ManicManiac

Lonely Night 🌑 [dark ambient/music to escape to] (youtube.com) No alternate links available...

I intended to make my stay as short as possible. I did a quick sort & stow (thinking all the while) and decided to make a relatively quick ring-route before leaving Mystery Lake by way of Winding River. That's a bear just ahead. Duly noted. The Trapper's Homestead had some rather nice gear, it was a good find. The safe was admittedly a bit of a disappointment... just a book and a flashlight. I decided that I would leave small caches of whatever I found in a place. That way I can prospect through, then do a quick sort & stow on the spot, and move on. I figure this way I will stay more agile and decrease dwell-time by not making trips back and forth to consolidate resources at primary encampments. I stopped off at the Lonely Meadow, just long enough to use my two recycled cans (and my mag lens) to prep 2 liters of water. The warmth of the fire was nice too... 🤭 I'd already been here but did stop off for a minute or two... just to try and warm up a little bit. All-in-all, it was a good day.

More Demon Bear boss music... Magnavolt - Senshi (Eqwillus Remix) (youtube.com) Alternate Link: Magnavolt - Senshi (Eqwillus Remix) (youtube.com)

Peaceful Day ☀️ [relaxing piano/study music] (youtube.com) No alternate links available.

When I came to, I found myself in familiar surroundings. It looked like I was near the Clear Cut in Mystery Lake. I'd have to get moving... I don't have much to hand, and I'm already starting to get cold. I found a little bit of food at this abandoned camp site. I did take the 20 minutes necessary to break down the snow shelter (at this point the cloth and sticks will better serve me in my pack rather than as a makeshift shelter). In just this one snapshot... I can confirm three things. The Clear Cut bear is denned there on the left... The bear's most recent victim is just off to the right... And the bear itself is skulking off, far to the right. There is the bear again just ahead. I decided it would be more advantageous to head for the Logging Camp (rather than dealing with the bear or visiting the Destroyed Lookout). I found nothing here but wreckage... have to keep moving. A little food, some cooking utensils... but I don't have enough clothing yet to even warm up inside. I'll have to make a push for the Camp Office. I was just coming upon the train tracks... when I was beset by a wolf. I had to backpedal and offer up a rabbit as an easier meal for the wolf, so I could continue on safely to the Camp Office. I made it, but I'm still freezing to death... All I found inside for clothing was a pair of boots. I'll have to hope that the bed is warm enough to get me through the first night. Speaking of the first night...

Oh no... I don't carry around those kinds of things. Generally speaking, those stay at the encampments. This time, it really was just a matter of me pushing my luck too far. In any other set of circumstances... (if there hadn't been a blizzard or if the gear found in the tail section had been of slightly better condition) then I would have made it just fine and quite comfortably. It's just that in this particular set of circumstances... those choices were fatal. 🤭

I've always been a proponent of accepting the consequences of our mistakes. Once I woke up freezing and realized I was stuck on a ledge halfway up the last climb and getting shredded by a blizzard... I knew I had pressed my luck too far. I still held out hope that I could either get warm in the cave or tail section, but unfortunately no... the gear I had wasn't good enough... and the condition of the gear to be found in the tail sections wasn't good enough either. I was already too far gone to be able break down crates or otherwise collect up firewood. I also had not brought any emergency coal with me, in the interests of saving on weight. Ultimately, it was these choices and some bad luck with the weather that doomed the run... and it was completely deserved on my part. I was trying to push & test the limits of what I could get away with... and this time it cost me the run. It serves as a reminder that even those amongst us who have been spending years on Great Bear Island... it still demands our respect. I'll start again soon.

It's been literal years since a run on Great Bear Island bested me. Oh well... I was pushing my luck, and I knew it. I would normally always stop over at the interior cave above Eric's Falls when making a push to the summit (making it a two-day trip)... but I stubbornly insisted on pushing to try and make it within one day. I guess I'll start again after I've recuperated. 🤭

[Accompaniment:] Woke up reasonably early... looking out the door, I see the goal for the day. Today it's Sumit, or bust... I pressed my luck too far this time. I should have spent the night in the cave just below the last climb to the summit. I had no way of knowing... between the sudden turn of the weather and the poor condition of the gear I found up here... I'm just not going to be able to get insulated/warm enough, quickly enough. I'm just going to slug some soda... and curl up in my bedroll. I'd just rather not be awake when I slip away.

