ManicManiac

@Ibblazein Welcome to the wilderness... though I see you're no stranger.

@J.W.P Thank you, Happy New Year.

I spent most of the day bolstering my water supply over in the maintenance garage. By the time I'd gathered up 10 liters of water and after sifting through my pack (looking over the various notes and scraps of paper I've collected along the way)... I realized that there may be a memento cache nearby. However, in the same span of time... the weather was threatening another blizzard. I took the weather more seriously after the wind picked up... I could no longer even see Blackrock Mountain in the distance. I stayed hunkered down, waiting to see what the weather was going to do. Thankfully, the weather eventually seemed to subside. After returning to the penitentiary (very much like I had done at Bleak Inlet) camped out by the door to the workshop. Eventually I had to heading into the Boiler Room entrance to bed down for the night.

After the storm broke... I wanted to make the hard push to get back to Blackrock Penitentiary. Timberwolves have blockaded the road leading back to where I needed to go... so I took the "long way around." I was so glad that I'd found this pass earlier... It allows me to bypass the road (and the Timberwolves). However, now I also had to slip past a moose. ...and the weather was also taking another turn. Waiting patiently.... I did eventually find my window to slip past without getting trampled. Back at the Gate House. Now I just have to live here until an aurora. Thankfully I have plenty of food and more than enough coal for a very abundant water supply. I do have two memento caches to go get... but as far fully exploring, I think I finally have Blackrock completed (at least, I will right after I get the workshop door unlocked).

Deadly gas ahead... I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't manage to get a good picture. As I was rushing through the tunnel, I was able to find a pocket of "good air" to recover... though to be honest could have made it to the elevator without stopping. However, I did decide to stop since I had the opportunity. Once I'd gotten up to the second level, I realized I had a safe way to just get back up without having to run the tunnels again. There turned out to be more to explore here than I had remembered. Of course, by the time I got back to the surface... I thought I heard the sounds of a blizzard raging outside. I found a sheltered corner near the door. I have so much coal from the mine (both trips), that I could just sit outside and tank the blizzard with no worries whatsoever. In the meantime, I will brew some tea and coffee... recover a little bit of water... but mostly to just wait out the storm.

...because it's Hinterland's intellectual property, so they have every right to choose what, if, and how to release & support things with regard to what they create.

I decided I would rather bed down near the entrance to the tunnel I want to run after getting fully rested.

@Yimnam Welcome to the wilderness... Though I can see you're no stranger.

Moose on the loose... The first vista was close nearby. I got back to my preferred route down into the narrow ravine running down the center of Blackrock (off to the left - the bridge on the right would take me to Cook's Farm). Surprising enough, the two wolves that were down here before have since moved on. I take it as a rare bit of kindness from Great Bear Island. For the second climb, I did need a shot of Go! Energy... but I had a few in my pack already anyway. The Second Vista was indeed where I'd earlier assumed it was. I'll bed down here... I'd like to be fully rested before making a run through the gas flooded tunnels.

I took some time this morning to read through the notes and messages I've managed to collect along the way. It seems that I should have run the Gas Tunnels... now it seems I do have to go back there, but only to then have to return to Blackrock Prison again. It's just as well though, I do want to go revisit and survey both Vistas, and one of them takes me right up next to Last Prospect anyway. I'll see if I can at least get both of the vistas done today.

I mean... we can wait for an aurora pretty much anywhere. We sort of have to if we want to unlock/access the workshop at the Last Resort Cannery, the workshop inside Blackrock Penitentiary, the old abandoned mine in Coastal Highway, or collecting the Buffer Memories. And places like Blackrock and Bleak Inlet can be fully explored without any conventional weapons at all. It's also possible to avoid being spotted at all by the Timberwolves in both locations (yes, even the cannery).

