Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: JW_Halverson on May 30, 2020, 10:28:05 am
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Heartily sick of the conveniences of life, I felt the need to social distance myself. This was unrelated to any guidelines or recommendations except those aching in my heart for solitude.
I got off to a slow start and didn't get to the site until early evening. I was saddened to see this site of several years of turkey camp had been logged off. The beautiful tall timber is now gone, leaving raw, sap bleeding yellow stumps. Too late to start exploring for a new camp, I set up in the middle of a little patch of spindly doghair pines. And got dinner started.
Near 100 yr cast iron took care of both frying potatoes and thick.cut ribeye. As they sizzles in the black iron, I opened a bottle of rich Willamette Valley pinot. Slopping a little of the purple slurple in a coffee mug, I.swirled the bottle to hasten the "breathing". The dog supervised with an increasingly critical eye.
I sparked up the old Coleman lantern and the familiar soft roaring stirred the dark backwaters of memory bringing up the tastes, smells, sounds, and heartwarming feelings of many previous camps. Some were memories of camp with friends, but many more were of the solitude that heals what ails within me. It is a condition in me that cannot be cured or eliminated, only temporarily held in all too brief remission.
My physical body satiated, I turned the lantern off and poured out the last of the fine ruby juice on my mug. Darkness began to feel as comforting as an old, well-worn flannel shirt. My eyes adjusted to the scant light of the thin wedge of moon, low clouds scuffing across her silver face.
The rain came as I slid into my cot, thunder and lightning put on a show, a real rock and roll lullaby. I turned over and over sorta like a fish outa water, but I knew this was but the first night in camp. I'd nap tomorrow and sleep better that night. Eventually sunrise surprised me and I wondered when it was that sleep came stealing into the tent on it's silent moccasins.
Fog socked us in and coffee only just barely pushed the cottony wisps from my brain. Lena wolfed her breakfast and was off like a shot on her own secret adventures. When I adopted her, she was a feral. That will forever be a key component of her makeup. I suspect she needs this time as much as me.
So, yeah, I am as socially isolated as 4G let's me be. And, yeah, I am reaching out to the P.A. gang to post this. The Tennessee Classic was cancelled, dozens of other events following suit and lots of folks are hunkered in place, unhappy with conditions. I'm hoping for just a while, as you read this, that you can escape the confines of your immediacy to feed that within YOU that needs the treatment solitude offers. I am on less often these days, posting less and less. But I still care about and for each and everyone of you.
Be well. Take care of yourself as you take care of others.
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Visited an old friend. This natural bonsai has been growing out of this rock a good, long time.
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That’s great. I’m envious. Love the Black Hills. Enjoy your refreshment, best kind there is.
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Good for you for getting out, John. Best social distancing ever!!!
How old do you recon that pine is...hundreds...?
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Thanks for that JW! nice interlude to life. Summer in Yosemite is going to be a crazy one!
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Good for you for getting out, John. Best social distancing ever!!!
How old do you recon that pine is...hundreds...?
Dunno, couldn't guess. But I reckon it's old enough to have mastered the art of patience. I imagine it sees me as just another flash in the pan, here and gone. Fortunately, it's a courteous and tolerant host, allowing me to come and go.as I see fit, say what's on my mind, and keeps its judgement to itself.
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Lena taking a forced break from running the woods.
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John, it's nice to have copacetic overseers. Lena looks like she was wading in the creek. I recognize the water line. ;)
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Nice Camp
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..............only temporarily held in all too brief remission.
Nice camp, JW. Glad to see you got a chance to get away. it's good for the soul.
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Too bad about the logging! Hopefully some new growth will start taking over! Maybe the turkey roosts are still there. Nice view of the "rock pile". Hope there can be another "turkey camp" soon! We are busy trying to get everything sorted and packed to move. Just a hop, skip, and a jump down 385 to Chappell! Glad you were able to get some "distancing" time! Take care, stay safe, and give Lena an extra goodie!
Hawkdancer
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You did good. Real good.
