The woodland palace develops...

[John Fenna]

Well - I have been back up the woods and this time the lads joined me for Friday,Saturday and Sunday - so we had an extra day to play with and even more work got done!
Last time we were up there one side pole of my stretcher bed broke so this time Friday was mainly spent renewing my sleep system (it is about 3 years old now and past its prime...) - new tripods, new pegs, re-positioned ridge-line and a replacement side pole.
Yup - the side pole I did not replace broke as I got into bed on Friday night ... ground dwelling again!
Saturday was mainly spent working on the Palace - side walls to give some protection to the gear store area and sleep area and a table were completed - Dave built a new chair... more a Throne to go with the palace really and Stuart manfully dug a new toilet trench while I replaced the broken side pole in my bed!.
Much relaxing in the sun was undertaken and other than a thick mist taking over the site on Friday night the weather was fantastic and we were reluctant to leave on Sunday, delaying things as long as possible...
My renewed bed

The palace so far







Daves Throne

A local landmark tree we visited during a bimble - known as "The Big Tree" (the biggest Lime I have ever seen)- with its attendant flowers...

Another great weekend!

 

[MartinK9]

Picked a cracking weekend for it John.

 

[Mesquite]

Getting to be almost habitable and as Martin said, you picked a cracking weekend for the meet

 

[Toddy]

Looks like a wee oasis there
Lovely weekend to be out in the woods too

M

 

[Janne]

If you can, pick the flowers of the Lime tree. Makes a wonderful tea!

Lasts for years without losing much flavour when dried.

Nice place you are creating there!

 

[John Fenna]

If you can, pick the flowers of the Lime tree. Makes a wonderful tea!

Lasts for years without losing much flavour when dried.

Nice place you are creating there!

I also like eating the leaves

 

[Nice65]

Nice one John. We had a couple of nights in the bell tent Thursday and Friday. The fog rolled in here too, I woke up a bit chilly and had to stuff a Jack Russell down my bag

 

[Robson Valley]

You must heave a sigh of relief, every time that camp comes into view.
I see no evidence of a fire pit. Where is the kitchen?

 

[Janne]

I also like eating the leaves

I have eaten the buds, but never young leaves. Buds have a mild, sweei taste. Leaves too?

 

[John Fenna]

Nice and sweet and "fleshy" if the leaves are young
We do have a fire pit - in the old part of the site about 20 feet in front of the palace


We may get a fire bowl for taking ito the middle of the palace in the evenings ... central heating!

 

[Robson Valley]

So comfortable. No wonder you are developing that site. I like to study the backgrounds
in your pictures to see what your environment looks like.

I accidently used my toaster to heat a nearby fluorescent fixture = recessed lighting.
The diffuser got all warped and gibbled then fell off the light. 2X brighter now.

I'd be diligent about fire in the palace with the tarp(?) exposed over the beams.

 

[John Fenna]

We are quite used to having a tarp or parachute over our fires (you need to shelter a fire area in wildest Wet Wales!).
The closest call came when one of the guys was washing up the pans after having cooked a Roast Dinner and managed to swirl hot fat, floating on hot water, into the fire ... the fireball reached the top of the chute and "crisped" the parasilk and paracord ...
We certainly do not want to get that close to burny hot, sticky, painful disaster again! - nor do we want to put holes in the tarp...

 

[Arya]

What a wonderful set up!

"Bring a compass. It's awkward when you have to eat a friend."

 

[Allans865]

Looks awesome mate 👍🏼

I'm still trying to locate a suitable area to construct a small camp of my own

I'd hate to build something and it be discovered and wrecked or set on fire by the local buckfast population

The joys of living on the outskirts of Glasgow!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Robson Valley]

Well taught lesson in firecraft.
I think that the more often you can use your camp, the less of a tourist you are and more of a resident you will become.

Years back in my Canada goose hunting days, some hours south, we found a camp in a bluff of trees.
We used it and added to it, grateful for the frames and furnishings already in place. Never met the starters.

 

[GGTBod]

This is totally my jealousy speaking here but what happened to leave no trace?

 

[Robson Valley]

Make it appear that except for trampled grass, leave the site looking like nobody had used it in years.

There's a large hunting group (15-20) that come up here every autumn. They used to use tents (even a shower tent).
Now they all switched to trailers, like 24' jobs. They stay 2 weeks in the same place evey year. 23km up a logging road,
perfectly flat site carved into the trees and 10m from a fabulous rushing mountain creek. Easy room for 30 big tents.

I've been on their campsite the day after they pulled out. Some ash in a single stone firepit. Extraordinary.

 

[John Fenna]

This is totally my jealousy speaking here but what happened to leave no trace?

In 40 years time, when the site is no longer used as a teaching and Nature Therapy resource there will be no trace left .. except perhaps a more fertile spot down where the toilet is situated...
The local flora and fauna is thriving and all activities are "minimum impact" but the "infrastructure" makes it a safe and welcoming place for vulnerable people to get close to nature...
If I am staying somewhere for a short time only then you would never know I had been there - if I am going to be returning year on year, month on month, week on week I will leave temporary traces...

 

[GGTBod]

I was genuinely just posting to share my jealousy, i never doubted any less regarding the protection and probable nurturing of the local environment from you all

 

[John Fenna]

I was genuinely just posting to share my jealousy, i never doubted any less regarding the protection and probable nurturing of the local environment from you all

I got that - but I do think that "leave no trace" is important in most circumstances.
Where I am is on private land - with not only permission but active encouragement from the landowner (who had the poles for the lean-to cut and delivered to the site from the sustainable woods grown on the farm for firewood for heating the Care Farm and for sales as a cash crop) and the site is used by the participants for "Nature Therapy" and Bushcraft sessions as well as as a bushcraft site for me and the gang.
By building the infrastructure I hope to make the place more accessible for the participants, safer and, overall, reduce the impact sessions might have if they were spread over a larger part of the farm ... every fire sterilizes a patch of forest floor every footfall crushes a plant...
So far nothing has scared any wildlife from the area (the badgers still romp through the site at night and the mice will nibble anything not "mouse bagged", owls still haunt the evening air, Kites and Buzzards patrol and Pheasants beg to be shot...) so I think we are doing OK
I love going up there on my own for relaxation, love going there with the gang and love taking participants up there ... my other sites are getting a little neglected recently...
Although the site is part of my workplace it is also my "get away from work" place - a nice paradox
Any time you are in the area - give me a call and I will invite you up to the site for a night out