...Memory Lane...


ManicManiac

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By the time I got everything unloaded and organized, half the day was indeed over.  I decided that I needed to return to Pensive Pond.  I wanted to drop off a recycled can, maybe some sticks in case I ever wanted to ice fishing in the future.  I knew there was a cave nearby that I neglected last time around... and since I was in the neighborhood... I'd push onwards to Winding River.  Granted, I think Winding River counts as part of Mystery Lake... but it wasn't really accessible until the way was cleared for Pleasant Valley.  Now seemed a good time to make a day trip give it a quick once over.

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The trip to Pensive Pond was peaceful enough... I dropped off what I needed to and went a bit further down the hill.


There were at least three wolves skulking around the area, so I needed to stay low and be cautious.
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Forest Cave... for this poor soul, it was the end of the road.

I made my way back towards Cascade Falls.  Keeping a sharp eye out for the bear, I got back to the cave leading to Winding River.
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Stepping out onto Winding River... it was already getting close to sundown, and the weather seemed like it was going to take a turn for the worse.  However, I thought I see how much farther I could search before I needed to seek shelter.

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This was most certainly going to be my stop-over point, but I wasn't ready to hunker down for the night just yet.

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...okay.  Getting darker, and the weather was indeed getting worse.  I guess I'm going back to that cave to for the night.

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Thanks to all the coal I'd picked up in the transition cave, I had more than enough fuel to keep a very warm fire going through the night.  

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Finding all the little nooks and hiding places can make for some nice surprises... but some of them can pose a risk of getting stuck.  Not this one, per se... but still I knew I needed to be careful.  A deer carcass across the river came with an arrow.  I don't have a use for it now, but I took it anyway.

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There were a few interesting finds... a box in a pipe I wasn't going to reach without a hatches, but I didn't feel a need to go back to get one.  Almost got stuck trying to squeeze into of those pipes (which is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about before :D).

With Winding River explored, it was time to get back to Pleasant Valley. 

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Since I still had some daylight, I thought it might be a good chance to take a look at The Long Curve before heading back.
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I even debated whether or not to follow the river to make a push to get to Three Strikes Homestead, but I was already running heavy... so that was going to have to wait.

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I did make one side-stop to check on this cave that I'd neglected on my last pass through the area... Thankfully, there's no bear den... the cave itself, pretty empty.  Moving on...

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When I stopped to watch the moon rise, it started to snow... I was going to have to get moving.  As long as I stick to the road, it should be reasonably easy going.

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Weather didn't get too bad, and with such a heavy pack it was slow going... but I made it.


:coffee::fire::coffee:
I think that as I head towards places like Three Strikes or Skeeter's Ridge, I'm going to need plan from some overnight stops.  Food and water aren't so much an issue... I'm finding my biggest limiter is how much I manage to cram in my backpack.  I may just take some coal along on the next trip out and opt not to pick up firewood along the way.

Though I think tomorrow, I might take a day just to re-stock my water supply... maybe harvest excess clothing for cloth and leather.  There's plenty to do for a day... after that I think I want to tackle searching through the "Upper Shelf."

Edited by ManicManiac
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
Yep, nothing much to account for today...
Stayed indoors, boiling water, brewing tea/coffee, cooked a little bit of Deer and Rabbit meat I'd previously found in other houses (cooked some canned foods as well).

Also spent some time cleaning a rifle and revolver I'd found during my travels in the area.
I don't have any plans to use them... but should the need ever arise, I figured it'd probably be best if they were in serviceable condition. :D 

I didn't really get any mending done... but pretty much everything I'd want to mend is in pretty good shape.  The lower quality things I have, I'm not wildly interested in spending the cloth/leather to fix up... at least not until I really have to.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I got up early and got ready for a route through the "upper shelf" of Pleasant Valley.
However, things didn't quite go to plan. 🤭



Started off an unusually beautiful morning.
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Unfortunately, a light fog started rolling in... right as I was passing by the Shunned House.
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I decided to follow the back road and cut across through the farther clearing towards the bridge leading up to the Three Strikes Homestead.
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At Three Strikes, there seemed to be a good amount of meat laying round... but that I'd just have to fill my stomach and leave the rest behind.  A backpack full of meat was the last thing I needed on this leg of the trek.  The slopes were going to be treacherous enough without drawing in seemingly every predator within a 2-kilometer radius. :D

That turned out to be a justified concern... As I was making my up the slope, I was nearly ambushed by three wolves.  I ended up having to skirt the slope around (very near the crash site and burned ridge cave), much to my dismay two of the three wolves were able to stay hot on my trail and managed to follow me on my detour.  I eventually lost them as I goated around the crag.

