weather conditions in the past. It is easy to get a fire going when everything is nice and dry and you have the time to mess with it if it doesn’t start immediately. It is not so easy in wet conditions. If you are wet and are in a situation where you or someone else can become hypothermic, you better do it right by getting the fire going as quickly as possible.

So far it has not rained – it is 6:00 pm. A few drops here and there and that’s about it. The sky is giving us a show of variations of light with spots of blue sky and clouds – beautiful.

For dinner, we had marinated chicken breasts and salad.

Usually when the darkness of night hits, we hit the sack and spend a little time reading before going to sleep.

June 4, 2010 – Friday

Shiloh and I got up at 7:00 am and it was cold and overcast, so I climbed back into my sleeping bag and slept until 9:00 am. It is still cold and overcast. The clouds are covering the mountain tops. The thermometer reads 47 degrees with the wind chill, I bet it is 40 degrees or colder. Pretty damn cold up here! It looks and feels like winter up here in these mountains. But I would not give this up for anything. Slept pretty good last night with some weird dreams. For Shiloh this is like being on a tropical beach and he is loving it – the colder the better for him.

Time to get my chores done – coffee and fire. Bill’s agenda is getting up when the coffee is made and the fire is going, no matter how late it might be. I don’t mind much. This goes on for the whole two weeks. Before we left, he was telling me, “Oh I am going to do a lot of hiking on this trip to get in shape.” The only ones doing any hiking this trip besides getting here and leaving, is Shiloh and I. Bill was pretty much all talk and no action. The only thing he was really motivated to do, was to gather firewood, which I am grateful for. Definitely a necessity up here. I am sure if I didn’t push him to help me with the firewood he would have just sat in camp and only gotten wood at the last minute. But once you get him working, he is a good worker. I soon found out he was consumed with other things that occupied him. And camping was a way to spend time dwelling on his reality. As I was in mine. Shiloh was a big part of mine, as with being in nature. Bill did his thing, and Shiloh and I did ours. I did not mind that arrangement.

With the fire going and coffee in hand everything is good. It is incredibly simple to get a fire going from the coals from last night’s fire once again. Before breakfast, and while enjoying my coffee, I spend some time writing in my journal, and just enjoying being out in nature with Shiloh. This has been a daily routine since Shiloh and I started our journey into the wilderness – feeling the oneness nature brings to us. I think this is why we should find time to stay for a longer period in nature. A weekend camping is just a flash in the pan. A very brief look into natures wonders. That is, if one is observant in nature.

We haven’t heard the coyotes howling for two nights. Their probably huddled somewhere trying to stay warm.

The wind was blowing off and on through the night. No rain except for an occasional drop or two. It is the same this morning. I covered everything last night just in case we did get some rain or snow. I was really hoping we would get some snow. The conditions were perfect for it. It is also nice feeling a light rain, when it comes to the mountains, providing a pleasant freshness in the air.

I fixed breakfast – bacon and eggs, and sat around the fire for a little bit to warm up, then we went to collect more firewood. Bill and I got a pretty good haul of firewood in about an hour. I would say enough for tonight and part of tomorrow. All the wood we are burning is pine, and it burns fast. We are burning a lot of it to stay warm. It has been a tad nippy to say the least. If we were closer to some dead alder or aspen that would be a nice mix of woods.

Afternoon Entry

While I am writing this, it is 3:20 pm. We have been getting light rain all day, and it is still overcast, breezy and cold. A No fishing today.

While getting firewood earlier in the day, I was chopping at a downed tree and almost got my leg with the axe. I have been whacking at downed logs knowing my method is not the safest and actually very dangerous. There have been a few times the axe bounced off the log and almost got my leg. This time it was just way too close for comfort. I hope this time I have learned my lesson. It only takes once doing something stupid to really ruin a trip. And I should have known better taking such stupid risks like that.

During the firewood collecting, I noticed thistles starting to come up. Another plant I thought at first was false hellemore or corn lily, that almost looks like an artichoke flower, but stands alone, I found it was called a monument plant. The false hellemore or corn lily is growing all over the meadows. This plant (the false hellemore plant) is not edible and is poisonous to humans. The monument plant is edible. The Native Indians would use this plant for a food source. The sagebrush is beginning to come back to life as with the goose berry plants. The spring season is starting very late this year due to the late winter. Though last year we had a late winter, the weather was more like late spring when I was up here last June, and not late winter, or early spring like it is now.

I was hoping to spend a lot of time noting, and identifying plants, but with this weather, and with the winter conditions, it maybe limited as to what I actually get accomplish. This also applies to other things I was hoping to accomplish on this trip. But Shiloh and I are not just sitting around like some people. We are active. If we are not practicing a survival skill, we are exploring or observing our surroundings. The snow is a little hindrance on where we can travel and a little disappointing, but we are making the best of it and enjoying every moment.

I am now writing this in the tent because it got too dang cold, and looking through the tent to the outside I actually see some sun and blue sky. Time to go back outside.

Once I got my tail end out of the chair, while trying to stay warm next to the fire, I walked over to where we get the firewood, and I noticed our log bridge is being consumed with the swelling of Kennedy Creek that transformed into a river. I didn’t think about that possibility. Whoops! The creek is getting higher and wider and if we get warmer weather we may be land locked from the main meadow except for going around the lake or getting very wet crossing the swift running creek. I have no idea how long this will last with the rising creek.

