ManicManiac Posted May 3, 2022 Author Share Posted May 3, 2022 (edited) Early the next morning I discovered that the wolves had invaded the fringes of Thompson's Crossing. They'd tracked my sent from the other day all the way over to rock formation just behind the church (all four of them). Apparently a couple were busy chewing on rabbits... but the others surprised me when I suddenly found myself being stalked as I approached the church. I quickly ducked inside the church, I was worried that with them stalking me there might be a possibility of them snatching bags of meat. I waited for about an hour... I really needed them to wander back towards their usual territory. I'm not sure how or why they had been lurking around by the church overnight like that... and I didn't want to risk them hanging around more, so I decided I was going to help leave town. Since I'm still not willing to use my fire arms, I decided I would head around from the far side of the rock formations bordering Thompson's Crossing, attract their attention, and lure them away. This worked out fairly well, and it wasn't long before at least three of the four wolves were definitely stalking me. The plan was simple... I was going to lure them over to the wrecked truck, and duck inside the truck to escape. This worked like a charm, and I was able to crouch immediately after exiting the truck in order to sneak back to Community Hall. After that little diversion I was able to finish gathering up my bags of meat. That evening, I was able to get two bags of moose meat harvested before I decided to head to bed. I woke the next morning to the sound of a blizzard raging outside... this time the blizzard was a welcome one. I was able to pass the time harvesting, and I didn't have to worry about attracting predators to the Community Hall. By the time I was done processing all the bags of meat, the storm had passed. I got a fire going and started working on getting my moose meat cooking. This all lined up pretty well, as I was very nearly out of water (I only had one liter left in the fridge). I had to leave off there for now, but I'm feeling great about my abundant food supply. I think once the food is done cooking, I'm going to go touch up those last few areas on the map... and swing by the Pleasant Valley Farmstead to pick up all my skill books. I'm looking forward to being able to just leisurely read for at least a couple days. I feel like I've earned the rest. Edited May 3, 2022 by ManicManiac Fixing some typos... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 It took about two days, but I got all the moose meat cooked. Considering each piece was only .5 kg, I was hoping I could max out my cooking skill... but turned out I was a bit short. Oh well, there are still some cans/boxes of coffee/herbal tea over at the Pleasant Valley Farmstead, but there's really no rush I suppose. The weather during those two days was beautiful. There was some rough weather during the nights, but throughout the day there was clear and sunny skies. I was able to practice some fire starting just outside the front door (with my mag-lens). After the cooking was done, it was getting late into the early evening but I wasn't even remotely tired enough to sleep through the night. Since the weather was holding nicely, I decided I would make a run to the Farmstead, to drop off all my pelts and cured gut... as well as pick up my skill books. I was able to sprint a good amount of the way down the road. Not only did it save some time, but more importantly helped to tire me out so I could get a good night's sleep. When I arrived at the Farmstead, the sun was still up. I decided to quickly drop off, pick up, and try to make it back to the Community Hall before it got too late. I managed to make the entire round trip with no issues, and I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I got back. I filled my stomach again, and slept soundly through the night. Early the next day, I set out to get my mapping task completed. However, as I made my way passed the wrecked truck by the side of the road, the weather was starting to take a drastic turn. With how quickly the visibility was dropping, I decided to turn around and head straight back to the Community Hall. Sure enough, as I was about seven paces from the door heavy snowfall kicked up into a blizzard. With little other option, I decided to switch gears and get to reading my skill books. It must have taken just a little shy of 72 hours, because just as I was finishing off the last skill book I had on hand... I found I was feeling very Well Fed. I'll fill my stomach again in the morning... all there is left is for me to clean up my map. I just checked my journal. It's day 97 now, and 58 of those days have been spent in Pleasant Valley. This has taken much longer than I thought. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 6, 2022 Author Share Posted May 6, 2022 (edited) I had to wait out another blizzard, but this time I had significantly less to do. All my books are read, my gear and supplies have been organized and stowed. I could have done some repair work on my clothing, but I'm still holding off until things wear down enough to get the maximum benefit of the cloth/leather I'd need to invest. As I was looking around and shifting a few more things between a couple of containers, I noticed my moose pelt has finished curing. I took a peek outside and found the storm had more or less subsided. The wind was gusting pretty hard, but visibility was good (blizzard had definitely blown itself out). Even though it was getting into the late afternoon, I decided I would take advantage of the decent weather to haul the moose hide and cured gut over to the Pleasant Valley Farmstead. The weather was beginning to clear as I made my way down the road. I was tempted to sprint, but I didn't want to needlessly burn calories. Judging from the last