As I headed back down opposite side (back on the trail leading to the Hunter's Blind), my trail was picked up again by the third wolf of the group.  At this point I had a sprained wrist and ankle... I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep far enough ahead my pursuer to make it to cover.  Thankfully, on the way to the Hunter's Blind I found a rabbit... I hated to have to do it, but I had to use it to get the wolf off my back.  
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I was already running a bit heavy due to the sheer volume of sticks I'd managed to collect along the way, and seriously slowed by sprained ankle.  I knew it wasn't in good enough shape to make the entire route safely, so I decided I'd have to split it into two trips.

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I ended up waiting out a blizzard in the ruined cabin at the Abandoned Prepper Cache.  I had more than enough coal and sticks on hand to keep the fire warm as long as I'd need.  I kept myself awake with several cups of hot coffee and as soon as the storm broke, I'd make my way over to Misty Falls Picnic Area.
(Though I did nap just long enough to mend the sprains)
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Between this cave and the Abandoned Prepper Cache my pack was getting heavy again.  At this point I decided it was wiser to head back to Thompson's Crossing to unload and prepare for a second trip to finish the intended route.

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At Point of Disagreement, I found a wolf who was busy eating a deer... so I quickly searched the vehicles & bodies and crept away before that wolf could be bothered to notice me. :D 

The stretch back to Thompson's Crossing was another painfully slow hike.  I suppose I could have lightened the pack, but I couldn't bring myself to drop all the coal I'd managed to scrounge up from that cave.  🤭

Eventually I made it through outskirts of the Birch Forest and through the field behind the Church.
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
A nearly 48-hour trip... completely fueled by venison and coffee. :D 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I woke up this morning determined to finish seeking out the last few locations from the "upper shelf" and along the "riverside road."  However, this would prove a riskier venture than I'd first thought...

Early in morning I was greeted by fairly decent fog, not enough to make visibility bad... but kept the air still enough that it wasn't too bone bitingly cold.  I decided to cut a shorter path through the open ground behind Thompson's Crossing.
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Then right across the river into the Birch Forest heading past the Lonely Homestead... and a bear.
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I stopped to use the Draft Dodger's Cabin as an anchor point and made my way up the narrow slope to the Burned Ridge Cave.  By the time I'd finished scouring through the wreckage of the crash site, I was already running extremely heavy.  I opted to spend the night inside the basement at Skeeter's Ridge, but ducking those wolves with about 50kgs in my pack was both very tense and very slow.
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Early the next morning, I had to carefully avoid the wolves again... as well as another two wolves skulking along the way towards Point of Disagreement.  By the time I'd made it across the bridge and close to approaching the Derelict Cabins, the weather had started to take a turn.  Considering how quickly a heavy snowfall had rolled in, I decided I'd hole-up in the nearby cave for the night.
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It turned out my instinct was correct... not three hours later, a blizzard struck.

Thankfully, the clothing I've managed to put together so far allowed me to get a (more or less) full nights' rest.  By the time I'd woken up, I was starting to get cold.  However, I knew that short extremely high winds, I'd be able to tank the morning temperatures without much worry until things got a little warmer around mid-day.  At this point the pack was weighing about 54 kg... so each step was a slow, trudging struggle.

As I approached the Derelict Cabins, it wasn't long before I realized that I was trudging so slow while crouched that I'd have to pop my first flare to get myself out of a sicky situation. 🤭
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I had to ward off the wolf skulking between the cabins... I didn't have any stones handy at the time and I wasn't about to use the rifle I'd found.  I hated having to use the flare just to chase off a wolf... but I hate having to fistfight a wolf even more. :D 

The rest of the slow trek back to the Community Hall, was a rather peaceful walk.
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I stopped by to see the End of the Road before heading along back up the road for Thompson's Crossing.
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
Arriving at my main encampment again after that senselessly long haul was a great relief.
After getting things sorted, I'll have to consider whether I should spend a day to cook whatever canned goods I can before leaving... or just pare down to the "bare essentials" again and head out for Desolation Point.

With this route completed, I've managed to check all the major spots in the region.  It took me a little longer to touch all the points on the map (so to speak), but I suppose it is a fairly expansive stretch of Great Bear Island.

I suppose I'll decided in the morning.