I noticed more activity with the ground squirrels and chipmunks today. The baby ground squirrels are coming out for the first time. Haven’t seen any gray tree squirrels about. I am curious when the hawks will start coming up here?

After getting some firewood, I wanted to check out our old camp from September, so Shiloh and I took a walk to the camp known as Captain Hook camp. Not sure where they got that name from? This was where we were suppose to camp on this trip. On the way to the campsite I spotted what is referred to as “Red Snow, Watermelon Snow, Snow Algae or Blood Snow.” It is a reddish or pink tint with a slight scent of a fresh watermelon on the surface of the snow. It is caused by the presence of Chlamydomonas nivalis, a species of the green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment, in addition to chlorophyll. It is commonly found in the Arctic and Alpine Regions. It can possibly make anyone very sick if consumed. It is usually only on the first few inches of the surface of the snow and can be scraped away to fresh snow and then eaten or used as drinking water.

About half the trail was covered in snow so we had to walk in the boggy meadows in some areas. It seems Shiloh remembers this trail. He is acting like he knows where he is going and he probably does. We walked this trail many times to the lake last September. Once we got to our old camp, most of it was still covered in snow, or wet ground. Only a few very sparse areas were actually dry. The remanence of hunters from last year were clearly seen in the fire pit and around the campsite. The fire pit was full of empty beer cans, a pair of worn out tennis shoes were left next to a tree, among other items left throughout the camp. I am beginning to lose respect for some hunters. I was told the hunters that come up here are pretty responsible. Not with what I have seen. There is no excuse for this, especially by hunters. Some hunters will bring in pack animals, or others will use Kennedy Meadows Pack Station, so it isn’t like they have to haul that garbage back on their backs. They left a Hibachi Grill in camp, so I thought I might be able to use the grill for my Hobo Stove. As they say in survival, “one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.“

The two logs that acted as a bridge over the creek that we used many times last year is gone, washed away. The creek is twice as high, and three times the width as it was in September of last year.

On the way back to camp I thought I would play a game with Shiloh of being lost and telling him to take me back to camp. He once again found his way back to camp with no problem. He is one smart dog and a great one at that. Camping with ones dog can be an amazing experience, and gaining even a stronger bond with each other.

The water we drink, we have been getting directly from the creek without any treatment or filtration, and thus far, we have had no ill effects from it. At the end of our stay, we did begin to filter the water, because of all the particulates, and debris in the water from the runoff.

This evening we saw a number of mule deer doe’s on the west facing slopes, among the sagebrush and willows.

June 5, 2010 – Saturday

I woke up at 6:00 am and got up at 8:00 am. Temperature 47 degrees with a beautiful blue sky. I saw three fishermen come in around 8:30 am.

I had a pretty good night sleep with good dreams (usually not the norm). From 6:00 to 8:00 am I was thinking about options in getting to the other side of the creek. When I was getting water from the stream, I noticed the water had dropped enough to get over the log bridge.

One propane gas canister lasted 4 days using it for coffee and cooking breakfast and dinner. Actually three and half days.

The bugs are beginning to come out. I don’t mind the bugs so much as long as they are not the biting stinging, and blood sucking kind of bugs. Looking at the small meadow by our camp you can see them flying about. It is actually a beautiful sight that brings an aliveness to the area. It also means a source of food for many of the animals here.

Today I plan on doing some fishing, working on the cold air smoker I wanted to make, and try out.

This morning Bill was glassing the west facing slope and spotted three deer. We are seeing a lot of deer on this trip.

Evening Entry

The whole day weather wise, was beautiful. Tomorrow should be the same. The snow is melting quickly causing the creek to flood its banks. The creek did drop for a bit.

Shiloh and I went fishing after breakfast and fished at the lake’s outlet. I caught one fish then heard gun shots. I was pretty sure it was Bill doing a little target practicing, but was not sure, so we packed up and headed back to camp. I was imagining a dead bear in our camp. Bill did not like bears.

By the time I arrived at camp, Bill was going off to fish in the creek close to camp. I asked him if he was doing the shooting, and when he said yes, I began telling him why we should not be shooting any weapons when other campers are up here, especially on the weekends. He did not understand what I was getting at. I found out later that it is not allowed to shoot a weapon for target practice in a Wilderness Area. I don’t particularly like a lot of rules put on people, but this one I did understand, because it is a small valley, it is in a Wilderness area, the sounds of gun shots can be very disturbing to most who come up into the Wilderness, to get away from human created noises. It can be very dangerous because of a possibility of stray bullets, it is hard to determine where the gun shots are coming from, people can pop-out of nowhere around campsites, and it could be stressful to the wildlife.

When I did shoot my guns (for target practice and not knowing about the regulations) I was always considerate of others in the area, and always did it during the week when no one was up here. It is about being respectful to the humans, and wildlife around us. If Shiloh didn’t like the sounds of gun shots, I am sure other animals didn’t like them either. A good lesson for me as well.

After the lecture that Bill chose not to listen to, I went to work on the smoker. Like everything with survival skills and bushcraft skills, it took longer than I thought it would take. But that’s how we learn a new skills by doing and learning. The cold air smoker is a smoker that draws air from a fire through a channel in the earth to the tee pee type rack structure. Since the fire is not directly under the rack, it won’t cook the meat, but slowly smokes it with the cooler smoke being drawn to the inside of the teepee. I thought it was a great concept and wanted to try it. Because we only had a small amount of meat to smoke I built a small teepee.

