Trip Report - Peninsula Trail, Charles C. Deam Wilderness of the Hoosier National Forest, Indiana

In camp at the end of the Peninsula Trail along Lake Monroe.
Due to weather conditions and my exhaustion,
this was the only photo I took the entire trip.

It was time for the final training hike before my Tecumseh Trail through hike, planned for May 29 - June 2 (roughly)... it was time for an over-nighter. The Peninsula Trail, a 6-ish mile out and back with camping right on Lake Monroe seemed an excellent choice. I left on Sunday, May 1 after Church and Lunch.

The forecast had been iffy for two weeks, and indeed recent hikers on the Indiana Backpackers Facebook page had warned that it was a nasty slog.

Boy were they ever right. 

First, some overall observations about the trail conditions as they existed on my visit:

Especially in wet weather, use side trails whenever they exist. Main trails are waterlogged and slow you down.

Towards the end of the trail, several of the areas that have the log border on the trail have massive standing pools of water. You know what likes to breed there. I had to walk side-stepping along the log trail border to keep from getting my feet soaked.

Ticks are definitely prevalent. Lone Star Ticks appear to be the creepy-crawly of the moment. Had one on my arm early in the hike, had several in camp, and found one on my leg after I came home (though it was only attached to hair, not my body, and had neither bitten nor fed). 

There were a few flies, junebugs, mosquitos, and a goodly number of ants about... but no major swarms of anything. Again, keep the time frame in mind, early May.

Now, for my experience.

Upon arriving at the Grubb Ridge parking lot, I had a flat tire. Add to that a couple who told me that ticks were literally falling out of the trees, and I, frankly, should have went home. It was a tough slog on somewhat confusing trails (side trails confused me), made more unnerving by the fact that I had left my trail map at home by accident. I kept telling myself I should have went home. I probably should have heeded my own advice. Upon passing several of the campsites, I considered stopping for the night. Again, I probably should have - but I was being stubborn. This was my only overnight chance before Tecumseh... if I can't make 6 miles in 3 hours, how am I going to do Tecumseh... picking up a theme?

After arriving in camp, thunder started rolling. The 10-20% chance for storms had hit me. I managed to get my tarp up before it began to rain, and, to be honest, the initial rain wasn't that bad. I hung the hammock thereafter. 

On this trip, I had a new tarp and new hammock straps to replace the paracord suspension that came with my SnugPack Jungle XL hammock. I plan to do some gear reviews down the line, so that's pretty much what I will say for them at the moment. I made a significant error, though, on this trip. I hung the hammock from trees that were too close together.

I was truly beat, but decided it was time to fix some dinner. I made another error here. I had leftovers from earlier in the week that I had froze and brought along. They did not thaw in my pack, and so I had a really nasty meal. Yes, I added hot water, which minimally thawed them... but blech, they tasted horrid. Never again.

As the sun was setting, I managed to snap my one and only photo from the trip. It's beauty is deceiving. My night was going to get interesting.

I tried getting a fire going. That was a waste of time. I forgot my kindling (dryer lint) and couldn't get anything to catch. That was well enough, because at about 9:45, the thunder started. At about 10 PM, my severe weather alert went off on my iPhone... tornado warning back at the hospital where I work. My wife called seconds later, she was up with my oldest, who was worried about me. On top of that, my phone charge was giving out. I remembered to lay out the small ground tarp I had bought the day before, and a good thing... I was going to need it.

By 10:20, it was pouring, windy, and lightning all around. In the midst of the storm, I found a tick inside my hammock. That had to be taken care of. The wind rocked the hammock a bit, but the tarp performed well, in spite of me having snapped one of the tie-downs off by accident. I didn't get wet, and neither did my gear, sitting on the ground at my foot.

The inclement weather lasted until about midnight. I could not get comfortable. The sleeping bag was OK, but the camp pad kept bunching up. Once, while trying to adjust, I managed to tear the integrated bug netting on the hammock. UGH!

By 1:30, I still was not asleep, so I climbed out of the hammock and tried adjusting the thing. I had minimally successful results - defined as: at least I got a few hours of sleep.

The following morning, I awoke to high winds and overcast skies before 7 AM. I decided to skip heating up the Mountain House Scrambled Eggs and Bacon that I had picked up, and just had a Clif bar. I discovered I was sick of Clif bars. I drank the rest of the Powerade I had on me, and refilled my hydration bladder with the water that had been in my water bottles. I tore down camp, and headed back up-trail to the parking lot. 

The entire slog back was utterly demoralizing. I finally took to simply counting my steps as a way to keep my sanity. Arriving back at the car, I was totally wiped. All I wanted to do was sell my gear and be done with the hobby. 

