Drifter Man

Days 78-86 There aren't many exciting things happening, so I decided to reduce my frequency of reporting and present mainly the high-level situation. After getting Level 5 cooking at the Fishing Camp, I finally moved on to the Coastal Wolfsite and cleared out its usual inhabitants. I searched the houses and settled in the cabin above the Wolfsite - my favorite base in CH and one of the few places where you don't have wolves spawning right at your doorstep. In the next few days I searched the roads and slopes between Log Sort, the Wolfsite and the Abandoned Lookout. For the most part the weather was helpful and the only threat was from the bear. After this I moved on towards Commuter's Lament. I searched all major locations in CH, except the elevator mine shaft, but did not find the Holy Grail. My last hope was the car near the Lament. Unfortunately, it only had a rifle on the back seat, useless to me at this stage. Upon arriving in Crumbling Highway, I shot two wolves patrolling on the ice and made camp in the cave near the Arch. On the next day I searched this small region end to end. For the several hours I was walking around, I could not hear a single howl, and I dropped my guard. The punishment came soon: This was my second wolf brawl in this run, and the first that was somewhat serious. I took a moderate hit to my condition, which would take two nights of sleep to heal - I reduced wolf condition damage in the custom settings, so the wolves should be a bit more damaging than on stalker but not the usual interloper terminators. My clothes did not suffer any damage. Later I found the wolf carcass and, having taken some more meat for myself, I passed through the mine to Desolation Point. Next day I visited Katie's corner and eventually parked in the No. 5 mine as my next temporary base, to wait out an afternoon blizzard and to heal at night.

Day 74 Clearly, the priority is food. I decide to leave early and search the ice, not stopping until I hit a deer, except when I really need to warm up. I find a deer near Jackrabbit island, hit it with an arrow, and follow it to Misanthrope's island, where I process the carcass in the afternoon despite strong winds. The proceedings of the day are captured in this video: Day 75 I wake up at Misanthrope's and when the breakfast is finished, half of the deer is gone. I'm going to need more. It's a beautiful morning, if a little windy, so let's use well it this time. I walk towards the road between Log Sort and the Coastal Wolfsite, where I find another deer "grazing" on the ice. I manage to send it into a wolf: The wolf brings the deer down it close to the Wolfsite, a bit too close for comfort. I shoot it with the arrow, take note of the direction where the wolf ran off, and do a round to bring fire and sticks. Thick fog falls on CH in the meantime, so I have to approach the carcass very carefully - I can hear a bear near the Wolfsite. When I reach the carcass, there are bear footprints nearby. I wait until I can't hear the bear anymore, then start taking the meat. Always by 1 kg, then listen for a while for the bear. I won't harvest the hide or guts in here, this place is too dangerous for that. In late afternoon the fog starts lifting and I eventually cook all of the deer. In the meantime I check the Wolfsite for wolf traffic. I leave the cooked meat in place - I am tired and don't want to carry it over the ice with these wolves following me. I'll get back for it later. Instead I head back to search for the wolf I killed at the deer. I find the carcass easily between the islands and recover my arrow. Day 76. Cooking Level 5. After spending the night at Jackrabbit, I move back to the Fishing Camp with the goal of searching the rest of this part of CH, towards Rockfall. Again, I'll need some food in this place. This time there are three deer near the Fishing Camp. I hit one, which takes a long time to bleed out, but eventually I get the carcass in a good place near the Fishing Camp. I work on it until the night and harvest it completely. In the process I get Cooking Level 5. This is perhaps the greatest skill-related transformation for my survivor - I can eat wolves and bears now, which greatly increases the available food supply. Food will get easier from now on. The second big goal - archery 5, which would let me fire the bow when crouched - is still far off. Day 77 I explore most of the area around Rockfall in the morning. There's a car parked on a bridge leading towards Rockfall with a note on the back seat. I get in the front seat and almost fail to notice that I'm sitting on a book. I get into the car from the other side to grab it. A blizzard soon forces me back to the Fishing Camp. I wanted to go up the Bear Creek to replenish my emergency food supply, which is down to 9 cattails and a box of crackers. Instead I spend the rest of the day reading.

The Townsite is high on the list because I think I can find the Holy Grail there: the second pair of wool underwear I had been putting it off, waiting for Cooking Level 5. I'll probably have to kill a few wolves to get in and I don't want them to go to waste. Stims aren't too important for me. It's not a deadman run. I have one on me at all times, for emergencies, plus a couple more stored around the island. But I plan to visit every location of interest in CH and DP in the coming days.