While Shiloh was watching me in my first attempt at this, I first dug the required pit for the fire. I then made the teepee frame for the meat using willow. I used string and willow bark to tie the teepee together, and then had horizontal sticks for the platforms for the placement of the meat. I would use tarps to cover the smoke channel, and to cover the teepee.

After working hard on the smoker, Shiloh and I took a break, and were playing in the snow before it was all melted. He loves that snow. I can’t wait to take him into the real stuff.

The fish I caught, I cooked by hanging it on a stick over the fire, then cooked it over the coals. It turned out pretty good. For some reason it tasted like crab.

June 6, 2010 – Sunday

We woke up to a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. The temperature is a warm 60 degrees at 8:00 am. Got up and made the coffee. Taking deep breaths and smelling the fresh scent of pine is in the air.

Slept pretty good, but in the early morning had dreams of my financial situation not getting any better. They are more like nightmares. I wake up with these thoughts pounding in my head, but then once I step outside, and seeing the magnificent beauty I am surrounded in, those feeling and thoughts quickly vanished.

Every morning the sciatica has been a pain in the butt literally. Usually when I first get up it is annoyingly painful. During the day and night it is of little notice. Good thing for that.

From the second or third day we got to Kennedy Meadows, Shiloh has been digging up and bouncing on the mouse tunnels under the snow next to camp using his to front paws. He would sniff them out and bounce on them, then dig up the ice and dirt looking for those critters. I had noticed a dead rat where Shiloh was digging. He didn’t eat it. He probably played with it, then got bored and just left it.

I was looking forward to doing some fishing today, so Shiloh and I went to our usual fishing spot made a few casts with my new reel and the line ended up all snarled with endless tangles. I gave up on the fishing idea, I didn’t want to deal with untangling the reel line there, so Shiloh and I headed back to camp while enjoying our walk together. I watched while Shiloh would run over to the water’s edge playing in the water.

The birds are out in numbers and have been all week just singing away, sometimes for 24 hours a day. There were lots of robins around. Bill didn’t seem to like the songs of the birds much during the night, yet he would have his iPod stuck in his ears most of the time. I on the other hand loved it. It was experiencing the songs of the mountains, of nature.

I am reminded each and everyday what a glorious place we are in today and everyday in the mountains, and in experiencing the endless beauty of nature. To be able to experience the plants, the trees, and wildlife.

I do have to admit, having another person with us does make a huge difference. Though Bill and I do very little together besides getting firewood and eating, just the presence made a difference in attitude. It would have been nice sharing this experience with someone who had more common interests in nature as I do, but I wasn’t expecting this from Bill. He was just an old friend. As always, Shiloh was always with me, and I got to share these experiences with him. I loved his company. The thought of not going camping with Shiloh never entered my mind. I wouldn’t go without him. We had shares so much together in the past year.

June 7, 2010 – Monday

I woke up at 5:30 am with a bad dream. The sky is starting to get light by then. Got up took a pee and back to bed until 7:00 am. Then got up to another beautiful day with clear skies and 48 degrees.

All of the snow has melted in our camp with a few remaining patches around the outskirts of the campsite. Our snow patch in camp that we used as a refrigerator was gone. It was nice while it lasted. There is still snow in the forested areas and slowly receding on the east facing slopes, The mountains are losing its snow rapidly especially on the west facing slopes. The signs of winter are quickly disappearing.

Slowly the meadows and wooded areas are coming alive again after a long winter with wild flowers and wildlife. So different from when I was here last June and for that matter in September as well. We got to see another side of her. But it seems things will move quickly into the summer mode in the meadow soon. It would be nice being the spectator of nature during these changing seasons. Winter of course being the slowest time while most the animals are sleeping, or have left for warmer climates, and with better sources of food. The snow covered mountains, forests, and meadows provides such an incredible beauty, stillness, and wonder, but also, provides a cold starkness winter can bring to the environment, as with the magical beauty she brings. One would have to sharpen ones awareness carefully to see the subtle changes that occurs during these times, where nature moves very slowly, yet she is still alive in her wonders and beauty. An incredible time to experience.

This is our seventh day up here. The time is passing by quickly.

Kennedy Creek is lowering enough making the log jamb bridge possible to cross.

A couple of backpackers camping in my June camp of last year, walked around the lake and did not want to go back the same way, so they crossed at about thigh level near our camp. I found out they were actually working on trail maintenance in the area and were taking a break from the hard work they have been doing.

Today was a busy day for me. We skipped breakfast and I finished the cold smoker teepee, dug the ditch then Bill helped me cover the ditch and teepee. We used two tarps, one with some aluminum foil for the entrance so the tarp won’t melt next to the heat of the fire, and a tarp for the teepee cover. We thought it was a fine piece of engineering. Shiloh found the fresh wet dug up dirt from the pit a nice place to lay down for a nap. We then resupplied our firewood and later I chopped it into smaller pieces for the small fire pit of the smoker. Shiloh and I explored a little bit around the area of camp, and found good firewood, so I brought some back to camp. It was indeed a very physical day for me.

