Not Exactly the Yukon -- But Cold Enuf!

Not Exactly the Yukon – But Cold Enuf!

I dared the cold weather (a little foolishly?) on Friday and Saturday (Feb. 24-25), hiking about 20 minutes into Harriman State Park from the hikers’ lot on St. John’s Road within the town of Stony Point.  One car joined me in the parking lot, and a day hiker took off; didn’t see her again.

Along the Long Path just beyond a pretty little creek is a pine grove that Fr. Jim Mulloy and I have passed countless times on our way to the Big Hill shelter; he’s camped there once or twice.  And that’s what I did on Friday at noon.  The creek comes out of a swamp and runs out to Lake Welch.

There was already a nice fire ring about 50 feet off the trail.  All I had to do was gather firewood, which wasn’t hard under the pines and a few other trees.  There was a good-sized spot to pitch my tent.  The area had almost no litter around, which is a bit unusual.  (I did collect a beer bottle.)

It was just about freezing, and dipped under that as the sun went down.  But it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, even with a steady, strong wind, until about 4:00 p.m.

I used my time to set up the tent, gather wood, eat lunch (crackers and PB), pump water from the creek, pray, read a magazine.  A little before 4:00, a day hiker passed by southward, and at 4:30 he returned northward.  We just waved to each other.  By then it was cold enuf that I’d started a fire, which I fed steadily for 4 hours.  I left it only to prepare supper—the only sort-of-flat rock was about 30 feet away.  

I cooked Ramen noodles and the 2d half of a freeze-dried package of mac and cheese—which would have come out better with a hotter flame, but I persisted in using the last gasps of a propane canister.  I added a little trail mix and dried apricots to the menu and drank plain water.  I cleaned the pots, then hung all the remaining food and the trash in a bear bag.  (It took me at least 20 throws to get the rope and bag over a tree limb about 15 feet up—not very proficient!)

There was a quarter moon; I didn’t notice stars.  The wind kept up, and I kept by the fire, reading by flashlight, till it just got too cold, around 8:00.  I let the fire die, got my canteen and water bag into the tent, where my backpack was already, and went to bed around 8:30 in my mummy bag and liner—and with several layers of clothes.  That was warm enuf.

I don’t sleep well, even when warm and with relatively soft ground under the tent, and 2 sleeping pads beneath me.  The tent protected well against the wind, which eventually died down; but it was cold enuf to start freezing my water (I found out when I awoke).

I waited till full daylight—relative, since Saturday a.m. was cloudy.  It was also bitterly cold, probably in the teens.  (I couldn’t check the temp because my phone didn’t respond.)  I had to whack my water bottle to loosen the cap and turn my coffee pot upside down and shake out the fuel canister I’d stowed inside, to loosen the top, which had frozen to the pot.  I cooked oatmeal and coffee—with a new fuel canister, so the water heated adequately.  My fingers numbed up whenever I took off gloves, which I had to do to light the stove and to do some of my packing.  Whereas Fr. Jim can pack up in about 20 minutes, I need an hour—stuffing a sleeping bag, deflating and rolling up a pad, packing gear methodically, dismantling and stowing the tent, checking the ground for anything I might have overlooked.

Friday was a tolerable afternoon and evening of camping.  Saturday morning, not!  I was happy to reach the car about 9:30 and get the heater running.  There were 2 other cars in the lot, 1 of which left while I was loading my gear.  It had also begun to flurry while I was on the trail, but only little stuff.  The big stuff came after I got home at 10:45.

So, that was my arctic adventure on Feb. 24-25.  I’ll wait for warmer weather next time.

Photos from Friday, 2/24: https://link.shutterfly.com/koVB3vctLxb