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This morning I made up my mind.  I'm stashing all but the bare essentials, and a little of my worst quality food and maybe a couple of nights worth of water.  Thanks to these horrible ski boots, the pack is still weighing in at around 21 kg. :D

It a mostly peaceful hike.
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I picked up a hearty amount of coal... bit it's likely I will have to hole up some place along the way.  No matter where I ended up having to stay... I'll have a 12-hour coal-fed fire. 🤭

The next leg would take me back through Costal Highway.
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Aside from having to duck into the trailer to throw a wolf off my trail, it was a nice peaceful walk.

Next would be to get through the Crumbling Highway of Old Island Connector.
I've kind of had a running personal challenge to stealth my through each time I venture through the area... so I'm going to continue that little tradition. 🤭
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Thanks to the blizzard, I decided to hole up in this cave... as I said, I have more than enough coal for the night.  I also have a chicken dinner recovered from the crash site back in Pleasant Valley.

The next morning, I set out to see the remaining points of interest before making a push for the mine on the far side of the crumbling highway.
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The last leg was going to be making it to the Lonely Lighthouse and get my main encampment set up.
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After getting the things I found along the way situated in the lighthouse, I took a look around from the lantern room gallery...
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
Prospecting through Hibernia will probably take a day all by itself.  The coal mines will probably take a fair bit of time as well.  All-in-all, though, I don't think it will take too long before I'll get things consolidated and ready to move on again.  I do love this area, especially when I get a chance to see the lighthouse in an aurora from the bridge.  I suppose I'll have to see what the next few days bring.

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The mines I'd already been through (and so already had pics of) I did forego this time, but new ones I find on the run...  I do try and remember to take at least one or two in interesting-ish type spots.  🤭

:coffee::fire::coffee:

Edited by ManicManiac
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[Progress Update]
Probably not too important for those who have been reading along, but I thought I would update the list from the first post.

Region Discovery
Mystery Lake 22 Sep 2014
Coastal Highway 30 Oct 2014
Pleasant Valley 7 Feb 2015
Desolation Point 18 Sep 2015
Timberwolf Mountain 16 Dec 2015
Forlorn Muskeg 19 Dec 2016
Broken Railroad 1 Aug 2017
Mountain Town 1 Aug 2017
Hushed River Valley 14 June 2018
Bleak Inlet 10 Dec 2019
Ash Canyon 7 Dec 2020
Blackrock 6 Oct 2021

...and then of course I'll finally get to the new regions.
By then, I'm sure the console players will at last be brought into parity. 

:coffee::fire::coffee:
I'm looking forward to getting to Timberwolf Mountain next... It's my personal favorite region to live in.

Edited by ManicManiac
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I hope so too... though they are getting down to about 26% condition.  Since I'm not about to "waste" any material to get them up to par again, I'm considering just swapping them out with the next pair of anything that is warmer than they are now. :D     As I think about it now, I should have done that before leaving Pleasant Valley... oh well. 🤭

:coffee::fire::coffee:
(blasted ski boots... they seemed like a good idea at the time)

Edited by ManicManiac
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This morning I made a trip over to Hibernia.  The way was clear, and the weather was holding up nicely.  A blizzard had come and gone through the night but gave way to fairly good day to be out and about. 🤭

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While I didn't get eyes on them, there was at least one wolf whose howls indicated it was prowling dangerously close... but managed to remain undetected and kept low until I was back behind the fence. :D 

I managed to sweep and clear the warehouse before dark... so I decided to head back to the Lonely Lighthouse to unload the haul.
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
Today was a rather productive day.  I did also visit a few minor locations near and around Hibernia, so as I describe some of what I found... I won't spoil exactly where I found them.  🤭

Fortune was certainly smiling on me today.  Among what I'd managed to find on just this one foraging trip was:
Revolver (as well as a fair amount of ammunition)
Flare Gun (and a total of 4 flare cartridges)
Heavy Hammer
Hacksaw
Hatchet
Hunting Knife
Emergency Stim
Go! Energy
More coffee (both a tin and two brewed cups)
a second set of Ear Wraps

It was quite a windfall.  I did end up swapping out the ragged ski boots for a decent pair of work boots.
I wasn't going to waste material to repair them, and they were down to about 24%... so the 46% work boots where only just barely better, but they were indeed better at that point.  I guess I'm going back to swapping out footwear as I roam (at least until I can find either Mukluks or Insulated Boots).

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I haven't found one yet... but I have access to recycled cans, so I'm not too worried about it.