During dinner I started a base fire for the smoker and it worked like it was suppose to. The teepee was drawing smoke from the fire about six feet away.

I was thinking I wish I could stay up here at least for one more week to experience the unfolding of life up here. It is amazing watching the cycles of nature moving from one season into another. I haven’t seen any birds of prey yet.

My limited thinking of what I can do during this time of the late snow relating to survival skill has gotten the best of me. I know I can still do things, but what? Really the only limited resources are the edibles. I also think having Bill around gives me an excuse not to practice survival skills. I was also using the cold as an excuse. But I was still enjoying our time here.

I walked around camp to check things out and found a good source of juniper bark. I also worked on the smoker and wanted to finish it up today.

June 8, 2010 – Tuesday

It was cold last night and this morning, 40 degrees with blue skies. Slept well with no bad dreams. Got up at 7:00 am. My sciatica was really hurting. I had to do some stretches before I could walk properly. I gathered firewood for the smoker fire, got coffee made and while getting water at the creek we finally heard the coyotes howling. It has been seven days since we heard them last. I miss their howling songs at night and in the mornings.

While getting firewood this morning I found an underground spring in the meadow just fifteen yards from our camp.

With enough firewood, this morning we will begin smoking the meat.

We sliced up the meat into thin slices and placed them on the willow racks in the teepee, I got the fire going and it is smoking away. It is suppose to take all day to smoke – that is if it works properly.

I have been spending most of my time today feeding the small smoker fire, chopping and sawing wood. We are going to go through a lot of wood for this, so more wood needs to be cut and sawed. It may be an all day operation. We got the meat on the racks about 8:30 am. It is 11:00 am right now. I will take a small break then go out to cut more wood for the fire.

Bill and I thought by protecting the fire from the wind, it would draw the smoke better, but that was not the case. It seems the wind actually helps the process in this smoking technique. Just a note, I was told later by a friend that smoke will draw better the higher the stack is. With that information I will try building a taller teepee next time.

Bill let me read a book he brought called “Earth Abides” by George R. Stewart which was first published in 1949. It is about a world decimated by a third of the population by a biological agent released for the purpose of eliminating the human population, and an individuals journey who was but a few who survived. What appropriate reading for being in the wilderness practicing survival skills. It reminded me of a book I read called “Rain of Ashes” by Robert Wolff. Bill has read Earth Abides many times, too many to count. He thinks it would be great surviving this ordeal, but in reality it would not be fun. He knows almost every word and what happens in the book in his memory. He was starting to scare me.

Bill brought his iPod or whatever you call them and the first few days he could not find it. He had a fit. When he did finally find the thing, it has been plastered to his ears ever since. I am all for listening to music up in the mountains because it might inspire ones thinking or calm ones soul, but nature also has its own music to inspire. Bill had other things on his mind, and it was not camping.

I am watching Shiloh lying in the early summer grasses and I feel so grateful that he is with me. He is now lying on the snow. Though while in camp he just lies around, he is always alert, always looking, listening, and smelling all that is around him and he is take his job seriously as the protector of the camp. But there really has not been any critters to chase so far on this trip.

June 9, 2010 – Wednesday

We slept in until 8:00 am then got up and made coffee. The thermometer indicated it was 45 degrees and the wind chill about 35 degrees or so. It was blue skies, clouds and wind.

It is 12:15 and me and Bill have done nothing but talk and complain about the cold. I think it will be like this all day. I may just read today bundled up in my sheep skin coat. Shiloh is of course enjoying the brisk cold weather while resting in the last patches of snow that remains.

Last night we gave up on the smoker, removed the meat from the smoker, and cooked it up for dinner. We used the smoker fire to cook our dinner.

We have not touched our freeze dried meals yet with the exception for the first night. With the cold and snow the food we brought has stayed fresh and we brought a lot of food.

The smoker did work and some of the meat was beginning to dry, but it would have been another day or so before it would have been done, and that would mean hauling and cutting a lot of wood and feeding the fire all day. So I pulled the plug on our experiment. With some fine tuning I think the smoker could work well. I would like to try it again, but with more help tending the fire. It was also a bad idea using the tarps, because it transferred that smell of plastic onto the meat. We were probably eating toxic meat.

All day yesterday was spent tending to the fire and getting firewood keeping the smoker going. I thought it would be a low maintenance project. That wasn’t the case. It would have been easier maybe just to air drying it or use a direct smoke under the meat which would have required a much larger, and taller teepee. But I wanted to try this technique. I would not use this technique of smoking in a survival situation, just too much work especially when there are better ways in drying meat. I a lot of time is spent either way in using a fire and smoke method. With the cold smoking method, one does no have to worry about cooking the meat.

After dinner Bill threw on a large piece of punk wood that was still wet and the fire just smoldered, so we started a fire in the regular fire pit. The wet punk wood smoldered all night and most of the morning. In a survival situation, you have to think about what you are doing at all times for survival and for safety. Bill’s thought process is always on auto-pilot not really thinking in terms of what the best approach is in a situation or in the willingness to learn what nature shares with us. He doesn’t take the time to tune-in his awareness to nature, but few do. Most have never been taught too in our culture. The punk wood thing was not really a big deal because we weren’t surviving and it was interesting to see what the punk wood would do. But if one has wet wood, it can be put around the fire to dry and then use it, or you might get the effect that happened in our case. The exception would be, if one had a very hot fire the punk wood probably would have burned, or a good hot coal base could possibly have worked.

