Walking On Hallowed Ground

First AT Blaze

This weekend Mrs VHD and I headed to the Maine woods for a few days in the wilderness. Our weekend residence was a cabin nestled in the mountains near Andover, surrounded by trees, mountains, miles of hiking trails and little else. This was it, my first chance to get on the Appalachian Trail. For more than ten years I've read stacks of books about it; everything from AWOL On The Appalachian Trail, Walking The Appalachian Trail and Walking With Spring to Long Distance Hiking–Lessons From The Appalachian Trail and A Walk In The Woods to name a few. I was ready.

Cabin

We approached the trail from Sawyer's Notch and there it was, my first white blaze. From where I was standing if I went north I would head deeper into Maine and eventually reach Mount Katahdin (which is no mean feat), if I headed south I could walk all the way to Springer Mountain in Georgia. Amazing.

We chose to head south up to Hall Mountain lean-to. I had butterflies as we headed up the steep rise following a tumbling stream. It looked as if we were the first people to get up there for some time–the previous register entry was from November 2011 and there was no sign of any other human footprints. There was still a decent amount of snow on the mountain, all of it undisturbed. We had lunch at the lean-to and poked around a bit, reading the funny entries in the register and relaxing before we headed back down.

It sounds strange but it was a weird feeling being on the trail for the first time, walking where the likes of Myron Avery, Earl Shaffer and Grandma Gatewood (amongst thousands of others) have previously trodden. I dearly look forward to seeing more of the trail.

“To those who would see the Maine wilderness, tramp day by day through a succession of ever delightful forest, past lake and stream, and over mountains, we would say: Follow the Appalachian Trail across Maine. It cannot be followed on horse or awheel. Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, it beckons not merely north and south but upward to the body, mind and soul of man.”

— Myron Avery, In the Maine Woods, 1934

Hugh Glass

Hugh Glass

The last thing in life one wants to do is scare a bear with cubs. Worse still a grizzly bear, when alone, in a remote and hostile part of South Dakota. When the bear charges there is little left to do but rollover, play dead and await your fate. Well, unless your name is Hugh Glass.

Glass was a trapper in the 1800's and was attacked while scouting game for his expedition in Grand-River (presently Perkins Country). The story goes that before Glass could fire his rifle the bear was upon him, he drew his knife and fought the animal as it clawed him, ripping at his flesh and shredding his body.

Two fellow trappers ran to his aid and finished off the bear before attending to the mortally wounded Glass. When the expedition leader Andrew Henry arrived he found Glass unconscious. He had been ripped apart, had a broken leg, and gashes so deep that his ribs were exposed. There was no doubt he was a goner. Andrews asked for men to stay with Glass as he passed, and to give him a proper burial. Thomas Fitzpatrick and Jim Bridger volunteered to stay with him and bury the done-for mountain man when the time came. According to the men, after waiting some days they were disturbed by hostile Indians; panicking they grabbed Glass' rifle and equipment and ran for their lives. Glass was alone.

He lay there unconscious but not yet dead. After some time he began to stir and eventually regained consciousness. He was 200 miles from the nearest settlement of Fort Kiowa on the Missouri River. Furious at being left, the thought of revenge spurred him into action and he began his long crawl into American folklore. He set his own leg and tied his bearskin shroud around his exposed wounds. He lay across rotten logs to allow maggots to eat the dead flesh from his injuries, thus preventing them from going gangrenous. Fearing hostile natives he journeyed inland, crawling for six weeks, and surviving on berries, roots and scraps of meat stolen from startled wolves.

With aid from friendly natives and the help of a crude raft he built himself, Glass made it to Fort Kiowa alive and began his long recuperation. He eventually tracked down Fitzpatrick and Bridger but spared both their lives. He did however, reclaim his rifle and returned to the wilderness as a trapper and fur trader. Glass died in the winter of 1833 on the Yellowstone River during an attack by the Arikara.

This is just an incredible story! There has been so much written about this man in the form of both fact and fiction, and it is hard to separate the truth from the legend. Either way this is a great tale of pioneering America and legends they bore. There is now a monument to Glass at the site of the bear attack on the southern shore of Shadehill Reservoir, on the forks of the Grand River. If you ever get chance to visit doff your cap to Old Glass for me.

Sander Henriksen's Arctic Illustration

Sander Henriksen Arctic World

I came across these awesome images in an old issue of Applied Arts magazine. They we're created by Sander Henriksen, an illustrator from Alberta.