I agree, it is important to teach them to use WASD, perhaps even before they learn to walk in real life

Days 71-73 OK, I made some mistakes and the situation isn't too rosy right now. I failed to follow the basic TLD rule to make use of good weather when it happens. On Day 71, I spent the morning still in the cabin at Rabbit Grove because of the strong winds outside. I made a bunch of repairs and ended up having clothing with a comfortable +28°C temp bonus. Around noon I left for the cabin on the way to the Fishing Camp. I avoided the campground - which was a good idea, because the bear was patrolling there again and I had some meat on me. From the cabin I headed up to the road between Unloading and Log Sort, now in perfect weather. I heard an unfamiliar sound and it took me a few seconds to realize that it is the sea. I haven't been near the sea in this run yet. I visited the trailer and the isolated cabin near the road from Unloading to Log Sort. These structures made me remember my first pilgrim run, in which I got the old "exploration game" achievement. Back then, it took me a long time to find this road. I believe the trailer was the last interior location that triggered the achievement for me. At the cabin, I knocked out two rabbits and cooked them at a campfire. The weather was still excellent and there still was some time left until darkness, but I decided to stay around the cabin. I still had this piece of rabbit meat I couldn't eat and I didn't want to carry it around. In addition, at that time I though about returning to the Fishing Camp next morning. The next morning came and the weather was again perfect - Day 72. I ate the rabbit and should have gone to the sea to get more food. Instead I wasted half of the day searching the Cinder Hills mine, finding a ton of coal but not much else. When I exited the mine, the sky was already overcast and it was snowing heavily. I headed back down to Log Sort. As soon as I started a fire next to a deer carcass, a blizzard immediately blew it out and forced me to take shelter. The blizzard raged into the night. I started running low on food: I ate the MRE I found in the Ravine Basin and made a dent in my last-ditch reserve of cattail stalks. The morning of Day 73 was again very cold and windy - I only managed to reach the mine shaft with the elevator. After I returned to Log Sort and warmed up inside, another blizzard arrived, ruining yet another afternoon. I chose to sleep and left Log Sort at dusk, as soon as the blizzard ended. The weather was still pretty bad. I could not see any deer outside - only wolves - and eventually parked for the night in the ice fishing hut at the Fishing Camp. Fishing seemed to be the only source of food at hand. I lit a fire in the stove - I had plenty of coal on me, so fuel was not an issue - and kept fishing until almost dawn. The result was disheartening: I only caught two trout, barely enough to put something in my stomach. Before daybreak I finally moved through the Fishing Camp - not much food in there, old jerky and a ruined can of milk that I could throw away - and then returned to the cabin above the camp for a few hours of sleep. Now I am out of food and I am thinking that I should ration my cattails at the cost of giving up the well fed buff. Which doesn't sound like a huge problem, but with my reduced recovery rate, the starvation exploit is harder to pull off than on interloper.

Insanity is taking over this survivor. Another soul is lost. Water... must make more water... boil more water...

Good find!

Day 70 I sleep until almost noon to get fully rested after having rope-climbed myself to exhaustion in the Ravine. When I wake up, I am stunned by the silence. It is foggy and nothing moves outside. Felt -9°C, ideal weather. Soon I am on the move. I cross the Raven Falls Trestle, the first time in this run but hopefully not the last. Once in CH, I drop meat above Bear Creek and continue to Train Unloading. I warm up in the trailer and find some food in there. When I leave the trailer, it is still foggy, felt -1°C: almost sauna. Then I descend along the creek until I reach Rabbit Grove. The weather clears up. I drop the meat at the cabin and continue to the Bear Creek Campground. The only thing of interest that I find there is the deer carcass. I decide to use the sunlight that has just appeared to start a fire and process the carcass while constantly being on guard against the campground owner. Indeed, he does not like off-season guests and shows up just as I am finished with the deer, forcing me into a hasty retreat. I return to the cabin and come back a while later. I watch the bear leave, then I pick up the rest of the deer I earlier had to leave behind. It is almost night now, time to look for shelter. I stay at Rabbit Grove overnight.