Bill was looking over to the Aspen grove yesterday and he said they are getting leaves already. I was expecting to see just a few. Most of the trees had about half to three quarters being covered with leaves.

The day before they were only skeletal figures still showing signs of winter. Today they have more leaves and are greener then the day before. New life has awakened to the aspen trees.

The plant I saw that looked a little like the artichoke plant, is a Green Gentian or Monument plant.

I have not seen any other flowers blooming yet except the buttercup. The false Hellebore is also known as the Corn Lily and is one of the dominate plants growing right now. These plants are very poisonous. It is sharing the meadows with the buttercup and with the sage brush. I have also seen in many areas a mushroom I believe is the false moral.

It seems Kennedy Creek level is slowly lowering, but hard to determine from day to day.

June 10, 2010 – Thursday

It is 9:30 am, 48 degrees and another day of cold wind. Earlier this morning it felt like it was going to be a warm day, but I was wrong once the wind kicked up. Although it feels it shouldn’t be as bad as yesterday, I hope.

Yesterday Shiloh and I took a walk back to our old campsite from last September, and checked out the access to Soda Canyon. There was still a lot of snow on the ground and it would have been a strenuous hike traipsing through the snow, at least for me. I am sure Shiloh would have been game for the hike. Before we headed back to camp I wanted to test the new walkie-talkie’s I brought with us. I wasn’t that far from our camp, maybe a half mile, but a lot of trees between the two camps. So I called Bill up and they worked well. After looking around a bit, we started our short hike back to camp.

Before we set off back to camp I noticed deer tracks in the snow. There was still a lot of snow in the old camp. I am glad the camp we are in worked out well.

So far on our stay here, we have not seen anyone up here. We are the only ones. It is peaceful up here without people and the noise they can bring to nature.

While I am writing this in my journal, the wind is really blowing now and it is cold. It feels like a winter wind – bone chilling. At times up here it really feels like it is still winter, but it is great to experience. It can be uncomfortable dealing with the wind with no place to hide, but our tent.

We did not do much yesterday. Did some glassing, saw young ground squirrels playing, a few mule deer, and spotted a hollow in a dead standing tree with a nest in it, across the meadow. Can’t tell what type of bird is using it. Both parents are in and out of it taking care of the chicks. Maybe some type of woodpecker. Something to possibly investigate in a day or two.

If one spends the time in observing nature, the area observing tells a story. It gives a whole different perspective of the area from those who don’t take the time to immerse themselves in observation. This is when nature opens herself up to us to her wondrous beauty, and her wisdom.

Shiloh and I have not investigated the main meadow or the aspen grove yet. I am looking forward to getting over to that area to see what we can find.

We didn’t eat dinner last night due to a late lunch and we stayed up until about 10:00 pm. We weren’t really tired, maybe because we didn’t eat dinner.

In the early evening yesterday, Bill and I saw fifteen deer on the west facing mountain side grazing.

This wind is bitterly cold today.

Today I am not sure what me and Shiloh are going to do. Depends if it warms up or not. It can get pretty boring sitting next to the fire shivering.

It is 3:30 pm and most of the day has been cold and breezy. We had a late breakfast of ham, bacon and eggs, and sat around the fire to stay warm. After we had breakfast Shiloh and I took an hour and a half nap.

I am sitting on a big rock on a small rise just about sixty yards from camp. It over looks the creek and the meadow. Shiloh just went into the creek for a refreshing cooling off. It was obvious he didn’t mind the cold snap we have been having. The cold wouldn’t be bad without the wind. We have been having a lot of wind with the cold, like to inseparable siblings holding on to each other.

While Bill and I are huddled next to the fire trying to stay warm, Shiloh was cooling off in the snow.

The creek has dropped dramatically from its high point about five days ago. It would be easy to cross right now. Maybe if it is still low we will cross over to check out the aspen grove and meadow.

There has not been much change happening in the valley as I had hoped for, as far as the edible plants go. They seem to be waiting for the warmth of summer to arrive. The hawks still have not come to the higher elevations yet, and the aspen seemed to have stopped their bloom of leaves during the cold chill. No other wildflowers have bloomed, as far as I could see. It has been disappointing not seeing or hearing any birds of prey up here, or the lonely howls of the coyote to indicate that there is other life up here besides two humans and a dog.

I am beginning to see more young chipmunks and ground squirrels out and at play – a good sign.

Last June the main meadow was full of many colored flowers of yellows, purples, whites and blues. During this time now, only the yellow carpet of the butter cups covers the meadows with their beauty that is still pleasing to the eye. The alder are just beginning to change from golden to green.

While writing the last entry in my journal, I decided to try and cross the log bridge that takes us to the main meadow. Shiloh followed and thought he would use the logs or find a shallow area to cross. He chose to follow me on the logs. When I was about a quarter of the way across I heard a splash behind me. I turned around and saw Shiloh hanging on to a branch for dear life. He fell into a deep hole between two logs and really had no where to go. I was in a difficult position where it was hard for me to turn around to help him. If I was not careful I would be in the drink with him. Luckily he was able to get himself over to another log close to shore, and then climbed out with a little bit of struggling. He was a bit shaken up from the experience as was I. I was concerned about him getting caught in the log jamb and drowning. I was much relieved as he was, when I saw him get safely on land. I then proceeded to cross knowing he was safe. Once I was over on the other side, Shiloh was looking for a place to cross the creek, but he looked hesitate because of his frightening experience that had just occurred. I was calling to him to cross an area I knew was shallow, but he wouldn’t cross. I thought if I walked away he would cross. A few seconds later, I looked downed stream and saw him on my side of the creek. He found a safe place to cross and came to join me. We were once more together.

