I ventured out on Saturday, July 27. I think I carried enough gear to stay out for a week … I’m bad like that; especially when I know I don’t have to carry it more than a few miles. My initial plan was to head up Holsten Creek on the East side of HW58, but I really wanted a place to take a cooling dip in the creek and I thought the water might be deeper downstream (West) of HW58, so I hiked in from the highway for a short distance to scout the creek.
I wasn’t too enthused about camping really close to HW58, so I hiked back to my car and drove to the official trail head for the Weetock Trail and hiked from there. My hope was to connect with Holsten Creek a bit further downstream, and further from the highway noise, and hopefully before it turned into a beaver lake.
My first stop was next to the little stream that flows alongside the beginning of the trail and into Holsten Creek, eventually. I waded around in the cool water of the stream for a while. It was knee deep in places and it has a pretty consistent sandy bottom.
After that, I put my heavy pack back on and made my way down to the shore of Holsten Creek. I explored a bit until I found a nice spot to hang my hammock for the night. I took the opportunity to cool down in the creek, I made my supper, and I hung out by the creek in my beloved hammock chair.
I was probably in my hammock and preparing to sleep by 22:00 (10pm). Of course my phone didn’t quiet down for another hour. I only had a bed sheet to wrap myself in, which was a real challenge in the Eno hammock. I knew it was going to be a cool night, so I also wore some clothes. I was surprised that, as the temperature dropped to around 65 (~18C), I could feel the cold underneath me. Of course I didn’t pack an underquilt for summer camping! I ended up being a little chilly all night, which doesn’t even seem possible for late July.
I woke up at 06:00, but I tried desperately to sleep in, like I always do when I’m camping. I had some success, but I gave up around 7:30 and made coffee. After breakfast, I explored the area around my campsite for hours. It was a really pleasant morning. Finally around noon I decided to break camp. It still took me a while to pack up and hick out, so I didn’t arrive back at my car until around 14:00.
I really did enjoy the trip, and I encountered a fellow hiker on the trail when I was returning (pictured above). I do think it would have been more fun if I knew someone who dared to camp here in the summer. The really crazy thing was that the mosquitoes and other insects were practically non-existent.
And one last thing! While I was exploring, I found what I’m pretty sure is Jewelweed; the natural antidote to poison ivy. It’s supposed to grow around here, but I have trouble finding it.