I could see the sparkle in his eyes when I poured in the accelerant

Day 66 Finally it is time to move again. During a morning fog I move to the cabin at the Unnamed Pond - I sprain an ankle on the way and decide to fix it with a precious bandage: I don't want to be limping around for the rest of the day. Once I warm up with the cabin - which is pretty much empty and doesn't even have any containers except the corpse - I go to the Clearcut. I find it patrolled by three wolves. I sneak around them and walk up to the Destroyed Lookout. There I find a rifle, some ammunition, a rope and a book on archery. I deploy the rope and draw a charcoal map, but with nothing else to do up there I am soon on the way back down. I spend the rest of the day in the hills above the Clearcut and return to the cabin with 5 birch and 3 maple saplings. Day 67 The morning is foggy again. It is still very cold, but I pay a quick visit to the pond. Nothing but cattails and a deer carcass there, but the hunting blind has some good stuff: a bow, an arrow, a hatchet and a book on gunsmithing. Perhaps the unknown archer wanted to upgrade to firearms. My next stop would be the Logging Camp, but I still have two pieces of venison that I can't carry in this wolf country. I am considering giving them up to get moving, just as a blizzard rolls in, solving my dilemma. I stay in the cabin for the rest of the day, reading my new books. My water supply is running low: I have to burn fire at night. Day 68 I move past the Clearcut, sneaking around the wolves. I stand up too early and one starts following me. I lead it away from his friends and start a campfire - I needed to warm up anyway. I drive the wolf away by throwing torches: the wolf runs right towards me and basically though me and the fire. I know I need to watch out because it could be returning to the Clearcut this way again. Indeed, when I am done warming up, the wolf is still close - it wasn't in my field of view, so it wasn't moving. Anyway, onwards to the Logging Camp. There I find just a lantern and some stale food. Another ankle sprain in the hills across the road from the trailers, left untreated this time. Fire and meat from the ravaged deer carcass at the locomotive engine, with a can of pork & beans added for good measure - I am hungry. I try to drive a bunch of deer into the wolf at the dam but they don't cooperate, running in all other directions instead. I lose maybe two hours of good weather trying to make them do what I want before finally giving up and killing the wolf with a rifle shot. The way to the Dam is open. I had already searched the Dam earlier, but I do it once more because I did not have a prybar on me back then. No luck though - all the lockers are empty anyway. Before nightfall I move to the Ravine and say hello to my deer friends. I kill one and get 4 kilos out before it is too cold to keep working and return to the cave to sleep. Day 69 Blizzard in the morning. When the weather clears up, I process the rest of the deer carcass and cook the meat. I enjoy the feeling of temporary abundance. I search the Ravine all the way to the second cave. There is a copy of Wilderness Kitchen in the train cars, which will get me almost to Level 5. A rope, too: my ticket to the Basin. I descend into the Basin in late evening. I find MRE on a corpse, a copy of the Frontier Shooting Guide and a flare gun with just two shells - fortunately I've already found enough shells elsewhere. I make the climb back up at night, fueled with an energy drink, and collapse into my bedroll for a long sleep.

Days 63-65 Housekeeping days. I'm staying at Trapper's homestead, building up a supply of pelts and guts to cure while I'll be away and be ready for use when I return. The bear is not around, although there are bones in the cave. I visit Camp Office to check on my stash of spare clothing and bedrolls. Bears eat bedrolls, so I decide to keep and maintain two more bedrolls in storage in addition to the one I have on me. Currently I have most of the high quality clothing on me - 2x expedition parka, 2x snow pants, mukluks etc. - but later I will store it here at Camp Office and switch to furs for everyday work, saving cloth. The high quality clothes will then be reserved for work in cold regions. I repair a few pieces that were in bad condition and record the condition when I am leaving as of Day 64. When I come back, I will record the condition loss over time, which will tell me next time how long I can afford to be away before my spare clothes need repair again.

There goes another knight The stim and container are not in an MGOAL, you just need to wander around the mine a little more.