We walked over to the aspen grove, Shiloh saw a deer walking through the aspen and began the chase. Of course he couldn’t catch him. He was running through the aspen grove and I realized there was downed barb wire fencing. I called Shiloh to stay close. I try to watch for any potential dangers around us, watching for his well-being and safety, and yet there can be hidden dangers. I didn’t want him getting caught up in any barb wire. The barb wire is an issue and danger for wildlife that the cattle ranchers leave up here.

While walking through the grove of aspen we saw quite a few deer moving gracefully through the aspen. I had my camera with me, but I was more consumed in just watching them then taking photos.

In the meadow and in the aspen grove, I began seeing flowers I had thought had not bloomed yet. I found shooting star, and dandelion, and in the stand of aspen were mint, wild onion, yarrow, stinging nettle and other flowers and plants I could not identify. The walk was well worth it in discovering the many natural treasures we walked upon.

From there we walked down to check out the natural spring we used for our water source in September, and then walked over to our June camp from last year. If the weather is nice tomorrow I will be going back to study and note plants I find in the aspen grove. At our old June camp, a couple just set-up camp and I talked with them a bit. There were swarms of misquotes flying all around their camp. I was surprised by this, because we had no problem with misquotes at our camp or the meadow next to it, or anywhere else for that matter. Good thing, because they were bad in that little spot.

June 11, 2010 – Friday

As soon as we went to bed last night the winds began to blow non-stop and through the late morning. It is 1:40 pm and it is still windy and cold.

While Bill and I were sitting outside drinking our coffee, I saw these white things falling from the sky and thought at first it was from the trees or ash from the fire. I then realized it was a very light snow.

Because of the weather today, maybe it is a good do nothing day. No new backpackers have arrived and the ones here have left. We have two and half days left of our trip. Right now it is snowing lightly. I was hoping we would get a small storm with a fair amount of snow for Shiloh to play in, but it never happened. Maybe for the best since we are leaving soon.

Shiloh and I took a walk to the lake in the late afternoon on our side of the creek, the west side. The wind stopped and it was a pleasant afternoon walk. We observed four does in the meadow. I decided we would walk around the lake and explore an area at the back end of the lake and see if there were any campsites back there. When we reached the South end of the lake, the whole area was thick with willow and we had to cross a few small streams in the process. There was a lot of water flow in that area. One stream we had to cross was ankle deep and I got my shoes and socks wet. Hiking back to camp was very uncomfortable with wet socks and boots. I should have at least taken my socks off for the crossing, but was lazy and paid for it. We met our friends from last weekend who crossed the frigid waters of the creek next to our camp. They were up here to fish again this weekend. They had a cute girl with them this time and she was intrigued with Shiloh. We talked for a bit and she told me they were working for the Conservation Corp and were clearing trails in the Emigrant for the summer. She was from Santa Cruz. On the way back from the lake on the east side we saw a marmot up in some rocks just above the lake. The first one I have seen up here and it was pretty exciting to see him or her. I was thinking marmot stew for dinner. Throughout our hike I was calling Bill with the walkie-talkie. He told me some rangers dropped by our camp. They told him to be sure to remove any left over firewood from camp and spread it out so as to look natural for the next visitors. They did not want wood piled up in camp. I was thinking about all the trash the hunters left in my old September camp, and they are worried about a little firewood pile left in camp? The Ranger wanted the camp to look natural and uncluttered after we left. I later asked a Ranger what was the real reason for this because it did not make any sense to me. His version was, to encourage campers not to make fires if they have to go look for wood. Both versions made little sense to me. I can see making the camp presentable for the next campers that come along who might use the campsite, but part of this courtesy is leaving firewood for the next camper in a nice pile for their use, so they won’t have to tramps through the area actually doing more damage to the environment. They want us to limit our foot print on the land and yet they are encouraging it by removing the firewood. And if someone wants a fire, they aren’t going to say, “Oh darn, no firewood in camp, so that means we can’t have a fire.” It means they are going to go out and get firewood. Also keep in mind, this was an established campsite. If it was not an established campsite this would make total sense to me.

The wind gusts returned when we returned to camp from our walk. I was really tired from the hike, and the wet shoes and socks creating the sore feet didn’t help. But it was an enjoyable hike none the less. We took it easy when we got back and just relaxed. My sciatica was really hurting from the long walk for some reason.

For dinner we had a couple of sausages cooked over the fire. Bill and his sausages. But they were good.

The wind gusts began again late afternoon and became stronger by early evening. The strongest they have been so far. Bill was concerned if the tent could hold up. I told him I hope so. I wasn’t even sure. But it held up just fine.

We turned in at 7:30 pm.

June 12, 2010 – Saturday

I got up at 7:40 am, 40 degree along with a wind chill. The cold wind gusts are back this morning.

