now that the days are shorter how do you spend your time in camp once the sun sets and you have a long dark evening?
Evening activities
include baking cakes and bread for the following day, eating, reading and talking. Sipping whiskey, maintaining the fire and more eating just about round it off…
Cribbage & Cabbage
Shuffle up and deal. Roll that cabbage. Read a book by fire light. Watch the stars. Play with exposure time on the camera. Make toothpicks. Get extra sleep.
Reflecting
Looking back on the events of the day and looking foreward to tomorrow,and thanking God for it all.Reading and praying(realy special without the usual distractions),bakeing bread for tomorrow,and prepacking the boat for an early dawn departure.
Cook a good meal…sit by the fire…
write poetery…read…reflect…play w/dog…drink wine…explore area…stare at surroundings…fish…look for women…sometimes target practice
Eat & Sleep
If I’m soloing it will be dark by the time I finish making camp and cook my meal. After that I’ll try to read but always end up falling asleep.
With friends we’ll hang out and BS. With my girlfriend, well that’s private.
Night paddles…
I shorten the miles during daylight, set camp, and do local paddles in the dark by headlamp…
Most Always Solo, so…
after the dishes are done, I usually have a cup of tea and sit by the fire. Depending on if the moon is bright (and it has been a short enough day), an evening paddle is sometimes undertaken. Sitting by the waters’ edge and stargazing can be rewarding: last time I was out (on an island in branch pond in the GMNF) I was treated to a shooting star. Finally, reading in my tent usually delivers me to the land of morpheus.
best-
~Glenn