Took a few hours on Saturday to scout around for another spot to camp out and play around in the colder months. Fall is here, and the winter snows will soon blanket the high country. While the snows open up different possibilities for outdoor adventures, they close off many at the same time. Gates get locked and roads get buried by snow and ice, much like most of the public land around here now is closed off in this recent government shutdown. With these things in mind, I thought I had better find an area that's local with easy access. So I spent a few late afternoon hours tramping around the foothill woodland around my in-law's place.
New growth brought on by the first rains of the season.
The famous Mother Lode played out this far south. This is the place of Coarsegold Creek, Finegold Creek, and outcroppings of rose quartz dot the land.
Deer tracks and the coyote that follow.
Czech Rucksack. Just what I've been looking for in a daypack.
It's tarantula ....errrr....uhmmm..... migration season, and they're on the move.
Just past their property line I found what I was looking for. It's got the makings for a nice winter camp. Large rock wall that will reflect a campfire's heat back towards my shelter. Good, large, gently sloped area that with a little leveling will be suitable for ground sleeping within distance of the fire's warmth.
So after a little clearing the grass and stickly weeds away, the site was looking a little more habitable, where the winter's rains will bring up new fresh green growth.
Yet as the sun went down, I realized what the thoughts in the back of my mind were telling me. Even though this site is within shouting distance from the in-law's house, this was not their land. It was the neighbor's who may want to build a house on it in future years. And if I were to camp here in the winter time, with a long fire against this rock wall, surely the rock would be scorched and covered with soot. Thus, I would be permanently scarring their land. So, I decided maybe a smaller fire away from the wall would be better suited for this campsite. This way no scarring would occur that couldn't be grown over.
Either way, it appears that this land will make a fine place to fight off the chill, and let the woods soak in.
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