The winds settled down for most of the night giving us a peaceful night sleep. I was expecting to wake up to a beautiful day without the cold blasts of the wind. But I was wrong. As soon as I rose from my sleeping bag the winds began with their fierce, bitter cold, blowing from the northeast.

It is mostly cloudy with areas of blue sky. To the northwest it is blue sky. With the exception of the cold wind it is beautiful up here.

I slept pretty good last night even though it was a long night. We heard the coyotes howling early this morning. When I went to bed it was 45 degrees, yet it felt the coldest on this night compared to the others. It took a bit of time for me to warm up.

While I am writing in the journal the baby chipmunks are playing around camp and Shiloh is napping in the grassy meadow from a busy morning digging up mouse holes in the soft dirt of the meadow.

This morning I saw Lupine beginning to come up in the meadow. Lupine is all over this area and adds a lot of beauty to the meadows.

Yesterday morning while making coffee, a tree next to where I disposed of the coffee grounds is dead and splitting at the base. This was not a good thing, especially when it is tilting towards our camp and the tent. If it comes down it should just miss our tent. I hope!

There are these small gray birds that come into camp to collect Shiloh’s fur for their nests. They seem to be fearless and undisturbed by our presents. Many of the birds are collecting material for their nests. I try to help by giving them some of Shiloh’s soft inner coat that I easily pull out.

Wind or no wind, today I will study the edible plants in the area.

Well, this morning was pretty exciting. I checked the dead tree that was splitting and it was swaying pretty good at the base where the large split was. I told Bill to get out of the tent, NOW! And he took his sweet time about it. After he finally got out of the tent after numerous times telling him to get out, he realized it was serious. This tree is what one would definitely call a potential widow maker.

We cleared all our gear to the other side of camp away from where we thought the tree might fall. We also cleared the tent of most of our stuff. We were pretty sure of the path of fall, and thought it would miss the tent, but I did not want to take any chances. I suggested to Bill, that we chop it down before it falls in its own time, and maybe on us. The winds were still gusting. We were chopping at the weak points weakened even further. Finally with the help of the wind, it snapped and fell to the ground, missing our tent by about twenty-four feet and the top of the tree landing between a split tree trunk. We projected the fall pretty close.

While Bill was chopping the last few chops with the axe, I told him to move away from the tree and let the wind do the rest of the work. I had to repeat myself a few times to him. I was not sure which way the base of the tree would swing out when it finally snapped which I am sure Bill did not even think about while he was whacking away at the tree. Bill finally moved away from the tree and within a few seconds, the tree snapped. The base of the tree swung around on the side Bill was chopping. He was lucky he finally moved. This is why in the wilderness, one should look for, and be aware of all potential dangers, and take them seriously. It only takes one stupid mistakes and it could be over. It just takes one mistake to kill you in the wilderness.

It was a relief to see the tree down. A much bigger tree next to it was also dead, but looked like it was leaning away from camp. Still a potential danger though. Now, if we had to deal with the Forest Rangers, they would tell us to move camp with little regard for future camper’s safety camping here. With the tree down, we have a lot of firewood close at hand and any future campers will not have to worry about this tree coming down on them. Chopping this tree down was a necessity for our safety and was the only reason I chose to take it down. It would have eventually snapped apart anytime without our help, hopefully with no one under it.

Bill suggest to me to take pictures of the downed tree. So I did. To bad I didn’t know how to use the video feature in my camera.

The skies are clearing and the wind it still blowing.

While I was doing my duty in the woods I thought of staying up here another week and let Bill take the truck back. I would have had enough supplies to last me and Shiloh another week. I even talked to Bill about all of us staying another week, but I should return in case I have work and of course Bill had to get back.

With the blue skies, the wind is not as cold, and is kind of nice.

In a conversation Bill and I had on the second day of our trip, I told him I believed we should respect the animals and plants we kill and give thanks to them for giving their life to feed us, like many indigenous cultures believe. Being a religious type of person, Bill said “NO”! he said with conviction “we should only thank God.” He continued, “One should worship and thank only God.” I told him it is not worshiping by thanking a creature for giving their life for us. It is respecting all life. This is the typical misunderstanding many people of the Christian faith have pertaining to Native Americans and any other indigenous cultures that thanks the animal for providing food for them. Don’t we thank our friends for things they have given to us as gifts or gestures of kindness? Should we just thank God and not our friends? What if someone saves another person’s life, should we only thank God or the person who risk their life to save ours. In our society, we think animals and plants are not that important and yet we can’t survive without them. If we kill all the animals and destroy all the plant life on this planet, is God still going to provide for us? If we continue this attitude of just taking and not respecting or understanding the natural world, God won’t save us from our mistakes and lack of respect for the animal, plant kingdom, and for our planet. We are a part of this web of life that includes all life forms. If we develop this connection, this relationship, having a deep reverence for all life, our very beingness will be transformed into a loving relationship with all things. We will begin to see life itself, as a beautiful gift.

Another thing Bill was not crazy about is putting cow pies in the fire. He complained about that as well when I did it a few times in the beginning of the trip.

June 13, 2010 – Sunday

We got up around 7:30 am, 45 degrees, blue skies and no wind. It will be a beautiful last day. We are set to leave tomorrow.

This morning I was thinking about my financial situation and I was not looking forward to leaving this place. All I can say is, I hope I get a lot of work when I get back.

