I camped out the night of March 17 by a small stream in the Croatan on the south side of Hillfield Rd. I slept in my trusty Haven hammock and I used my old rain fly, rather than the new shelter I am so fond of. The shelter as just too much to carry, as I wanted to get everything in one trip, and I also wanted everything to be neatly stowed in my backpack so I could have a pleasant hike.
The hike from Hillfield to the campsite was about a mile and it was getting pretty dark by the time I started hiking. I had previously scouted the site and it wasn’t difficult to find, although it is a little distance from the trail. It’s actually very close to another site that I’ve enjoyed, but has since had a tree fall onto it. I might have to clean that up sometime, but for now, that site is out of service.
Speaking of out of service, I just got a notice in my e-mail today that open burning is banned in the Croatan through June 30, so it’s camp stoves only for the rest of the spring. In case you are wondering, I am very thorough in putting out my fires and I never leave them unattended. I also make sure the area around the fire is free of dry fuel. If it’s windy and I can’t find a sheltered area, I just don’t start a fire.
The temperature dropped to the mid 30’s (~3C) overnight so it was a chilly morning. I slept alright, but I had to get up to pee twice, and that kinda sucked. I guess I’m just getting old.
Open fires or not, this is a great time of year for camping out. The nights are still cool and the bugs aren’t swarming (yet). If anyone is interested in joining me for a backpacking trip (don’t worry, we don’t ever have to carry our gear more than a mile or two; usually about a 1/2 mile — less than 3km, generally), just drop me a message and maybe we can make it happen. I also hope to go kayak camping sometime soon.
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