:coffee::fire::coffee:
I was glad to find the revolver... I know I have a cave dweller to deal with if I'm going to fully explore that cave.
I'm tempted to keep my shot counters at zero, so I may try to deal with that cave with just a flare or two... I haven't decided on that yet, I'll have to think about it some more. 🤭

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:coffee::fire::coffee:
I was taking a look at my statistics in the "Journal" the other day.
Still really happy about where some of my counters are... 🤭

Plants Harvested: 0
Wolf/Bear/Moose struggles: 0
Bow/Revolver/Rifle/Flare Gun shots: 0
Rabbits: 1
Rabbits Snared: 1

What was even more gratifying is that at 207 days... wolf "close encounters" are only at 25.
So I've managed to evade and avoid well enough for it to average out to only being stalked by wolves about roughly once a week. :D 

Not too bad, I suppose... 

Bearing that in mind, I think when it comes time to deal with that cave dweller... I think I will try to just use flares to fend it off, but I'll have the revolver with me in case they want to get squirrely anyway. :D 

Edited by ManicManiac
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Nothing wrong with that ,evade is always preferable .   Now and again things are unavoidable and having the resources are a godsend, especially in the late game.  

I wouldn't have  wasted 20+ rifle bullets and 3 flares on the pv farm bear the other day if I didn't know my save was going to get wiped next week!😁

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This morning I decided I would visit "Little Island" and scout ahead towards Broken Bridge.  Along the way, I'd intended on visiting at least a few other locations as well.  However, when stepped outside... I found the weather to be threatening a blizzard.  I wasn't sure if I should just stay in and use my current coal reserves to cook what I have on hand and bolster my water supply.

Starting out, the snowfall was rather heavy, and a gusty wind gave me a bit of a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that the weather was going to take an ugly shift today.  There were enough placed that I could seek shelter at on the day's route that I decided to risk it and press on ahead.
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The weather seemed like it was clearing up (at least a bit).  I found a nice vantage to goat up to and look around before moving to quickly explore the Riken and check the further reaches of the ice to see if anything's washed ashore.  I did find a little more ammunition and coal in the Riken... later on I may come back and things setup at the forge (by that I mean depositing coal, scrap metal, and the Heavy Hammer I found at Hibernia, there by the forge for future use).

Much to my delight... I found also found a spot out on the ice where beachcombing is still dangerous. 20230321205316_1.thumb.jpg.d1f6d590027204a878556c3103553679.jpg
Further on along the edge of the ice I'd also found a Rainbow Trout... but left it where I found it (I decided I would collect it on the way back that evening).

Past Hibernia, I spotted three wolves on the bank just before the stretch leading to the Broken Bridge.  I'd also go visit the Water Fall.  I also decided to poke me head inside the nearby cave, just for a cursory look around.  I'd have to go back to the Lonely Lighthouse and grab at two flares and refill my lantern if I'm going to fully explore that cave.  I did still have the fully loaded revolver on me, but again... I'd rather taking a shot be the last resort.  If I can get in and out of there without having to harm the wolf... that's the next little personal challenge I want achieve.  I don't like taking down an animal unless I really need to eat (or in my own defense if they give me no choice).
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Fully exploring this cave was going to have to wait for another day.  I just don't have enough flares on hand with me today to risk it.  Besides, I still had a bad feeling about the weather, and the last think I wanted was to get snowed in that cave.  That would pretty much necessitate shooting the wolf inside, and as I mentioned before I'd much rather leave it alive.

Late that afternoon, I started for my main encampment at the Lonely Lighthouse.  Trying drag that trout up to the lighthouse was going to be a risky proposition, but I was hoping that my little goating path up was going to be far enough away for me sneak up before too many of the nearby wolves track the sent to me.
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As it turned out... one of them got very interested, but I managed to find a path to goat up that the wolve couldn't follow. :D 

Victory... we're having fish this evening. 🤭
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Turns out it was a rather small meal but considering how long I had to spend waiting for water (.5 liters at a time), I would only end up resting for maybe 7-8 hours.  I'll have to have some coffee in the morning to perk up a bit more if I end up taking on that cave tomorrow.

As the for the rest of that evening...
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Yep, the weather ended up dropping a blizzard on me after all.  :D

I spend about half the night cooking what I had on hand and prepping water.
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:coffee::fire::coffee:
Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to that cave in the morning.  I've got the two flares and refueled lantern ready... and six shots in the revolver if push comes to shove.

 

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