I'm already committed to returning to the bluff to prospect the other cargo container and check out the nearby cave... so I will do that after doing a quick sort & stow, as well as perhaps a few clothing repairs. However, after that... I decided I wanted to make a rush for the Summit. Hmm... the fog has gotten much denser in the short time I was sorting through and repairing some of my gear. I will take a one-hour nap to see if the fog clears... It doesn't look the fog is going to lift anytime soon, but I was determined to head up to the bluff anyway. I opted for the safer way around and found something I hadn't spotted in the blizzard. Oh, now that was terrifying! It happened so fast, that I couldn't get snapshots... That wolf just ahead was spooked by a bear that was also skulking around. The wolf ran straight to and bolted past me... I quickly pulled a stone out of my pocket and pelted the wolf with stones sending it sprinting back towards where it came from. I was then able to slip by safely. ...felt like I had just taken an emergency stim straight to the heart! I still had to be very cautious... the bear was still rather close nearby as well. It was terrifying to be able to hear the wolf getting terrorized by the bear yet again... but not being able to actually see either one. I had a little bit of a hard time finding the other cargo container as well. This wolf has been wandering uncomfortably close... especially considering how seldom I can keep track of it in the dense fog. Thankfully the fog eventually lifted... there's not much daylight left, but at least now I can see the way ahead to be able to go and check both of the nearby caves. As it turned out... the fog was hiding just how dangerous the bluff was today. I went to go check out the closest of the nearby caves... however, it was sadly empty. No rope at this climb... duly noted. As I skirted close to the ridgeline... I realized why it always seemed like I could hear little footsteps in the fog. There were at least three wolves up here on the bluff today. It was far more dangerous up here than I usually give it credit. This little cave was empty, but that is more-or-less always the case. The problem now was that all three have been skulking uncomfortably close to the cave. I actually had to backpedal several times and take cover in that tiny nook of a cave at least three times to avoid detection (and a thorough mauling). 😖 I had to wait a rather long while for a good opportunity... even heard the clacking of the wolf's claws on the rock as its roaming route had it climbing a bit up on the rocky roof above my head (at least that's what it sounded like). Just as I managed find a good moment to slip away from the wolves' territory... I found that the bear had returned again also. Though to be honest, it was easier to give one bear a wide berth, than it was to slip past three wolves, all skulking different wandering routes. As the evening light was fading... I was finally able to make my way back to the frozen river. I was home free, and looking to take the same safe route back, that I had taken when I made my way up here. By the time I'd gotten back to the Mountaineer's Hut and gotten everything sorted and stowed, it was getting rather dark. I know that I had intentions for making progress towards the summit, but I had not counted the fog or the wolves keeping my pinned down for as long as they did. Oh well.... I make a push for the Summit tomorrow.

[Accompaniment] RetroWave chill neon city | Synthpop nostalgic | Cyberpunk electro arcade mix by RETRO P.O.U.M WAVE (youtube.com) - - - - - It was already well past midnight when I'd finally managed to reach the Abandoned Prepper Cache... so I decided to only sleep for maybe 8-10 hours. Just enough to get up the rope outside and onward to the Mountaineer's Hut on Crystal Lake. I did still have the dilemma of lightening my pack. The 12 pack of soda would certainly do the trick... but I do like that they help me conserve water. 🤔 After dropping off the little bit of extra gear that I'd picked up along the way... I only had to pare down another 2-3 kg. This would be much easier. Ultimately, I decided to just leave behind all three cans of dog food (I wasn't very keen to eat that anyway 🤢) as well as three cans of Stacie's Grape Soda. This was enough to at least let me get up the rope. Of course, Pleasant Valley would give me another blizzard to tank... I certainly wasn't going to do the wise thing and wait it out. I knew it was a risk, but still felt like it was worth it for more progress towards the Summit. Naturally the blizzard was raging in Timberwolf Mountain as well. Thankfully, this place is like a second home to me... I felt good about navigating my way to Crystal Lake safely (there's a good possibility of there being a rather pithy moose nearby). Home, Sweet Home.... May be a bit stark now... but before my stay on Great Bear Island is over, it will be a cozy and comfortable place to live. Very nice... a third hacksaw will make it nice an easy to pick over whatever cargo containers may be nearby. Funny enough, just as I'd gotten my pack unloaded... the blizzard blew itself out. Again, the wiser thing would have been to get better situated, rest/recover, and head out to look for cargo containers tomorrow (I was already in pretty rough shape and my clothing was nearly soaked through clean to my bones). However, I'd been pressing myself hard for progress no matter the risk... so... I kept pressing. Let me just take a moment to draw attention to the drama that was unfolding right in front of me. A wolf caught sent of the buck... the buck was already running away over to the Fishing Hut (where I had wanted to stop off first). There in the distance is also the Echo Peak Bear, who was also ambling along with intentions to visit Crystal Lake. Seems we were all (sort of) headed for the same area. 🤔 The deer took off running again... thankfully leading the wolf off closer to the bear. Also thankfully, the bear is very slow. This gave me the chance to quickly prospect the Fishing Hut (and leave future me a recycled can there on the stove as well as five sets of fishing tackle). I didn't really pay attention to what there was... I just kind of quickly grabbed everything I could and rushed back to my primary encampment. Turned out that Fishing Hut was a nice little treasure trove. I took the shabbiest hacksaw and set out for the bluff just upriver. Gorgeous... and the crows flying in from the sunset were a nice touch. I was already very quickly freezing to death... so I decided that I would just have to come back tomorrow for the other container. Weather was quickly taking a turn for the worse... but just in that it was getting much harder to see while I was making my way down from the bluff. I did still have two wolves and a bear to watch out for. Sure enough... the bear had only just recently passed by the Fishing Hut. That was some lucky timing. I acknowledge that I may have pushed myself (and my luck) way too hard today... 😖