MMljLqy-wolfpup.mp4

Early the next morning I got started again. Thankfully the storm blew out overnight. The idea today would be to drop off everything I'd managed to gather up here so far and try to at least get the Staff Quarters and Infirmary done. Betting back to the Gate House would not be so tricky (as the wolf prowling around below has shifted to skulking around another spot... I still had some of the nice benefits of herbal tea circulating, so I opted for a quick one-hour nap out there on the catwalk. My pack was only "too heavy" by about 4 kg... so I was able to just alternate dropping the Armor Vest and my water supply in order to get my entire haul back down to the ground. Even though I was at the ready to either distract or pelt it with stones until it ran off... thankfully I was able to slip past without having to pitch any of the stones in my pocket. I was determined that I would be back here just as soon as I can drop off more non-essentials at the Gate House. After a quick sort and stow... I discovered that the two wolves that most recently had been prowling around the vehicles there at the main entrance were gone today. This was a prime opportunity, and I didn't want to waste it... so I went looking around as quickly as I could. After looking around and dropping off a few more things in the Gate House... I quickly made my way back to continue exploring the dark corners of the Blackrock Penitentiary. Over near the Staff Quarters, I did manage to find a nice hacksaw. There wasn't much to be found... mostly cooking ingredients and a bag of chips/crisps. I managed to find the way into the Infirmary that Will told me about... but the window was apparently locked up tight since then. I wasn't able to get in that way. Oh well. I suppose the question is, do I want to sleep in the Staff Quarters or do I push on and try to get back to the Gate House... 🤔 I did head back down to check the "backdoor" of the infirmary... but that was also locked. It looked like it was time to head back around the long way. With the infirmary finished... I just had to get back to the Gate House to bed down for the night. Tomorrow... I need to decide if I'm waiting here for an aurora or if I really need to get back to the Mines to wait for one there. I may have to read over all the notes I've found and see if there might have been something I missed. I know for sure I want to go back to survey both Vista Views (from the polaroids). I know of at least to memento Caches that I'd like to go back for as well... I just don't know if the Mines/Gas tunnel/Blackrock workshop is worth the trouble or not. If I have it mixed up... then that means I'd need to get to the mines, run the toxic gas tunnel... then trek aback here again to wait for another aurora. 🤔 The good news is that I have enough food to do this without much worry. The question is... do I really want to. I will have to think on it some more.

Avril Lavigne - I'm With You (Audio) (youtube.com) Alternate Link: I'm With You - Avril Lavigne (Lyrics) 🎵 (youtube.com)

How Does It Feel (youtube.com) Alternate Link: Avril Lavigne-How does it feel (youtube.com)

I'm sure that this was probably Will's favorite Disney Afternoon show when he was a young lad... TaleSpin - Theme Song | Disney+ Throwbacks | Disney+ (youtube.com) Alternate Link: TaleSpin (Intro) [HD] (youtube.com)

It's wonderful that you could share the TLD experience. I hope she has a wonderful time exploring and discovering everything that Great Bear Island has to offer.

I don't mind saying, if I was to ever try and homestead in Blackrock... I would be very tempted to try and make the Warden's Office home.

Early the next morning I decided to start with the farther reaches and work my way back for the main building after prospecting the other accessible building and guard towers first. I also went out to make sure that this Guard House was where I thought it was... I was correct. Took the long way around the back. Turns out there are four wolves back here prowling. I made it pretty far around the perimeter... a very tight spot to find a wolf prowling around. With some very careful stealthing (and admittedly the use two stones to as a distraction), I was able to slip past unnoticed. Now, it was time to properly start prospecting Blackrock Penitentiary. The weather was quickly taking a turn for the worse. The just after I had stepped inside a blizzard hit. Oh... this office as an attached hybrid bedroom/kitchen, and a half bath. If I do have to spend the night, the Warden's Office is a really nice spot for it. Next, I wanted to head downstairs to see what I could find. I had found so many flares down here... I decided to conserve some lantern fuel. I decided to take a second look around down here... something just didn't feel right. I absolutely missed this the first time around... but this time I took a cloer look. I ended up need to strike a second flare... I the cell Will had told me about. It's not hard to imagine what he had to endure here... I took one last look around but made haste back to the Warden's Office... The blizzard was still raging outside. I would indeed have to stay here the night... but I'd found more than enough food and water to compensate for it.

I was already pretty tired... but thankfully the day was nearly over. Still though, I wanted to scout around and see if I could get my bearings. I took a look through the small motor pool area. I did find the way out to the area behind the prison... but I could hear wolves tearing into rabbits. I suppose I'll come back later. As I made my way towards the main entrance... a blizzard hit. I was slowly able to feel my way to the Guard House. This was going to be my primary encampment for this area... I did a lengthy sort and stow, as well as some mending. Hopefully this blizzard will have blown over by morning.

@Leeanda Every locker was empty... and nearly every container. 🤭 I've been having some very back luck with lockers/trunks in Blackrock this time around.

And now, into the mouth of madness... It was easy find myself wandering in circles... I'm not sure how many times I looped back around before I realized. “Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to the light...” - John Milton

The Power Plant is much smaller than I remember. 🤔 Not much to be found here. Almost every drawer, locker, or container was empty. I drank an herbal tea, ate a can of peaches, and slept for 6 hours. Next, I'm headed for the tunnels... and Blackrock Penitentiary.

I'd used an additional piece of coal and took an hour nap... Much better... still not ideal but if I moved carefully, I figured I should be able to still make more progress in spite the blizzard. The Power Pland was insight. However, I did want to go check around the Pylons first. Now, the only Pylon left for me to check is the one that directly feeds the Prison, but I get to that after I search the Power Plant and the Tunnels. The weather took a turn and with the snow fall... it was getting deadly dark. I'll come back to search the other side of this after I prospect inside. Now, it was time to get indoors and consider getting a few hours' sleep.

The storm finally broke... but it was deadly dark outside. I figured I'd wait a little while longer to see if the sky might clear. Not sure that I had enough fuel to risk spending the night. 🤔