Day 60 This day was perhaps remarkable by the distance I covered - first, from the Spences' to the derailed train near the BR exit - where I warmed up at a fire and also picked up the last piece of meat that I dropped here on Day 50. Then, following the tracks via Poacher's Camp to the Rail Tunnel. After that, onwards to Trapper's Homestead, where I quickly checked for deer. Finding none, I carried on to MT. I used rabbits to distract the wolf down in the climbing area and made the last rope to Milton Park in the twilight, with the help of an energy drink. The weather was favorable all day. I could have taken the other direction - through the Milton Basin seen in the picture - but due to the topological anomalies endemic to Great Bear, I would have to take 2-3 ropes up to get to the same place, whereas taking the trip via Trapper's keeps me mostly level. Day 61 Orca was my last major point of interest in MT, but first I needed to find food. I managed to hit a deer at Milton Park in the morning but had to stop to warm up at a fire, which caused me to lose track of the prey. Then I searched the Wood Lot between the Crashed Prison Bus and the Arch, but only found a "grey" ravaged deer carcass, not my kill. I dropped into Orca and found valuable food, mostly in good condition - salty crackers, soda, canned fish and an energy drink, which should soon help me in the Ravine. From there I returned to my fire still burning at Milton Park and killed two rabbits for food. Finally, in late afternoon, I found my kill - cleverly hidden at a point in the terrain where it was difficult to see. With no wolves around Orca, I took all the meat from the deer and cooked most of it before returning to the Park Office. Day 62 I started the day by boiling water (actually just melting it, as I had a load of purification tablets that I needed to put to some use) and cooking the rest of the deer. I've ticked off MT as a 'tentatively searched' region, although I will return to all the places I've visited for a more thorough search; right now I am still in the first phase of the game where I want to visit key locations and secure supplies that could be lost to decay over time [second pair of wool underwear, where are you]. Parts of ML and everything between Ravine and Desolation Point remain on the list. Blackrock and Bleak Inlet (yes, I will go there again, eventually) are off limits until I can at least eat wolves and until I get good with both the bow and the firearms. I take the two ropes back to ML, loaded with 6 kilos of venison. The climbing area wolf is on leave today. The rest of the day is lost to a blizzard, so I finish reading the Sewing Primer from the Spences', sitting warm in Trapper's Cabin.

Day 58 I step out of the cave in the early morning. The sun is up but the temperature is felt -21°C. And strong winds on top of that. With nothing better to do, I start a fire and make water, waiting for better weather, which is not coming. Later in the morning the winds get even stronger. I nap for an hour in the cave. I'm getting hungry, so I warm up two cans from the ML bunker for lunch. Peaches and tomato soup, don't combine that in real life. In the afternoon it looks like a blizzard could come any minute, but I don't want to lose a full day, and now it is warm enough for me to go somewhere and do something, as long as I keep myself out of the wind. I head out to Muskeg Overlook, as I planned. The deer is not there, but a deer carcass and three rabbits give me enough meat to fill me up. I also find 39% peanut butter - a good find on Day 58. The winds stop at dusk and the sky clears up, even the deer spawns at the overlook after all, but at this point I'm not in the mood for hunting or dealing with a pile of meat. I let the fire die, take a charcoal and go to the tower for some charting. I can't complain about my eyesight IRL but still I wish I had my survivor's - he puts every cattail on the map, all the way to the Bunkhouses. I return to the cave in early night without incident. I don't think I've even seen a wolf all day. Day 59 This time I wait a little longer before leaving the cave. I pass time reading another copy of the revolver book. Then I move to the next cave in the direction of the Bunkhouses. It is guarded by a wolf, as (almost) always. I think I can move past it but I do get sighted. I just carry on, enter the cave and start a campfire in the outdoor part with a mag lens and accelerant, to be ready for the confrontation, but the wolf loses interest, turns around and leaves. The cave has nothing to offer, but it's still good to be there, as the winds get stronger. It takes them about two or three hours before dying down again, and I get a perfect, warm, sunny afternoon in the Muskeg. As I walk onwards, I collect some cattails to boost my food reserve. The next stop is High Blind. Wood matches and 0% fish in a can. Leaving the wolfed Bunkhouses on my left, I go to the Peanut Butter Rock. Guess what I find: There's a reason why the rock is called the way it is called. As I approach Spence Family Homestead, I continue more carefully, but I can't see or hear any signs of wolf activity from there. Before going to the building, I search the area and collect lots of sticks. I plan to stay overnight: I want to have the seeds of the universe. It would appear that the universe can be seeded with 2% dog food. We'll see soon enough. With the fire burning in the furnace, I break the remaining crates (3x accelerant) and also get into the safe (emergency stim). I find a pair of gauntlets next to the forge. Great, that's my third, but I am actually looking for a second pair of red underwear. I hope I can still find it somewhere. Another notable find is a copy of the Sewing Primer. Always good to find another one. I go to bed with the forge filled to the brim with reclaimed wood. I eat the seeds of the universe for supper. Once again I'm spared, thanks to my iron stomach.