time I make this hike, I knew I should have enough time to make the round trip before getting too dark. When I arrived at the farmstead, I quickly stowed the pelt/cured gut in the basement and took a quick top upstairs just to check to see if there was anything I wanted to haul back. After getting my map cleaned up, that moose hide is going to get turned into a satchel (which also tempts me to change my plans and backtrack through Timberwolf Mountain to go to Ash Canyon instead... I don't know that I will... but it's tempting). I made it back to the Community Hall without issue, and spent a little time sussing out more precisely where I'd need to get to in order to "finish" my map. All three locations would need a little bit of goating. The first is pretty straight forward, I'd need to get to the top of the rock formation a bit farther back along the back road (maybe 35-40 meters from the intersection and just beyond the nearest rock formation presenting itself to the road). The next morning the weather was looking great, so I decided to set out straight away. As I approached, I found I'd have to really work my angles to make my way up the precarious rock formation, but eventually got to the top. It was a nice overlook, and I felt pretty good about my goating path (until I noticed that approaching from the opposite side would have been an easier way up ). At this point I was starting to get pretty cold, and the next spot I'd need to get to would be on the topside of the waterfall not far from Pensive Pond. Rather than heading up the slopes or following the back road the long way around, I decided it would be a safer bet to head to the Old Red Barn first to warm up. Assuming the weather holds, I should be able to make it up to see how much goating I'd need to work out. Ideally, I will be able to get it mapped and make it back to the Pleasant Valley Farmstead before dark. However, should the weather turn on me... I have several contingent locations I can hole-up in. For now though, I'm huddled up in the trunk inside the Old Red Barn... waiting to warm up. I still think I'm going to stick to my plan of heading to Costal Highway next... but the thought of getting to the abandoned gold mine is very very tempting. 🤔 I may have to think on it some more. Edited May 6, 2022 by ManicManiac 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderland wanderer Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 On 2/1/2022 at 2:01 AM, Leeanda said: There is a minor bug in some cars too. Sometimes you can't pick things up off the floor. Unfortunately it's usually books and ammo. Occasionally food. You picked a good time to start a difficult run..🙂 But good luck and I'll keep reading . I've seen this bug, guess it's about an object box overlap, AFAIK an Unity engine works. Every of 3D object have bounded in a 3D "box", and when a "box" of another object overlaps, you can see an object, but can't interact with. It's still possible to take a blocked items, just try to take it from other angle, other side of a car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 7 minutes ago, Wonderland wanderer said: I've seen this bug, guess it's about an object box overlap, AFAIK an Unity engine works. Every of 3D object have bounded in a 3D "box", and when a "box" of another object overlaps, you can see an object, but can't interact with. It's still possible to take a blocked items, just try to take it from other angle, other side of a car. Thank you but I think it's been fixed as I haven't had an problems lately!🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderland wanderer Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 1 minute ago, Leeanda said: Thank you but I think it's been fixed as I haven't had an problems lately!🙂 Hope so, but i feel it's not so easy to solve. In early of 2000s, i have a hobby making a maps for 2.5D and 3D games like duke3d, quake, half-life, counter-strike. I've encountered a binding boxes overlapping issue so much. Only way to fix it, as i found - make an one of objects, which overlapping each other, "hollow". But in some cases this fix ruining a mechanics of other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 17 minutes ago, Wonderland wanderer said: Hope so, but i feel it's not so easy to solve. In early of 2000s, i have a hobby making a maps for 2.5D and 3D games like duke3d, quake, half-life, counter-strike. I've encountered a binding boxes overlapping issue so much. Only way to fix it, as i found - make an one of objects, which overlapping each other, "hollow". But in some cases this fix ruining a mechanics of other things. I'll keep an eye out but I only have bleak left to check in this run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 8, 2022 Author Share Posted May 8, 2022 (edited) As soon as I got warmed up, I quickly headed back out to the road and started following along riverbank on the other side of Heartbreak Bridge. As I worked my way up to the topside of "Lower Falls" the sky turned heavily overcast and a light fog was creeping in (and steadily getting thicker). I knew it was likely that the fog was going to be a problem, but I continued looking for ways to goat up the rock formation overlooking the falls. I couldn't find a reasonably safe way up and had to settle for the nearest rock formation next to it. Thankfully, this one was not only easier to work my way up, but it was slightly taller. I was able to get the surveying done before losing visibility, and the vantage point was high enough I was able to completely clear the area. I ended up hiking staying the night at the small barn at the Pleasant Valley Farmstead. I still had a good amount of food there thanks to the wolf who had let me harvest off of its kill some time ago. By the time the fog lifted it was well into the night, I'd had a fire going for a few hours and was still working to finish cooking up the rest of