A note of items we brought for both of us for the two weeks:

• Two rolls of paper towels worked fine.
• Used about three and half canisters of propane, doing a lot of the cooking on the stove.
• Brought more regular food then we could have eaten. Freeze dried food we never needed except for a few meals.
• Toilet paper for me was about a roll and Bill was another story.

I did enjoy the trip, but disappointed I did not get to work more on survival skills. Having another person here is definitely a distraction, but also has many benefits. I do have to add, the weather was a big factor as well that prevented me from getting things done. We had some days that were very cold and windy and we just sat by the fire to stay warm. The moral of this story is, one never knows what each day will bring when living in nature.

I checked the spring I used for water last year and it was running slower then usual. Will check it tomorrow.

I wanted to do some snaring, but it was still very early spring and many animals were not out yet. The chipmunks began coming out and then about three or four days before we were going to leave, the ground squirrels were just coming out. No tree squirrels as yet. Because many of the critters we saw were very young, I thought it best not to take any lives of the young or their parents. Spring time is an important time for new life and I thought it responsible to respect that, and not take any life especially because of us having so much food left. We did not have to kill a living creature for food, just to practice a skill.

Bill was good company and we got along well though his mind was elsewhere the whole trip. He did not snore but for the first night. That was a very good thing. As far as a survival partner, I know he would not make a good one. His focus is not there.

We did spend a lot of time collecting firewood for much needed warmth.

Shiloh and I checked out the aspen grove for wild edible plants and basically saw the same as the day before. On the way up to the aspen grove through the willows it was very boggy. Many areas of the aspen grove were as well. I did find lots of wild onion there. When looking at one plant my left index finger brushed lightly against a stinging nettle plant and I got stung by it. The sting lasted about 30 minutes and was just a minor irritant.

While walking to the aspen stand in the meadow a killdeer flew away only a couple of feet away from where we were so I checked for a ground nest and found the nest with four eggs.

I found bear scat in the aspen and saw a large lizard in the sage brush. It might be an alligator lizard.

Our walk in the meadow and aspen stand was tiring. Soon after returning to camp I began putting things together for our departure the next day.

I did check the spring once again and the flow was still slow.

June 14, 2010 – Monday

Everything went smoothly getting everything packed. The Packers got to our camp around 9:00 am, we left around 10:15 am. It took us about 5 hours to get back to Kennedy Meadows Resort.

I kept a pretty good pace back. Bill on the other hand was a little slower, and he wanted to constantly take photos. I think he pushed me mentally to keep a good pace going. I am glad he took the photos. It definitely made a difference with another person to be with while hiking.

My feet hurt as usual, but I felt pretty good when we got back to Kennedy Meadows Resort, and I was looking forward to a cheese burger and a couple of beers. For me, physically it was a good hike back, no problems with the sciatica, and the day was beautiful. Shiloh had no problems, and the first chance he had, he was in the river at Kennedy Meadows Resort for a drink and cooling off.

I felt just a little tired from the hike back as well as satisfied and relaxed. After we ate, we got our stuff, took it to the cabin which was very spacious compared to the smaller cabin we stayed in when we first arrived here. They gave us their biggest cabin for the price of a small one room cabinet. This is the third time I have used them and I have always been treated well here. Bill took a shower and then I was next. It gave both of us a renewed energy level. Bill bought some beer and we had a couple while relaxing outside. Our cabin was next to the river. A great days end to a great trip. I could have easily stayed up here for another week, or stayed at our camp another week.

A pictorial of our return hike back to Kennedy Meadows Resort.

June 15, 2010 – Tuesday

I didn’t sleep well last night – thinking about what I will be coming back too. Wondering will I have work when I get back, and the uncertainty of the future. Staying with Bill and Sue and living back in San Leandro, the city I grew up in, and a city that has drastically changed did not appeal to me much. It is no longer the safe community it once was. I also didn’t not want to depend on others for help.

For the past year and some months I have been living from friend to friend not really having a home. I feel I am a disappointment to Shiloh, my best friend. It may sound stupid, but he is my responsibility to make sure he is well taken care of and fed. It was not what I thought my life would turn out to be. But then again, we have had great experiences together in the wilderness that would not have happened if circumstances were different.

Driving home Bill and I kept good humor, but Bill was thinking about his world back home, hoping it would change somehow and for me, I was dreading my new situation at Bill’s place. I was hoping it would be a very, very short stay. It is not that I do not or did not enjoy the company and friendship with him on our camping trip, but I need to be on my own – to be self-reliant once again.

When we arrived at Bill’s house I felt very uncomfortable being there, being an outsider who just wanted to go to his own home with Shiloh.

When we got unpacked I sat on the bed of my new room, thinking why can’t I be somewhere else? In our own place?

“By the words, necessary of life, I mean whatever, of all that man obtains by his own exertions, has been from the first, or from long use has become, so important to human life that few, if any, whether from savageness, or poverty or philosophy, ever attempt to do without it. To many creatures there is in this sense but one necessary of life, Food…

…None of the brute creation requires more than Food and Shelter. The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success…”

~ Henry David Thoreau – Walden

“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meager life than the poor. The ancient philosophers, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, and Greek, were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich in inward.”

~ Henry David Thoreau – Walden

Thank you for joining us on Our Journey Into The Wilderness.