In the immediate aftermath of the hike, here is what I felt that I had learned:

1) Hammock... good in concept, but could it actually be lousy for me? It just didn't work the way I thought it was going to. Being motion sick prone, it was swinging just enough during the storms and high winds to make me feel queasy. I also couldn't keep my head above my feet, leading to tingling and numbness in my feet and legs. Integrated bug net tore when trying to re-position... not good in tick country. Had to get out at 1:30 in the morning and rehang the thing to get remotely comfortable. That is not enjoyable. 

2) I don't like being dirty. I felt disgusting in camp, and no amount of hand sanitizer changed that. Need to find a workaround.

3) I have to do some more thinking about sleep system. The Marmot 40 bag didn't fit well and I was literally stewing in my juices all night, even using it as a quilt. There were actually multiple issues with the bag, so much so that I am strongly considering returning it it (issues with the zippers were paramount and horribly frustrating in both testing and use).

4) I thought I would prefer hiking alone. I found the experience too lonely, especially when I couldn't sleep. Yes, someone was in a tent at the next campsite, but I was just bored stiff.

5) I think I dislike out and back hikes of distance, and need to look for loop hikes. That said, I am open to the fact that I was not looking forward to coming back to a flat tire, and the muck was just grating my nerves with every step.

6) I need to work on both pack weight as well as issues with my pack. I have a High Sierra Explorer 55 L pack. My sternum strap pulled off my right strap about 2 miles in. Not good. Tightening buckles for the shoulder straps dig into my armpits and really hurt.

7) Never take a frozen meal again. Food was a disaster in camp, and wound up burning in the pot and ruining my cook set for the trip. Live and learn.

8) Don't forget kindling! I never got a fire going. That was sad.

The biggest 'revelation' for me on this hike was that I might not be mentally or physically ready for a 4 day hike on the Tecumseh in a month's time. 

I do think that arriving with a flat tire probably set me up to feel frustrated from the moment I walked onto the trail, so perhaps I should have gotten into the car and went home and tried another day. That said, I did persevere... so perhaps I am readier than I think I am.

I shared my experiences with the fine folks on the Indiana Backpackers Facebook group. After letting some time go by, my views have been tempered...

I do believe that so much of my thinking in the aftermath of the hike was wrapped up in the fact that, before the trail head was even crossed, I had found myself in a quagmire not made of mud. Right now I am excited to hike again but also playing it cautious. I do intend to attempt Tecumseh at the end of the month, though with a few caveats...

A) Leaving Sunday afternoon was a bad idea. Trying to cram sermon prep, music prep, check-listing my pack, etc. on Saturday night, followed by getting 3 kids ready for Church, leading worship, etc., then rushing home, eating a whirlwind lunch, and traveling an hour and a half to start a hike is NOT a recipe for my success. I am used to a nap or at least down-time on Sunday, so hiking Sunday PM for an overnight setup was a really bad idea.

B) Instead of viewing the Peninsula Hike as an adventure unto itself, my sole goal was to use it as a training hike for Tecumseh, mainly for packing in and packing out / over-nighting it. Because my motivation was flawed from the get-go, the experience was less than it could have been, as was my determination.

C) The minute the car had an issue, knowing myself, I should have went home. I worried obsessively about not only the car itself, but the financial outlay to fix it.

D) In some respects, I am far more dedicated than I think I am. Several times I contemplated stopping and setting up camp, especially at the junction where the Grubb Ridge and Peninsula trails separate. I chose to press on, in spite of my dislike of the situation. I accomplished almost every last goal for the hike (never filtered water, didn't get a fire going). I did finally fall asleep in the hammock - fitfully, to be sure, but I did sleep. I did not take a nap the following day. I was grumpy but functional. I made it and did not quit, no matter how badly, at moments, I wanted to.

E) The fact that I completed, what, 12 miles in less than 20 hours in terrible conditions I think suggests that I am slightly more physically ready than I gave myself credit for last week. I think the sheer emotional fatigue of coming back to a blown out tire did me in.

So, my modified Tecumseh plan...

I am leaving on Monday, May 30, not Sunday. (See Above)

I had already planned to have my family come to meet me and resupply at the 2 day point (planning for 4 days), but I am now identifying bailout points for day 3 and 4 if I just don't feel that I have it in me to finish. I have the full map and the trail guide, so as long as I can figure out how to tell my wife to get to my bug-out points, I think I'll be OK.

I am going to mend my hammock and try it again for the TT hike. In particular, I have to wonder if my rolled camp pad (Therm-a-rest RidgeRest) didn't contribute to some other problems. It was hard to get it to unroll in the hammock, so I may explore inexpensive pad options. Temps should drop no lower than the upper 40's by end of month, so I feel OK about that. I may still get rid of the mummy sack and get a traditional style bag. Haven't decided yet.