It was nearly noon by the time I'd managed to get up... I'd have to try and work quickly. By the time I'd managed to get up, search the Community Hall, and get ready to step off again... it was getting close to nightfall. I very briefly ducked inside the church at Thompson's Crossing... I didn't find much, but I was able to find a couple of small items I could break down for cloth later. I was admittedly out of cloth on hand. I wouldn't bother breaking them down until I'd managed to get to where I wanted to bed down for the night. I didn't hear the doe nearby... I think she startled me about as much as I startled her. There was a lovely greenish tint in the sky this evening... I just had to take a moment to appreciate it. I nearly walked face first into this moose... I don't think I recall ever coming across a moose this deep into the Birch Forest. 🤔 Duly noted. I was going to prospect at the Lonely Homestead. However, the Birch Forest Bear had other plans... moving on. On the way through... I did verify the location of the Brich Forest Bear's den. I had no plans on stopping for the night just yet... but I did take a quick look inside the Draft Dodger's Cabin. I did find a couple of good quality food items, so I left them behind on the doorstep for future me to appreciate. Also came across and very ragged pair of trail boots (good for leather... I did need some more leather as well). The light was fading fast, and the snowfall was getting heavier. Stopped by Burned Ridge Cave... but didn't find much. By the time I'd gotten to the Crash Site... the weather was threatening a blizzard. However, I was determined to press on... so much of the day was spent prospecting that it felt worth the risk to make more progress towards Timberwolf Mountain. It was getting difficult to keep my bearings, but I refused to turn back. I wonder if they knew just how close to salvation they were... 😔 I started to drop off some of the good quality food I'd picked up along the way... again, I think that future me will appreciate it. Inside the Abandoned Prepper's Cache... I found another lantern. This is great news as I can now light up the room without having to worry about the limited supply of fuel in my primary lantern. Another wonderful stroke of luck. With two Hacksaws... I have more than enough tools to deal with all the cargo containers I'm likely to find on Timberwolf Mountain. The unfortunate news is that I'm so heavy with food items, that I will have to shed about 5 kg just to be able to climb the rope in the morning. But... that's a tomorrow problem.

As Michi had theorized in the thread you mentioned (mentioning here just for the benefit of others): However, my theory: I figured it's either that (mentioned above) or the Hunting Lodge was just simply named after the more renowned location (Mystery Lake) just for the sake of better name recognition (perhaps for folks/tourists that once upon a time came from the mainland). That's the best I could come up with.

You Will Be Ok (From Episode 2 Of HELLUVA BOSS) [Audio] (youtube.com) Alternate Link: You Will Be Ok ("Helluva Boss" Original Soundtrack) (youtube.com)

...Life sized wolf plush... (yes I know plushies/stuffed animals were mentioned before... but I thought I might be more specific)

I spent the night in the work shed, thankfully the storm passed overnight. I decided to continue on the ring route from the Pleasant Valley Farmstead, the Pleasant Valley Outbuildings, and finally the Community Hall at Thompson's Crossing before making the last stretch to Timberwolf Mountain. Looks like I caught this curious wolf's attention... best just to let bygones be bygones for right now, I have other things to focus on. Hmm... what is that, a small "pantry" container? Full of carrots and potatoes, I don't remember ever finding one of these before. Found another heavy hammer, but rather than leave this one behind... I thought I would haul it along with me to Thompson's Crossing. Tomorrow, I'll prospect through the Community Hall as fast as I can, do a quick sort and stow, and continue on to Timberwolf Mountain. I've been finding food faster than I can eat it. I think I have about two weeks' worth in my pack now (as long as I keep to my current rationing). It's more than enough to cover a few trips up to the summit.

Having luckily found a hacksaw here in the workshead... I'm tempted to just make a beeline for Timberwolf Mountain as soon as I find another recipe card. 😆

I know it, all too well. I very much expected it, and it made me chuckle when I saw that the region hadn't let me down 🤭... which is why I opted to tank the blizzard (knowing that Pleasant Valley would likely keep me pinned down for days otherwise).