Sander Henriksen Arctic World

Sander has an impressive portfolio http://www.sandersketch.com/ and was kind enough to let me share his work.

Cutter Hi-Lo Suction Snakebite Kit

Cutter Hi-Lo Suction Snakebite Kit

I have always had a bit of a thing for kits; fishing kits, survival kits, first-aid kits you name it. My latest find is the "Cutter Hi-Lo Suction Snakebite Kit." Although incision and suction is no longer recommended first-aid this is still an ingenious piece of kit.

FOR REFERENCE ONLY THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED FIRST-AID

Using the kit is very simple although it does sound a little archaic. If someone gets bitten clean the provided scalpel blade and wound with the antiseptic unit and make a ¼" incision over the bite. Apply one of the suction cups on the bite and squeeze. This creates a vacuum drawing blood and hopefully venom from the wound.  Then the lymph constrictor should be tied above the wound and the victim should get to the hospital immediately. It is called the Hi-Lo Suction Kit because different amounts of suction can be put onto the wound depending on which cup is used and how it is applied.

Cutter Hi-Lo Suction Snakebite Kit Un-packed

Beautiful and utilitarian, everything I love about good kit.

I felt it prudent to include the current first-aid for a snake bite. I was a little surprised to find that the stuff I learnt in Australia, pressure immobilization, is not the internationally recognized procedure.

Wikipedia recommends

“Protect the person and others from further bites. While identifying the species is desirable in certain regions, risking further bites or delaying proper medical treatment by attempting to capture or kill the snake is not recommended.

Keep the person calm. Acute stress reaction increases blood flow and endangers the person. Panic is infectious and compromises judgment.

Call for help to arrange for transport to the nearest hospital emergency room, where antivenom for snakes common to the area will often be available.

Make sure to keep the bitten limb in a functional position and below the victim’s heart level so as to minimize blood returning to the heart and other organs of the body.

Do not give the person anything to eat or drink. This is especially important with consumable alcohol, a known vasodilator which will speed up the absorption of venom. Do not administer stimulants or pain medications to the victim, unless specifically directed to do so by a physician.

Remove any items or clothing which may constrict the bitten limb if it swells (rings, bracelets, watches, footwear, etc.)

Keep the person as still as possible.

Do not incise the bitten site.”

— Wikipedia

Team 8 Snowboard

VHD T8 Board

Another small plug for a friend and fellow Mainer. A couple of months ago I purchased a custom Team 8 Snowboard from the shop floor here in Portland. Great guy with a tight operation. If you're in the market for a board Team 8 are doing great things.  Just wish we'd had more snow.

See their story here and look them up here.

New Hampshire Maple Syrup

Syrup Making

We did it, we made our own maple syrup! Myself and the Mrs we're invited to New Hampshire to spend a day (and a lot of a night) making syrup. We had a fantastic time. While I'm sure most serious syrup makers would frown upon some of the finer points of our process, we gathered sap and boiled and bottled our very own syrup.

Although very time consuming it was really easy. We helped gather 14 gallons (53 litres) of sap from some pre-tapped sugar maples. We then built a big fire and sat out all day with some local beers tending and topping up the reducing syrup. From our 14 gallons we ended up with just 1.8 pints (850ml.)

Collecting Sap

This was put into the token, sterilized, maple leaf shaped bottles and left to cool. An initial tasting was unlike any syrup I've ever had. It is often said the real deal is a million miles from the store bought stuff, and while we do buy local Maine syrup, this was indeed very different. Unmistakable as maple syrup but with a caramel taste to it as well. Lighter in colour and a little less brash, it is fantastic and will be treasured through-out the year.

VHD Syrup

Big thanks to the Nimmos in New Hampshire for showing us the ropes and letting us take more than our share of the finished product. I can't wait to do it again next year.

Cpt. Lawrence "Titus" Oates

Cpt. Lawrence Oates 17 March 1880 – 16 March 1912

Today marks 100 years since Cpt. Oates passed away, making the ultimate sacrifice to give his companions a better chance of survival. There are few stories as poignant and stirring as that of Cpt. Oates. I think it's important to give thought to this courageous man.

Portrait details. Captain Lawrence Edward Grace Oates during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913, ca 1911 Photographer: Herbert Ponting Reference Number: PA1-f-067-069-1 Silver gelatin print Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library

Vintage Hiking Depot. Patches

Vintage Hiking Depot. Patch

These just in, thanks to Pam at American Patch for helping me get these made.

You can buy them in the VHD store here.