Right, ten liters on the six burner at the Farmstead is not excessive. THE BROTHER would have boiled a hundred.

Oh no, THE BROTHER strikes again...

Days 52-57 I spent a few days around the Camp Office. I mainly needed to make a few arrows because the supply of arrows I found in the world was running low - in fact, I was down to the last one. There were no deer at the Camp Office, so I killed two at the Western Access, which was enough for the time. I established that the lake bear is present, which is good news - it will make the food situation easier when living on the lake. I searched the surrounding areas. I stumbled upon a bunker right after the rope climb at Western Access. It mainly had medical supplies, so I now have more antibiotics and painkillers than I can ever use. But the bandages are good: no one ever died because of having too many bandages, but many have died for having too few. This was accompanied with assorted food, tools, plus 3 flare shells I actually spent most nights out of Camp Office, in the Lake Cabins and in caves. The one above River offers very nice views. The dawn of Day 56 decided to paint the horizon bright yellow. In the afternoon of Day 57, in bad weather, I made a move back to Forlorn Muskeg. There still are many points of interest remaining in the region: Muskeg Overlook, High Blind, Spence's. I headed towards my chosen base - the loading screen cave connecting to Bleak Inlet. I got caught by a blizzard but fortunately, I was already close enough to the cave to be able to find it in the whiteout. The next job will be to find some food. Muskeg Overlook should have rabbits and maybe a deer.

Day 49 Whatever the weather, I'm leaving Broken Railroad today. I've had enough. I sleep long into the morning to be rested, sort my gear and move up to the Broken Bridge, in perfect weather. I check the bridge and return to the Locomotive engine. I find a new prybar and my first revolver book inside. I start a fire in the vehicle, to warm up. The weather takes a U-turn by the time I am done: heavy wind and snow. I barely make a few steps in the direction of FM when a blizzard begins. I return to my fire and wait. I catch some sleep, too. It is almost night when the blizzard stops, but I will go at night if need be. I have to shoot the wolf at the side road towards Maintenance Yard, but continue without incident from there all the way to the tunnel. There I reunite with my meat stash. I am not as hungry as I would like to be, but eat as much as I can and move the rest to the other side of the tunnel. Time for another fire - it is a warm night, but it has been a long trip and I am freezing. This earns me Firestarting Level 4. I'm thinking where I should sleep tonight - Poacher's is an option, but I choose Marsh Ridge. I don't want to get wolfed in the darkness. Besides, I need to restock on coal. I know I left a big pile of coal up there. The weather is favorable and the visibility is good for the final leg of today's journey. Finally I'm out of Broken Railroad. Day 50 I leave in light fog, felt temperature -9°C, in late morning. Soon the sky clears up. I use one my favorite vantage points - a fallen tree over the derailed train - to scan for wolves, but there aren't any nearby. I go back to my meat stash near the tunnel - I skipped breakfast, but one piece of meat remains. With no wolves in sight, let's see if I can carry it. After a warming break near the train, I follow the tracks towards Poacher's camp. Winds are very strong now, fortunately they blow in my back. A wolf in the distance seems to be going fast towards me. I drop the meat and confirm that indeed it can smell me! OK. Just 1 kg of cooked venison can attract wolves from very far away. I leave the meat on the tracks and forget about taking it with me. Wind might be a factor - I've never confirmed if it is - but the wind is blowing down the tracks, whereas the wolf is at about 10 o'clock from the tracks. A while later I reach Poacher's Camp and start another fire. The poacher must have been quite a reader - I find another revolver book and Wilderness Kitchen. I collect sticks around the train. At one point I leave the train car and inadvertently trigger the bear, which is on the other side of the tracks - I did not hear it over the sound of the wind. Terrified, I run back into the train car and rummage through my backpack looking for the flare gun, until I remember I promised to myself that I'd learn to use the radial menu. Meanwhile I can hear the bear fuming, but it seems to be somehow stuck. I don't know if it can attack me inside, maybe the train car is holy ground, but I wouldn't bet on it. The last think I want is for the bear to clip through the walls. I can hear it charging, then running away. That was scary. I end the day by moving to the cave near Poacher's Camp, processing a deer carcass on the way - I am running low on non-cattail food. Day 50 is over, full interloper weather is here, from now on and forever. Day 51 A beautiful sunrise over the Muskeg, felt -20°C. I make a quick foraging trip around the cave but have to wait until much later before moving. I spend the time with my book collection, which is, frankly, growing faster than I can read. In the foggy afternoon I search the area and then move towards Mystery Lake. I find the FM moose in the area near the Rail Tunnel. Taking care not to get close, I keep going and soon I am on the familiar, comforting, treacherous final stretch towards Camp Office - the closest thing to what I can call home in this world. There are no wolves today. Comparing with the screenshot from FM in the morning, it strikes me that the sun sets in ML in about the same position it rises in FM. It's not a big deal, I never navigate by the sun, but I wish there was some consistency of directions. Inside Camp Office I check if the past me left any water for the current me. He didn't. I light the stove and put 4 liters of snow in two pots. Let's make an experiment. If I leave the cabin into the cold outside, will the stove get any duration bonus? I stay outside for an hour, collecting sticks and listening to the aurora starting to sing. I compare the time left in the fire and the time measured by the boiling pots water. One hour is one hour. The fire did not get any duration bonus. I munch on cattails for supper. Getting some food will be the first priority tomorrow. I will stay here for a few days. Got a few things to do before getting on with my drifting through Great Bear.