the venison (a tidy store of food for to night as well as later on down the road). I finished it off with a batch of water, but I knew I wanted to remember to leave the cooking pot inside the house (I wanted to keep at least one here and one at the community hall). As long as I keep at least one recycled can on me, I can always get by until I find a cooking pot in the next region (plus then I'll always have one at either of my two main caches). I opted to sleep in a little bit and waited on heading out until mid-morning (hoping the temperature would be a bit more tolerable). It was still bitter cold, but at least it wouldn't be as long a wait for the relative warmth of afternoon. I hiked over to The Long Curve, and started working on that area between the river bend and the nook that lead to a bear's cave. I did the best I could without getting too risky with my goating... unfortunately It looks like I'm just going to have to accept that I wouldn't be able to clear out the black smudge from the top of that particular spot. I'd managed to clear a decent swath all the way around it... but I was still left with that one smudge I just couldn't get rid of. Oh well... I think I took a reasonable shot at getting that hard-to-reach place (it had been a bane on my maps for this region in the past as well, so I didn't necessarily expect to find a way to clean it off but I had to try). I wasn't going to spend more that one day on it, nor was I going to try to get too crazy trying to goat up there (I'd lost too many runs by stumbling into kill-walls before in the past). With the mapping task complete...😒 I decided to hike back to the Community Hall. I kind of want to keep the food cache at the Farmstead intact in case I need it in the future. Plus, I still have such an abundance of moose meat, I don't mind making the longer trip. Over the next couple of days I also decided to make the round trip between the Community Hall and the Pleasant Valley Farmstead to use that work bench. I could have just use the one at the Old Red Barn, but the extra distance gave me the opportunity to forage more sticks and branches along the way. Thankfully the weather was kind (at least during the daytime), and I was able to get my Moose Hide Satchel finished in relatively short order. With the tasks I'd set for myself completed, I suppose all that's left to do is pare down my pack and make up my mind on what route to go next. The more I think about Ash Canyon the more I'm tempted to go for the Gold Mine. However, I think I'd still prefer to map Coastal Highway next while working my way through to Desolation Point. Though I suppose, I don't necessarily have to map Ash Canyon yet... I suppose I could simply try to brave a quick try for the Mine, gather up what I can find there and double time it on the way out. If I just wanted to try to make a quick visit, I should be able to get there and back in 3-4 days total (at least I'd hope). Hmm, I suppose I'm still puzzling it out. I don't know that I'd be entirely prepared for Ash Canyon (clothing wise), but then I suppose that's part of the adventure too... I know I'll have to settle on a final decision soon. Edited May 8, 2022 by ManicManiac 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 8, 2022 Author Share Posted May 8, 2022 (edited) Since I'm getting ready to leave Pleasant Valley... I thought I would look over a handful of the snapshots I'd managed to remember to grab over these last few days: (nothing exciting about them really... I just thought they looked nice.) Edited May 8, 2022 by ManicManiac 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 10, 2022 Author Share Posted May 10, 2022 The next morning looked as though it might be the beginning of a very rare sunny day in Pleasant Valley. I'm still really torn about whether to make a run for the Gold Mine (that I may or may not be entirely prepared for), or make the safer choice of going to get myself reestablished in Coastal Highway. Since I wasn't ready to commit, I decided to take the day to work on fire starting with my mag-lens. It gave me more time weigh the options... The weather all that day was full of clear skies and sunshine, so I was able to practice my fire starting uninterrupted for the better part of the day. Managed to get my skill up to "Master," so that was nice. I'll have much better odds now of being able to get a fire started in a pinch if I'm out on a longer trek. (Which I imagine would come in handy if I end up making a hard push for the Mine in Ash Canyon) At this point I know I'm delaying... 🤔 The challenge seeker in me wants to go full steam ahead. However, the harsh reminder that I got (when I pushed my luck perhaps a little too far on my first assent to the summit of Timberwolf Mountain) makes me pause to consider if it's really a good idea. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 10, 2022 Author Share Posted May 10, 2022 Naturally, just as I was getting my gear pared down to just the bare essentials and made up my mind to head out... a blizzard rolls in. I guess now I have time to mull it over some more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 12, 2022 Author Share Posted May 12, 2022 The time I spent waiting out the storm made me anxious to get going. I was already done reorganizing and stowing everything except my bare essentials. I decided to simply wait it out (rather than just passing time or napping). As soon as I heard the wind start to die down, I got started on my trek right away. It was getting into the early evening, and I wasn't sure if the weather would hold... or how far I might make it before it got deadly dark. I was going to make a hard push regardless. I had a few spots in mind should I have to hole-up, but I knew I was going to press myself to get as far along as possible. I headed out from Thompson's Crossing, and carefully through the Birch Forest (passing by the Lonely