November done and it was soggy...
Slashing rain just as it got dark wasn't particularly conducive to going out but it was now or never. Anyway by the time I left it had dried up and stars were showing. Second consecutive Friday night bivvy and it is a great way to end the week. As soon as I got pedaling the stresses of the week disappeared and weather concerns were forgotten. The dryness didn't last of course and an incessant drizzle cut in after a half hour of damp roads and trails. Having ignored such rain a few times in recent months, and gotten very wet as a result, I didn't muck about - into waterproofs and carry on. I'd nothing fancy planned, location wise, as my back is giving me gyp thanks to an ill-advised log lift a couple of weeks ago... I'd scoped a couple of spots in Glendevon woods a few weeks ago so one of these would do. Of course in the dark it all looked different and the wind seemed to be on the increase. But I managed to find a good spot next to a little used trail. The rain went off for the pitch so I was in and snug soon enough.
As it happens I was close to my February spot and also had the Deschutes and soto blast furnace. I'd nearly reduced the deschutes to a melted crisp packet that time so was a mite more careful this time. I'd made a bit more effort tea wise as I'm fed up of freeze dried stuff. That said it was still pre processed stuff - boil in the bag lentil stew, rice and smoked sausage (as usual) garnished with cheese. Haute cuisine? you can stuff it. For desert I drank beer whilst the wind blew a constant spray of water at me from the trees, much like my February bivvy. This persisted all night but didn't prevent a sound sleep.
And raining. I sploshed my way through a few trails round the woods but in view of the weather, my back, and a need to do stuff at the house I made a reasonable bee-line home.
Only December left, hopefully in the company of the SWB crew!
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