Day 48 This day turned out more adventurous than it was meant to be and ended with a stroll in a blizzard at night. It started with a blizzard, too. After a short break - I barely stuck my nose out of the shed - it continued with a second blizzard. Finally, at dusk, I was free to go outside. I started by recovering the meat from yesterday - the wolf that pursued me here did not spawn today. Then, with the night approaching, I decided to climb into the ravine under the Broken Bridge. If I can't do it during the day, I can do it at night. One problem was that I started climbing with 3/4 fatigue bar already (I slept during the day, but I should have slept more) and was at 1/2 fatigue when I hit the ground at the bottom. But that did not seem to be anything that coffee couldn't fix. Down there I find the usual stuff - a rifle, a flare, firewood, a book, a tin of 15% coffee (which I would use for the ascent). I harvested a deer carcass for 1.8 kg meat, all already at night, and returned to the rope climb. I checked out a cairn nearby. You can follow the rest of the story is in the video clip. But if you don't want to watch - it's kind of long and there is nothing to see much of the time - here is the summary. I could have made it to the top of the climb without a break, if barely, but I decided to make a stop at the ledge, warm up and drink more coffee. Play it safe. But I soon found another problem: I was neither hungry nor thirsty, and my survivor refused to drink coffee in the required quantities. In retrospect, I should have dropped the second rifle, but fatigue wasn't really the main thing, because a third problem soon appeared: a blizzard started. The third one in 24 hours. About an hour later the wind turned against the ledge and it was clear I would not survive there, so I finished the climb. I dropped the meat (I couldn't be sure that the wolves have despawned - I was outdoors when the blizzard started) and continued in the general direction of the shed. I stayed close to the rocks, which got me too close to the ravine - eventually I saw the wooden fence. Panic started to seep in, so I turned around and built another fire to pause and think about my options. And during that thinking I recognized the same sound that helped me a couple days ago in a similar situation: the sound of the metal fence of the Maintenance Yard shaking in the wind. When the wind turned and killed the fire again, I got up and followed the sound until I got to the base.

None taken Besides, I'm no true interlopist anymore.