Homestead). By the time I'd gotten to Draft Dodger's Cabin it was well after sundown, but to my delight the visibility was still good. I decided to continue on, taking the path up by Skeeter's Ridge. Rather than risking trying to make it past the wreckage and make it to the Abandoned Cache, I opted to bed down at Burned Ridge Cave. I didn't dare try to sleep through the night, so I ended up napping shorter spans (3 hours at a time). Once, as I woke just past midnight, I could see the light of the aurora illuminating the night sky. Rather than try to press on, I had no desire to tempt aurora charged wolves... and continued to sleep until daybreak. Early the next morning I continued on my way. The wolves were out in force so I felt it was wiser to steer clear of Skeeter's Ridge (and the road way leading towards it). As I had approached the burned out cabin near the wreckage, I spotted at least one wolf out wandering much farther out than I've remembered seeing them in the past. Instead, I backtracked a little and stuck close to the interior of the upper shelf, and came out close to the Hunter's Blind. I made my way up to the Abandoned Prepper Cache (just for a quick visit to warm up a little bit). While inside I realized that I had left all the secured lockers in tact. I'd immediately regretted leaving my prybar behind... I hadn't anticipated needed it, so I left it stowed at the Community Hall. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for even the remotest possibility of finding some warmer clothes. I could still use a second pair of Snow Pants... or (dare I hope) Cowichan Sweaters. Considering I'd previously forgot to come back once I had found a Prybar already, I decided I would just have to trek back to the Community Center, get my prybar, and get those lockers cleaned out. If the weather would cooperate I should be able to get there and back again before sun down. It was a long round trip and I had to take a couple of alt-routes to avoid wolves, but it was a fairly peaceful hike. It also gave me a good opportunity to fill my stomach again without depleting what little I had stashed in places along the way. I was able to get back up to the Abandoned Prepper Cache (this time with Prybar in hand), and cleaned out the lockers. Unfortunately, I didn't anything of significance, but it was worth checking out. I dropped what I found in the lockers there on the floor and decided to continue on wards. I was already fairly tired, but I decided to gamble on having at lest one short climb in me. By the time I got half way up the rope, I knew it was going to be a close call. But, I was already committed, and stopping off to rest on the ledge didn't seem a great idea since the weather was already getting pretty ugly. By the time I'd gotten just a meter shy from the top, I was completely exhausted and struggling to make the rest of the climb. I thought, "If I slip back, then I'm just going to repel the rest of the way down and sleep at the Abandoned Cache... If I fall, well hopefully I'll be in good enough shape to crawl over to take shelter and try to mend my injuries." Each second struggling on that rope was tense, exhausting agony. Must have really dug deep, but I managed to make it to the top. Now, it was just a relatively short walk back to Timberwolf Mountain (and the Mountaineer's Hut). It was snowing really heavily, and the winds were gusting harder. It was definitely threatening a blizzard, so I had to trudge onward. I couldn't go very quickly (especially not with biting headwind), but I kept kicking one foot in front of the other... I knew I'd get there eventually, I was just hoping to make it ahead of the storm. As darkness fell, I pushed open to door of the Mountaineer's Hut. I felt nice to be back (even if only for an overnight stay). I crawled into bed, and slept hard thought the rest of the night. When I woke early the next morning... the I noticed right away that the weather had made good it's threat. The snowstorm had kicked up into a full whiteout blizzard overnight. I even woke up already feeling a deep chill. The good news was that I had plenty of fish and firewood, the bad news... I'm going to have to wait out the storm before I can continue on my trek. In case I hadn't made my intentions clear... I'm going to make that run to the Gold Mine after all. I know it would probably be wiser to hold off, but I've been "snowed in" here at Pleasant Valley for more than two months... and I guess that last blizzard there just made me restless enough to risk the run on long and arduous trek. I'd left behind nearly all non-essentials... the two notable exceptions being the Prybar that I had gone back for, and I did opt to bring my bow (and arrows). I managed to pare down my back to about 17 kg, so I'm traveling about as light as I dare to. I would have left the bow behind with the revolver, riffle, and ammunition... but figured if I wasn't going to take any snares... it might be a good idea to bring the bow so I can at least hunt if push came to shove. It's going to be the last resort though. I'm hoping I can get to the mine and at least most of the way back inside of two days. If I can't find rabbits to catch along the way, it might become necessary to go after something bigger. In the mean time, I've got to wait out the blizzard that is keeping hunkered down inside the Mountaineer's Hut. As soon as it breaks... I'm heading for Ash Canyon with a sense of urgency Here's hoping the pay off will be worth the risk. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Just now, ManicManiac said: The time I spent waiting out the storm made me anxious to get going. I was already done reorganizing and stowing everything except my bare essentials. I decided to simply wait it out (rather than just passing time or napping). As soon as I heard the wind start to die down, I got started on my trek right away. It was getting into the early evening, and I wasn't sure if the weather would hold... or how far I might make it before it got deadly dark. I was going to make a hard push regardless. I had a few spots in mind should I have to hole-up, but I knew I was going to press myself to get as far along as possible. I headed out from Thompson's Crossing, and carefully through the Birch Forest (passing by the Lonely Homestead). By the time I'd gotten to Draft Dodger's Cabin it was well after sundown, but to my delight the visibility was still good. I decided to continue on, taking the path up by Skeeter's Ridge. Rather than risking trying to make it past the wreckage and make it to the Abandoned Cache, I opted to bed down at Burned Ridge Cave. I didn't dare try to sleep through the night, so I ended up napping shorter spans (3 hours at a time). Once, as I woke just past midnight, I could see the light of the aurora illuminating the night sky. Rather than try to press on, I had no desire to tempt aurora charged wolves... and continued to sleep until daybreak. Early the next morning I continued on my way. The wolves were out in force so I felt it was wiser to steer clear of Skeeter's Ridge (and the road way leading towards it). As I had approached the burned out cabin near the wreckage, I spotted at least one wolf out wandering much farther out than I've remembered seeing them in the past. Instead, I backtracked a little and stuck close to the interior of the upper shelf, and came out close to the Hunter's Blind. I made my way up to the Abandoned Prepper Cache (just for a quick visit to warm up a little bit). While inside I realized that I had left all the secured lockers in tact. I'd immediately regretted leaving my prybar behind... I hadn't anticipated needed it, so I left it stowed at the Community Hall. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for even the remotest possibility of finding some warmer clothes. I could still use a second pair of Snow Pants... or (dare I hope) Cowichan Sweaters. Considering I'd previously forgot to come back once I had found a Prybar already, I decided I would just have to trek back to the Community Center, get my prybar, and get those lockers cleaned out. If the weather would cooperate I should be able to get there and back again before sun down. It was a long round trip and I had to take a couple of alt-routes to avoid wolves, but it was a fairly peaceful hike. It also gave me a good opportunity to fill my stomach again without depleting what little I had stashed in places along the way. I was able to get back up to the Abandoned Prepper Cache (this time with Prybar in hand), and cleaned out the lockers. Unfortunately, I didn't anything of significance, but it was worth checking out. I dropped what I found in the lockers there on the floor and decided to continue on wards. I was already fairly tired, but I decided to gamble on having at lest one short climb in me. By the time I got half way up the rope, I knew it was going to be a close call. But, I was already committed, and stopping off to rest on the ledge didn't seem a great idea since the weather was already getting pretty ugly. By the time I'd gotten just a meter shy from the top, I was completely exhausted and struggling to make the rest of the climb. I thought, "If I slip back, then I'm just going to repel the rest of the way down and sleep at the Abandoned Cache... If I fall, well hopefully I'll be in good enough shape to crawl over to take shelter and try to mend my injuries." Each second struggling on that rope was tense, exhausting agony. Must have really dug deep, but I managed to make it to the top. Now, it was just a relatively short walk back to Timberwolf Mountain (and the Mountaineer's Hut). It was snowing really heavily, and the winds were gusting harder. It was definitely threatening a blizzard, so I had to trudge onward. I couldn't go very quickly (especially not with biting headwind), but I kept kicking one foot in front of the other... I knew I'd get there eventually, I was just hoping to make it ahead of the storm. As darkness fell, I pushed open to door of the Mountaineer's Hut. I felt nice to be back (even if only for an overnight stay). I crawled into bed, and slept hard thought the rest of the night. When I woke early the next morning... the I noticed right away that the weather had made good it's threat. The snowstorm had kicked up into a full whiteout blizzard overnight. I even woke up already feeling a deep chill. The good news was that I had plenty of fish and firewood, the bad news... I'm going to have to wait out the storm before I can continue on my trek. In case I hadn't made my intentions clear... I'm going to make that run to the Gold Mine after all. I know it would probably be wiser to hold off, but I've been "snowed in" here at Pleasant Valley for more than two months... and I guess that last blizzard there just made me restless enough to risk the run on long and arduous trek. I'd left behind nearly all non-essentials... the two notable exceptions being the Prybar that I had gone back for, and I did opt to bring my bow (and arrows). I managed to pare down my back to about 17 kg, so I'm traveling about as light as I dare to. I would have left the bow behind with the revolver, riffle, and ammunition... but figured if I wasn't going to take any snares... it might be a good idea to bring the bow so I can at least hunt if push came to shove. It's going to be the last resort though. I'm hoping I can get to the mine and at least most of the way back inside of two days. If I can't find rabbits to catch along the way, it might become necessary to go after something bigger. In the mean time, I've got to wait out the blizzard that is keeping hunkered down inside the Mountaineer's Hut. As soon as it breaks... I'm heading for Ash Canyon with a sense of urgency Here's hoping the pay off will be worth the risk. I hope all goes well .. I can understand why you got so restless though,I had six continuous days of heavy snow or blizzards and it drove me nuts🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 12, 2022 Author Share Posted May 12, 2022 @Leeanda Thank you. I hope it goes well too. I knew it would have been a safer bet to get to Coastal Highway like I planned... but then I figured, why not a little unnecessary danger to further challenge my ability to adapt and hopefully survive. I suppose I just wanted to test my perceived limits some more. To leave the comfort of the "known" trail for one that (I'll admit) is one less trodden; at lest for me. Though I didn't completely through caution to the wind... I did allow myself the bow to serve as a fall back. Only just in case the trip ends up taking longer than I anticipate, and I can't manage to scrounge up enough food. 