It was sometime mid-morning by the time I got up... I had a feeling that Pleasant Valley wasn't likely to be kind to me, so I wasted no time getting back on the move. I could hear a wolf chewing on something just ahead... likely a rabbit. The weather was already starting to take a turn for the worse... And rather alarmingly, the weather continued getting much worse startlingly fast. However, rather than play it safe and stay inside at Signal Hill... I decided that I would rather risk tanking a blizzard for the sake of making progress. I hadn't even made it to the bottom of the slope when the blizzard hit. It was quickly worsening into a total whiteout. While I didn't have the time or desire to stop... I will point out that these hollowed-out trees are often times a good spot to shelter a campfire. I was literally frozen half-to-death by the time I'd made it to the Pleasant Valley Farmstead. This was the spot I would hole-up and weather the storm. Another poor soul that wasn't able to make it to see another day. I would spend the rest of the day repairing some of the new worthwhile clothing I'd found and did a quick sort and stow in order to lighten my pack again. After the storm passes, I'll check out the Farmhouse and perhaps the Old Red Barn across the river and the next field.

Reading the variety of reasons folks have for avoiding various locations is rather interesting.

@BugReportEnthusiast Again, no need for you to try and be personally insulting... I wasn't quoting you. I was giving my opinion. 😆 And yeah, I think it's safe to say that if someone writes out a full overhaul of a system... that it also seems safe to infer that the writer sees it as something to be fixed or improved. 😆 I can understand it if you don't like it when my opinion doesn't line up with yours... but that's no excuse for you to try and be rude to others. 🤭 It's really no use trying to antagonize me... none of the folks who try, ever have the ability to actually upset me. 😆

I disagree. I don't think there is really anything here Hinterland actually needs to "fix." In their current state and availability, I've never run out of Whetstones. They do wear out relatively quickly, sure... but they are also plentiful (even when taking into consideration of what mode / setting is being used). Frankly, I just don't think it would be worth Hinterlands time and resources just to overhaul this mechanic. I think in its current form, it works fine.

@BugReportEnthusiast There's no need for you try and get personally inslulting... "No, some ideas are just badly thought out." ...well, the same could be said of your own arguments. It's entirely subjective. Bad form when you try and asert your subjective opinion as some superior objective truth... because it's not. Also, bad form to be dismissive and condescending towards other posters.

Molly's personal theme song... Bella Poarch - Dolls (Official Lyric Video) (youtube.com) Alternate Link: Bella Poarch - Dolls (Lyrics) (youtube.com)

I decided to get serious about a route Timberwolf Mountain. I decided to keep it a mostly direct path... I'd head out via the Carter Dam and the Winding River to Pleasant Valley. In Pleasant Valley, I think I'll take a ring route through some of the more promising spots to check of gear and supplies (also to see if I can pick up another recipe card along the way). I don't want to spend too much time in Pleasant Valley, but it may take a few days prospect, sort, and stow what I find at the handful of places I have in mind. From there of course... it will be on to Timberwolf Moutain, to make my way to the summit. However, it took me a lot longer to get ready to go than I had hoped. I did have to do a sort and stow (trying to pare down as much as possible to save weight - except for food, I was willing to run a little heavy on the food I was willing to haul around). I also remembered that I also still had a Ptarmigan to harvest... that too several hours longer than I'd anticipated. Unfortunately, it was nearly sundown by the time I was ready to head out. It would have perhaps been safer to just rest for the night and head out in the morning... but I wasn't willing to let the day be a total loss. It has been a while since my last night hike... I decided to press on. Hard to make out... but two wolves are crisscrossing the tracks near the Train Loading Area. I had to think quickly... Had to risk coming up on the Carter Dam from the riverside and hope the way was clear. I approached pensively... but fortune smiled. There was no wolf skulking around near the Trailers. ...No Trespassing... 🤭 I wasted no time once I got inside... I had a very limited amount of lantern fuel. I do love a purple sky... ...Another poor soul. Found some food in their pack, though... so, thank you. Thankfully I found a flare... this was exactly what I needed. Still have a long way to go and not a lot of fuel to spare. While I'm sorry about the fate of the previous owner... finds like this make me glad I take the time to prospect thoroughly. I'd have absolutely missed this little treasure trove if I had just rushed to get to the far end of the cave. It's always a bit sad to find a cairn... but I think this one carries my favorite of all the epitaphs I've read. ...There are a startling number of cairns in this cave. I didn't take snapshots of all of them in this cave, but I've read and journaled each one. Eventually, I came to the end of the cave... I was admittedly rather tired. I'd hoped to make it further than this, but progress is progress. Tomorrow... I head for Signal Hill.