Day 47 Full loper conditions are just 3 days away and even my Summit attire can't protect me in the morning: felt -18°C. I pass time in the cave, reading books and harvesting torches. I go to the Hunting Lodge in late morning - Castle Wolfenstein, as I call it. Today, too, wolves are patrolling near the lodge. It will be difficult to get in. I enter through the back door - already freezing and in need of warming up - and spend an hour or two searching the building. Not much inside. Revolver and a piece of firewood in the basement. Wool mittens on the top floor. Good amount of ammunition - 7 for rifle and lots for the revolver. The most valuable item is a book. The Sewing Primer is a rare issue, very helpful to get one of the most difficult skills up. Other books I am looking for are revolvers and gunsmithing. I haven't found a single copy of any of these two, although I have already explored 50% of the world. I also want to check the cars outside, but the wolves are close. In earlier versions, you could crouch before getting in the car, and you would still be crouched after getting out. This does not work anymore, making searching cars riskier with hostile wildlife nearby. They can spot you as soon as you exit. Anyway, I do search the cars but find nothing inside, and I end up having to shoot another wolf. I deploy the rope and climb down from Castle Wolfenstein. It is foggy and I can't see a thing, I just hear the wolves howling and running away from the bear. Not a good idea to stumble around in this situation. I find a group of trees and think of starting a fire, because I am freezing again. Then I notice a familiar rock shape and realize I am close to a cave I visited a few days ago. It had no bones inside, so it is safe, right? I'm almost there when I see something in the snow: ... okay. Not here. I move to a safe distance away from the cave and start a fire among the trees. The fog is lifting, but why is the bear coming right at me? I don't have anything smelly on me, right? The bear later changes direction and goes to his cave. I finish warming up, boil some water, make birch bark tea, and back off. I make a wide detour around the lake, the weather now turns clear skies, no wind, all warm, amazing. I want to go to the hunting blind but the bear is in the way again. So I move to the bridge near the gate fence, where I had to shoot a wolf yesterday to come through. The wolves are on the other side of the lake today. I find an interesting cairn: "Damn pretty, ain't it?", it says, and I speculate that Miles was hoping for a more prominent place for himself. The cairn is tucked into a corner under a bridge. Not much to see from here. Later I also visit the hunting blind, but it is empty. Time to return to the Maintenance Shed. But first I need to go to my meat stash - the deer on the slope, I killed it two days ago. I've been keeping myself hungry - that's not that hard really - to have space for the meat. I eat two steaks and am full. Then I get the brilliant idea to carry the remaining three pieces to the Maintenance Shed. Here in BR, where there's a constant ongoing howling contest on all sides. I get barked at about halfway to the shed. I drop the meat - part decoy, part to reduce my load, part to avoid other wolves who might want to join the party. My wolf ignores the bait and keeps going after me, but I keep on walking and reach the safety of the shed without trouble.

Day 45 Bad day in Broken Railroad. It starts with a blizzard, which I pass inside the shed with sorting gear and reading books, and later searching the rest of the building. Out of boredom, I break the crates on the platform inside the yard, which usually contain stuff. I get a pair of gauntlets and an emergency stim. Generally useful items, but not to me right now. When the blizzard stops, I sneak out and check for wolves, and when I find there are none, I walk towards the climb into the ravine. No rope is deployed, so next time I need to bring one - I found a rope in the shed. I continue along the barrier of rocks and find a cave. I approach it carefully, but there are no bones inside. The bear is on the lake. A deer is in the way, and the fact is that I could use some food. I hit it with an arrow, but it runs away. There is no way I am pursuing it in this wolf country - I just take note of the direction and carry on. I find a second cave - still no bones. Where does the bear sleep? This one has a dead guy with a knife. When I leave the cave, I run into a wolf I didn't see, and am forced to move back where I came from. The wolf follows me from a distance and eventually I find a rabbit that I feed to him. I leave the wolf with the rabbit and take the path between the lake and the shed. I find my deer near the crossing towards the Hunting Lodge. It didn't even have the decency of dying in a place where I could build a fire... ... so I start the fire further away and work on the carcass in the cold. I cook four steaks and make some water in a weather that is getting worse hour by hour. I can smell a blizzard coming. A while later it breaks out. It is dusk now and I don't know the place, plus all the wolves are spawned and about, so it is risky to walk around in a blizzard, but I choose the right direction and soon I can hear the wind shaking the fence around the Maintenance Yard. I'm saved for today. Day 46 After another blizzard in the morning (two blizzards per day seem to be the norm here), I head out back to the deer kill and finish the cooking. I leave all meat that I cannot eat in place: I'll eat it when I pass by, not carry it around and attract problems. Then it is time to cross the bridge to the gate, but three wolves are patrolling nearby and one of them is literally on the bridge. No way I can pass without alerting it. As I wait and dance around, eventually this wolf gets too close, and I have to shoot it with the rifle. The path is now open. I should be careful, I took 12 rounds at the Grey Mother's house and this is the fourth one I have spent, but there will probably be some ammo at the Hunting Lodge. My next base is in the cave between Hunting Lodge and the Rickety Foot Bridge. I take the long walk to the rope attachment point - I'm not sure where it leads exactly. It is probably a useful shortcut, but I've never spent much time in this region to learn the tricks. Along the way I get four birch saplings and process two deer carcasses. I return to the cave for the night. The weather has been surprisingly good throughout the day.