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Recognize that camp setup, John. Looks good set up again in near the same spot. Glad you're getting some solitude. Was going to do a turkey camp in one of my favorite areas only to find the same thing you did. Land tore up by heavy machinery, HUGE stacks of slash, busted trees and lots of bleeding stumps. (Big sigh) Guess we have to have pine lumber to build new abodes with but, man, what a sorry sight to be surprised by. Black Hills has the most roads per square mile, most logged national forest in the country. Seems to be getting worse.
Enjoy the solitude just the same.
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Thank You JW - was right there with You (=) ! Bob
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JW, nice camp set up gotta love that white canvas, Last week dug my pyramid tent out and went for a 3 day adventure, didn't get any pics. Logging always looks messy but grows back and recovers quickly, Stay safe. Bob
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Nice set up JW.I still got my canvas tipi/wall tent/and squaw cooler too.I'm opposed to loggers doing their thing around here too but can only control what I live on.In time more and more my area will be a haven for all wildlife with all of the extra oaks growing around here.
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Nice JW, nothing better to clear the mind than spending time alone in the wild with your dog. ;)
Looks like a comfortable set up.
Pappy
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Nice campsite JW. Would love to get out there sometime.
Bjrogg
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How long does it take you to set up JW? It looks like great setup.
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An enjoyable read, JW. Thanks for taking the time to paint the picture. It gave me a welcome break from some isolated feelings these days! Your set up looks very enjoyable.
Best,
Stephen
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I always liked them kind of camps but a bad wind storm can raise havoc with that set up too.
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Excellent post. Camp looks great!
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Nice campsite JW. Would love to get out there sometime.
Bjrogg
Pick the date.
How long does it take you to set up JW? It looks like great setup.
By myself, about an hour. With help, usually an hour and a half (help is often in the way, LOL).
I always liked them kind of camps but a bad wind storm can raise havoc with that set up too.
I was on the flat parade ground at Fort Union at the confluence of the Missouri and the Yellowstone Rivers for a Rendezvous when we were hit with a "white squall" out of nowhere. We went from dead calm to 60 mph straight line winds instantly. In less than 8 minutes we had over 2 inches of rain and marble sized hail. One trader's tent was getting lifted, so several of us tried re-staking, but that wasn't working. I wrapped a corner guy rope around my waist and plopped my but on the ground, back to the wind and took the beating while one other guy did the same and two others ran off. When all the drama abated, and I'd helped fix up everyone elses gear, I went back to my camp. Several guy ropes for the shade fly had pulled loose, but the whole shebang was standing. If you know how to stake it and cross tension the corners, this set-up is amazingly stout!
An enjoyable read, JW. Thanks for taking the time to paint the picture. It gave me a welcome break from some isolated feelings these days! Your set up looks very enjoyable.
Best,
Stephen
I think you should come try it out.
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I remember at 1 rendezvous amongst other stormy rendezvous's a storm came through in the middle of the night in a pretty protected area.Cottonwood trees along a river.Rained a lot afterwards.I had people scratching on my tipi door to get out of the rain and get some sleep.Next morning they found their belongings soaked.
When I camped with a camp such as yours I always had plenty of extra rope.A requirement.A guy line cross wise diagonally both ways across the ridge pole was my solution.I've helped them before.
A camp like that is very nice though as far as being trader and pilgrim friendly.
Worst storm I went through was at a demonstration rendezvous for a towns' celebration.Tornado was only blocks away.Used my tipi again.Sounded like a freight train outside.2" of rain in an hour.I watched my center rope on that one as it was still secured by a 3" thick center stake,but it held.
I usually averaged around 15 to 20 rendezvous' a year is all but that was over 10 years worth or so.Not like some who did it for a living.Gone almost every weekend.
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Dang, Ed, now you have me craving for a night under cottonwoods. One of the most common trees where I grew up. There is something uniquely peaceful about that rattling rustle of cottonwood leaves.
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They are ok but in early June at least in Iowa they will emit a sap as a fine spray.Very sticky stuff on the windshields of cars etc.That was over at the Lewis and Clark rendezvous in western Iowa by a lake by Onawa.They have a reproduction of Lewis and Clarks' keel boat and a dug out cottonwood canoe.
Nice rendezvous.
(https://i.imgur.com/zuMLka8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kKlZ95A.jpg)
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A nicely told tale... :)
Del