2014 Work Weekend Wrap Up

Where does one start?

A gang of 15 assembles to perform various work duties, drink beer and eat fine camp fare.

Three of the 15 almost didn’t make it back in time for Saturday’s dinner of Chicken and Ribs.

Five trailmen heads to the hills, Polecat, Toucher, and Chip (Team 1) heads of in one direction while Leaddog and Digger (Team 2) heads in the opposite direction in hopes to meet with Team 1, which would have been some distant five miles away. A nice walk up the hill by Team 2 results in several required hydration stops, where the filter pump is deployed, water bottles filled, GPS’s fired up checked and rechecked, compasses compared and knives donned as required.

Meanwhile in the depths of the primeval forest Team 1 decides to go “Indian”. Leaving all aforementioned gear that Team 2 deployed left at camp or home, Team 1 soon finds itself in a “predicament”. As Team 2 reaches the point of no return, (well hydrated and location known) a radio call was made to verify Team 1’s progress, or as we would soon find out – lack thereof.

It appears that in an effort to impress the crew of Team 1, Polecat’s navigation skills were put into play, or in fact they decided to play with Polecat. Overshooting the objective by one valley and a hill, they were at a place where they shouldn’t have been. Lucky enough to even find THAT point of interest, they soon decided to find the original route or target, which they did. BUT – in an effort to work their wayout they once again got themselves lost….

To sum it up – here’s some of the radio exchange:

Leaddog – “Polecat, where are you?”
Polecat – “Well…it’s a long story” (sound of hiss and scratchy transmission)
Leaddog – “Where shall we meet?”
Polecat – “I don’t know – because I don’t know where I am!” (which was followed by several expletives)
Leaddog – “Stay there – we’ll come hoot you out”
Polecat – “Do you have your pump? We’re -beeping- dehydrated, and -beeping- lost!”
Leaddog – “he he he – don’t panic, sit still and don’t be afraid – we’ll come save you!”
Polecat – “beepety beep beep you beep beep………”

So now Team 2 has to reverse direction, climb back UP the mountain and cut the old trial in an effort to rescue Team 1. After two miles of clearing, Team 2 is finally at the proper waypoint, obviously due to the proper use of technology which was of course brought along, and finds Team 1 hunkered down only 120 feet from said well know waypoint.

It must be mentioned that Team 2 heard a noise that sounded like a flock of woodpeckers pecking on a tree, but it was determined it was the sound of several knocking knees from Team 1.

Lessons learned

Bring your stuff!

Afterthoughts

We’ve all been there at one time or another, the conditions present at the time (leaves still on the trees) will prevent using views to navigate. But there is no excuse for not being prepared!

Upon the return and subsequent ribbing by the rest of the gang, Team 1 realizes that the bigwoods will eat you up in a heart beat. Several cords of wood was cut, split, and stacked by the remaining gang .

Two Rangers earn the newly created “Rescue Ranger Badge”