🤭 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 12, 2022 Share Posted May 12, 2022 Just now, ManicManiac said: @Leeanda Thank you. I hope it goes well too. I knew it would have been a safer bet to get to Coastal Highway like I planned... but then I figured, why not a little unnecessary danger to further challenge my ability to adapt and hopefully survive. I suppose I just wanted to test my perceived limits some more. To leave the comfort of the "known" trail for one that (I'll admit) is one less trodden; at lest for me. Though I didn't completely through caution to the wind... I did allow myself the bow to serve as a fall back. Only just in case the trip ends up taking longer than I anticipate, and I can't manage to scrounge up enough food. 🤭 I've just left ash but I never pick most of the cat tails but there are plenty of them. There's a few carcasses around too now the fix is done. Certainly a lack of live animals though, I was only there for 2 days to get to the mine but I only saw 3 animals altogether. I do always take the same route though and hardly ever go and explore it entirely. Forgive me if you've done it already(my memory isn't that great at this time of night,or at my age🙂) but are you planning to map it while you're there? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 13, 2022 Author Share Posted May 13, 2022 (edited) @Leeanda I had mapped Ash Canyon on my last long-term personal challenge, but that was a while ago now. I will map Ash Canyon... but the wild hair that I'm chasing right now is more of a "see how quickly I can get to the mine and get out" sort of thing. I'm not sure why this idea got in my head (other than I thought than crampons being useful for beachcombing ). I guess I'm just using this short trip as bit of a test to see if I'm up to a long term stay at Ash Canyon, Hushed River Valley, and ultimately Blackrock. Outside of Episode 4, I've had no real experience really living in Blackrock yet. I'm pretty confident about handling the Timber Wolves in Desolation Point (I'd gotten a lot of practice last time, stealthing & picking them off), but I'm a bit anxious about facing them on Blackrock (as well as Keeper's Pass). I suppose, if I make it to the mine and back... and am thriving along the way, I might alter my plan and stay there to map (otherwise I planned to return later on for that). As for the Cat Tails, I'm still holding myself to not touching the harvestable resource (except sticks, branches, and coal) until my mapping tasks are done. So while the Cat Tails are super tempting, I'll have to leave them alone until I can get them marked off on the maps. If the prop carcasses have been fixed... then perhaps I should leave my bow behind here at the Mountaineer's Hut. What do you think? Should I leave all my hunting tools behind, or should I allow myself the bow in case I need it as a last resort? Edited May 13, 2022 by ManicManiac 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 13, 2022 Share Posted May 13, 2022 3 hours ago, ManicManiac said: @Leeanda I had mapped Ash Canyon on my last long-term personal challenge, but that was a while ago now. I will map Ash Canyon... but the wild hair that I'm chasing right now is more of a "see how quickly I can get to the mine and get out" sort of thing. I'm not sure why this idea got in my head (other than I thought than crampons being useful for beachcombing ). I guess I'm just using this short trip as bit of a test to see if I'm up to a long term stay at Ash Canyon, Hushed River Valley, and ultimately Blackrock. Outside of Episode 4, I've had no real experience really living in Blackrock yet. I'm pretty confident about handling the Timber Wolves in Desolation Point (I'd gotten a lot of practice last time, stealthing & picking them off), but I'm a bit anxious about facing them on Blackrock (as well as Keeper's Pass). I suppose, if I make it to the mine and back... and am thriving along the way, I might alter my plan and stay there to map (otherwise I planned to return later on for that). As for the Cat Tails, I'm still holding myself to not touching the harvestable resource (except sticks, branches, and coal) until my mapping tasks are done. So while the Cat Tails are super tempting, I'll have to leave them alone until I can get them marked off on the maps. If the prop carcasses have been fixed... then perhaps I should leave my bow behind here at the Mountaineer's Hut. What do you think? Should I leave all my hunting tools behind, or should I allow myself the bow in case I need it as a last resort? My apologies again.. I forgot about some of the restrictions you had. I think the bow might be needed as self defense more than food! There's a few tight spots on the way! I found several carcasses on the trek to the mine but luckily didn't need them. I was only there for a couple of days though. From my time in blackrock on survival I've found it easier and safer than hrv if I'm honest but I didn't have the timbers to deal with! Story was an entirely different experience though!!🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 13, 2022 Author Share Posted May 13, 2022 (edited) @Leeanda I do have a tendency to add a series of little personal provisos to make things perhaps a little needlessly more difficult for me without having to change how the game itself plays or modifying the core survival modes. Though, that's not to say that I'm against custom settings, frankly I love that we have access to that... I think I just like to experiment with how player choice in the standard modes changes my player experience or can sort of force me to focus in on aspects that might be outside of my otherwise established methods/strategies. I did opt to take the bow and arrows with me, but I'm reasonably confident in my abilities to evade and avoid. I've still managed zero wildlife struggles so far, so I'm definitely set on only using the bow as a last resort for food. If I get myself ambushed, then I'll take the punishment for not being careful enough. I always appreciate the feedback and ideas that come from folks here, as I chronicle my various adventures/misadventures. Thank you for the heads-up regarding Blackrock, I'm don't think I'm quite confident enough to rush headlong into that region just yet... but I'm working on it. Edited May 14, 2022 by ManicManiac 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 14, 2022 Author Share Posted May 14, 2022 I waited patiently for the blizzard to die down, it came sometime in the middle of the night so I was hoping it would blow itself out before to got too late in the day for me to want to start the next leg of the trek. Thankfully, the storm did subside after a few more hours... but I still waited afterwards for the wind to die down a bit more. -20*C (feels like), was just a little too cold for me make it any considerable distance before starting to freeze. Eventually the weather began to clear up, I filled my stomach, grabbed it bit more water, and started out on the hard push to see how far into Ash Canyon I could get before needing to seek shelter. I made it to Echo Ravine without any trouble, and headed out of Timberwolf Mountain. The weather in Ash Canyon was more or less the same as it was in Timberwolf Mountain, so I felt confidant I could at least make it to the Angler's Den before I got too cold. There was however a fog that was starting to roll in, I was more than a little concerned about that. Not being able to spot wolves at a distance meant I'd have to keep a sharp ear out for the pitter patter of paw prints, and try to gauge where wolves might be from their howls. As I passed by the ruined fishing hut on Bitter Marsh, my intention was to head up through the pass that would more quickly lead me to the Angler's Den. However, the fog had gotten denser and fowled up my navigation. By the time I realized that I'd missed my route, I was entering Shattered Cove. This wasn't ideal... but it was too late to turn back. As I made my way through the narrow passage, I eventually heard the howls of at least two wolves up ahead. I knew I'd have to get low and hope I could sneak along the base of the cliffs to the right if I was going to make it out without getting mauled. As I got to the mouth of passage (slowly crawling forward), I caught sight of the wolves skulking around. I paused for a moment to try and get a sense of where they were roaming. Turned out it wasn't just two... but three of them. I didn't like the situation, but I had picked up about five rocks along the way. I'd use them as distractions... or even to try and ward them off if they catch my sent. As I hugged tight to the cliff wall, I didn't even dare look over my shoulder as I heard the loud howls of wolves very much too close for comfort. I just kept creeping forward... watching and hoping as each step brought me closer to my escape. After a very tense few minutes I passed a downed tree with a backpack snagged on a low hanging branch. At this point the howls didn't sound like they were right over my shoulder, so I knew I was at least far enough away to check the backpack and try to make haste to the Angler's Den. By now I was starting to warm up a little bit, the fog had at least come with a reprieve from heavy winds. At this point, I didn't really need to stop off at the Angler's Den to warm up, but I figured I could at least spend a couple minutes warming up, searching, and dropping on the floor anything unnecessary I'd picked up so far. I ended up dropping the clothing I'd found inside, as well as a bag of beef jerky that I'd found in the backpack. There were a few other odds and ends in there too (a flare, arrow heads, can of spray paint, I won't list the entire inventory), but left that all behind. I did grab the charcoal from the stove though... I don't plan on mapping but I figured, "ya never know, maybe..." I quickly made my way up the path heading upwards beside Broad Falls. I carefully made my way farther back but stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted a wolf making its way up the riverbank. I got low as another wolf began to howl very close by. Knowing that these two were effectively blocking the way ahead, I crept down the bank, across the ice, and looked for a place I might be able to goat up the bank on the opposite site. It took me a minute to find the right spot, and I was pressing my luck on the very steep slope... but I was able to work the angles and make it up the bank. This would give me a good opportunity to slip past, if I was patient and kept low until I could make it over the nearby hill. Once again, each slow step was tense agony, but I eventually made it through. I didn't dare stand up until I was close to the cave. I didn't have a good enough vantage to be sure there wasn't more wolves skulking around the rock formation to either side of me. When I was a few steps from the cave entrance, I pulled out my lantern and stepped inside. I picked up about