Day 8, Tuesday, July 4

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All the websites warned about how strenuous the hike out of Hemmed-in-Hollow was (2.5 miles uphill) and rough the road to Kyle's Landing was (4wd, pebbles the size of fists, 6 inch ruts), so I decided to skip them for this trip and head to Harrison for the night (Monday night).

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Today, I got back on my route, hiked the Pedestal Rock Scenic area, and continued my curvey drive to the Richland Creek Scenic area that Uncle John recommended.

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It was 10 miles from the turn off to the camp, but 10 miles over a rough road at 20 mph is not the same as "ten miles down the road." I drove and drove and drove and then pulled into a wild camping spot next to the river and contemplated staying there, but then said "forget it" and pulled out to head back to the main road. Right then, a forest ranger pulled and said he was heading to the campground and just to follow him.

 

He took off and I tried to stay up. (He wasn't driving a rental.) Eventually, he stopped and said I didn't have to try to keep up with him. (He had a sick worker at the camp he was going to check on.) If I just continued along the road, I'd reach the camp.

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Then the road split and I went right instead of leftfor quite a while until I made a multi-point U-turn. The road was about 1 1/2 lanes with a mountainside to the right and a drop off to the left. In the middle of the turn, the same park ranger pulled up looking for a cell signal to call in the EMS for his worker. He sent me back with clearer directions and off I went, finally reaching the campsite.

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On map #2, you can see the road leading up from the bottom and the turnoff to the left that I missed. But the campground was free, and I got set up nicely. The sick worker was a mower who overdid it in the heat and humidity.

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I ate some hotdogs, read a book, and went to bed.

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