THE BROTHER makes great pictures, including this one - looking very authentic. Is that a bear in the middle of the pic?

Day 43 I swear the WILL to go to Broken Railroad was there, but the GREED took over. As I walked towards the tunnel, I drove a deer in front of me, and married it to a wolf. Sure I can't leave the meat to the wolf now! I shot the wolf - who took my arrow and ran off in the direction of Hat Creek - and started working on the deer. While the meat was cooking, I keep thinking what a bad idea it was. I'm going to lose one of the last somewhat warm days here, and what I am going to do with all this meat in this wolf-infested place? The weather gets much worse and it is already afternoon when I'm done. I search for the wolf but I can't find it anywhere... goodbye arrow. With one eye on the local bear, I visit Low Blind and find a book on firestarting and a polaroid. But I also find something else: Yes, the Mukluks. They need repairing to become serviceable, but my favorite boots are mine now. They are lighter than deerskins and just as warm. They are not meant for everyday use at the base, but they are great when traveling and climbing. I'm thinking about returning to Marsh Ridge but then decide to stay in the shelter. It is still in good condition, and warm enough. I sleep carefully in one-hour intervals and make it through the night without losing warmth. Day 44 And by passing time to prolong the temperature drop when a blizzard starts, I survive the morning as well. I spend some time reading books and repairing the Mukluks and my bedroll. When the winds end and fog once again descends on the muskeg, I set out, for real this time, for Broken Railroad. So, what to do with the meat? 5 kilos. I'm not hauling this through those narrow passages that can have wolves at every corner. Instead I drop the meat near the tunnel. After I am finished with BR, I'll try to manage my return trip so that I pass by this place hungry. Listening to the howling, I find out where the wolves are and where to watch out. The first wolf I actually see is at the junction that leads to the Maintenance Yard. I manage to sneak by without having to waste a precious bullet on something I can't yet eat. But another wolf is in the yard and this time I don't have much choice - I want to search the yard, so I shoot the wolf. There isn't much of interest in the yard - a few empty cars - and partial search of the Maintenance Shed gets me mainly some old food. It gets too dark to search the rest of the shed, so that stays on the to do list for tomorrow. Before bed I induce food poisoning with 3% milk. The 750 calories are absolutely worth it. Antibiotics and bed.

Day 41 First thing in the morning: I return to the site of the last night's kill. I recover my missed arrow and start a fire to keep warm - and to cook the meat. But the wolf still patrols too close: I will not be able to work on the carcass like this. For a real interloper this might be a bit of a problem, but I have a rifle and in a minute the wolf is no more. Easy life. Note how the wolf is oblivious to a carcass of a deer it has killed the day before and to guy sneaking on the ice and building a campfire. You get used to this in TLD. The deer still has over 6 kg of meat. The weather is good when I am done with the harvesting, so I walk back to the cave and drop the hide and guts while the meat is cooking. I pick up some gear I want to move to Marsh Ridge: with the meat from the two deer I will need to do two runs. The weather turns sour in a matter of minutes. I finish the cooking and walk to Marsh Ridge. Now I need to warm up, so I enter the cave and search it. I am surprised to find the deer carcass in there. Isn't it supposed to spawn when you enter the cave a second time? I have not been here before. After deploying the rope from Marsh Ridge, I return to Milton Basin. In the 2-3 hours I've been away, wildlife has reconfigured and and a new wolf has spawned at the entry point from Marsh Ridge. I don't see it until it barks - but fortunately it chooses a rabbit. I hit the wolf with the bow. It would not let me come through with the meat. The wolf runs away with my arrow. I search a few remaining points of interest in the basin and go looking for the wolf, but the weather is quickly deteriorating and a blizzard is fast approaching. I give up and leave it for another day. Instead I just grab the meat and return to Marsh Ridge. Day 42 Clear day, but very windy from dawn to dusk. FM feels like HRV today. I recover my arrow - the wolf died near Hermit's Cabin - and pay a visit to the Shortwave tower. I also engage in some goating to get to one of the highest points in the Keg, just for the view and for the charcoal map. No sprains, fortunately. The crampons seem to be helping. I'm going to Broken Railroad tomorrow. Next stop - Maintenance Shed.