seven pieces of coal, and few other odds and ends from inside the cave (including a little bit of ammo from a backpack and an unfortunate soul who never made it back out of the cave). However, I was determined to not stick around long, so I made haste up the short rope and to the exit. From there I followed the path along the cliffsides (finding a climbing rope along the way) and across two very wobbly bridges (also picked up a nice, though heavy, bearskin coat - didn't need it but I figured I would take it along until I found a good spot to hunker down). My heart about stopped when I stubbed my toe on one of the slats and came to an abrupt halt about halfway across one of them. When I found myself at Wolf's Jaw Overlook, I couldn't help myself. Even though I didn't really have the time, I took one piece of charcoal and mapped the scenic view. From there I followed the signs pointing the way up a couple more short climbs. At this point the weather was starting to turn bad... it was also starting to get rather dark. I found a nice cave near the climbing point. I placed the rope and struggled a little bit with the limited visibility back to the cave I was going to have to use for the night. I started a nice campfire near the mouth of the cave. Between the sticks and the coal I had on hand, I had more than enough warmth to last through the night (just in case). I also got a little more water boiled up. At this point I was beginning to starve... but I know I can last at least a day, maybe two before I risked getting in a really bad way. Hopefully, by then I'll be close to getting back to Timberwolf Mountain. I slept in three to four hour stretches, just to be on the safe side. Early the next morning... the snowstorm kicked up into a blizzard. I'm really not in a good position to burn a day waiting out a storm... I'm wondering if I should just repel down the rope and make for the Mine and at least get what I came fore before losing the day entirely. For now though... I'm going wait while I think it over. There were some rabbits outside before the blizzard hit... so maybe I can catch those when storm passes, though there's no guarantee they'll be out an about afterward. It seems I'm in a risky position regardless of the choice... I hope I didn't press my luck too far this time. 🤔 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 9 hours ago, ManicManiac said: @Leeanda I do have a tendency to add a series of little personal provisos to make things perhaps a little needlessly more difficult for me without having to change how the game itself plays or modifying the core survival modes. Though, that's not to say that I'm against custom settings, frankly I love that we have access to that... I think I just like to experiment with how player choice in the standard modes changes my player experience or can sort of force me to focus in on aspects that might be outside of my otherwise established methods/strategies. I did opt to take the bow and arrows with me, but I'm reasonably confident in my abilities to evade and avoid. I've still managed zero wildlife struggles so far, so I'm definitely set on only using the bow as a last resort for food. If I get myself ambushed, then I'll take the punishment for not being careful enough. I always appreciate the feedback and ideas that come from folks here, as I chronicle my various adventures/misadventures. Thank you for the heads-up regarding Blackrock, I'm don't think I'm quite confident enough to rush headlong into that region just yet... but I'm working on it. You seem to be doing great in ash so far!🙂 Certainly a lot better than I would considering there's a lot of narrow areas to get through and the wolves lurking around in those areas! I know what you mean ,I put restrictions on some of my runs too. I might like the quiet life but not that quiet!🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 14, 2022 Author Share Posted May 14, 2022 @Leeanda Thank you I'm certainly giving it my all. This blizzard's got me stuck though... I still don't know whether it might be better to push though the storm to try to get to the mine or wait anywhere between 4-20 hours for it to pass. With the extra carry capacity, I might even lug the bearskin coat along with me. I don't really need it... but it's essentially a free bear pelt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 Just now, ManicManiac said: @Leeanda Thank you I'm certainly giving it my all. This blizzard's got me stuck though... I still don't know whether it might be better to push though the storm to try to get to the mine or wait anywhere between 4-20 hours for it to pass. With the extra carry capacity, I might even lug the bearskin coat along with me. I don't really need it... but it's essentially a free bear pelt. Well the advantage is that you can't get lost at the bottom of the climb and it'll save on wood /matches. I took the coat for the hide too. Tore it up in the cave and just left it there til I'd been to the mine. I go back via miners folly instead of through the other mine exit though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 14, 2022 Author Share Posted May 14, 2022 @Leeanda Hmm, I hadn't considered that route... I'm going to consider it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeanda Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 Just now, ManicManiac said: @Leeanda Hmm, I hadn't considered that route... I'm going to consider it now. Beware the bear though! Makes me jump even on pilgrim.😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManicManiac Posted May 14, 2022 Author Share Posted May 14, 2022 @Leeanda I will... I remember having to steer clear of one the last time I was up at Miner's Folly. My view from the cave last night... now it's just a brutal white wall of thrashing snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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