W. K Merrill's 1962 Gear List

All About Camping 1962 - Drawing by Luis M. Henderson

This list is from "All About Camping" written in 1962 by W.K Merrill a retired U.S Ranger. I have read books twice the size of this publication that contain a third as much information. His advice on "Knapsack Camping" is to "Take it easy–go light–keep a clean camp–prevent forest fires" something we should all be doing.

His gear list for an individual is as follows.

“Air mattress, ¾ size, plastic or nylon for lightest type. Axe, small belt type (optional) Bag, sleeping, 3½-pounds eiderdown Bandanas, large (2) Belt and/or suspenders Boots, 8-inch tops, hobnailed or Tricouni nailed soles Camera and accessories (optional) Can opener, twist type for cutting smooth can edges Chap stick, white, for lip protection Compass, declinator, adjustable with sighting line Cook kit (one-man nesting type) Fire permit Firearms and ammunition if hunting First-aid kit, small size, plus mild laxative, roll of two-inch adhesive Flashlight, small fountain pen type, extra batteries and bulb Glasses, dark sun type or prescription ground, with case Handkerchief, white, pocket (1) Hat with wide brim or billed cap Head net for mosquito country Hunting and fishing licenses, if required Insect repellent Jacket, wool windbreaker Knapsack rucksack or pack-board Knife, with screwdriver, can opener, leather punch, and blade Map topographic, large scale of area Match safe, waterproof Matches, waterproofed Moccasins or tennis shoes to wear at camp or for emergency shoes Notebook and pencil Pants, blue jeans or poplin Poncho, groundcloth or tarpaulin (lightweight) Sewing kit (optional) Shaving kit (optional) Shirt lightweight wool, two if gone over a week Snake-bite kit Socks, two pair lightweight wool, two pair heavy wool, ½ size larger Sunburn lotion Tent lightweight (3½- pounds or 4-pounds) one or two man mountain style (optional) Toilet articles, toothbrush and paste, comb, soap, steel mirror Toilet paper Towels, one dish towel, one hand towel Underwear, two-piece long-handled type, lightweight wool Watch, wrist or pocket waterproof type”

— W. K Merrill - All About Camping, 1962

A great, comprehensive list. I love that Merrill, being a U.S ranger, lists out both fire permits and hunting licenses.

Bannock

Cooking Bannock

Living in a city (a small one none the less) I rarely get chance to have a fire and it just didn't feel right making my first bannock without one. Fortunately I was invited to New Hampshire to make maple syrup. This was the perfect excuse to try out my frying pan bread skills.

Bannock is an easy to make, no nonsense bread. Although it has Scottish roots it was also a favorite among native Americans as well as hikers, woodsmen and outdoors types. I came across a great number of recipes online and in various publications, they all have a similar base with other flourishes. The most detailed documentation was in Bradford Angier's "Home in Your Pack."

Angier's basic recipe and his method are as follows.

“One cup flour
One teaspoon baking powder
One fourth teaspoon salt

Mix these dry ingredient if starting from scratch, taking all the time you need to do this thoroughly. Have the hands floured and everything ready to go before you add liquid. Make sure your frying pan is warm and greased.

Working quickly from now on, stir in enough water to make a firm dough. Shape this, with as little handling as possible, into a cake about an inch thick.

Lay the bannock in the warm frying pan. Hold it over the heat until the bottom crust forms, rotating the pan a little so the loaf will shift and not become stuck.

Once the dough has hardened enough to hold together, you can turn the bannock. This, if you’ve practiced a bit and have the confidence to flip strongly enough, can easily be accomplished with a slight swing of the arm and a snap of the wrist. Or you can use one of the plate from your cooking outfit, sliding the bannock onto this and reversing the frypan over the plate and turning both together.

When is the bannock done? After you’ve been cooking for them a while, you will be able to tap on one and gauge this by the hollowness of the sound. Meanwhile test by shoving in a clean straw or sliver. If any dough adheres, the loaf needs more heat. Cooking can be accomplished in about 15 minutes.”

— Bradford Angier - Home in Your Pack, 1965

I made a double batch and also added: fresh blueberries, 3 tablespoons of butter and an extra pinch of baking powder. These are all Angier's recommendations for a tastier loaf.

Bannock Ready To Eat

I cooked exactly as advised and the results were fantastic. Crusty and toasted on the outside, fluffy in the middle with small blueberry explosions. Awesome with a little butter and some maple syrup. Looking forward to experimenting with different flavors. Cheese and olive spring to mind.