Solo Kayak Camping Trip ReCap

Okay, now that I am back all safe & sound let’s recap this weekend’s adventures.

Friday
Packed up the kayak will all the essentials that I will be taking on the Sep. trip and loaded it into the back of the Truck.  This took longer than expected so that put me on the water almost an hour late, about 7:00.  Since everyone else bailed out of this trip I launched solo at Buckhorn Dam heading downstream towards Raven Rock St. Park.  Immediately I started running into issues with the water depth, there were several times where I could have got out of the Kayak and drug it over the rocks and one time that I actually had to.  Other than that, quite an enjoyable trip down the river & the Heat was not bad.  There were quite a few people out enjoying the river from the homes & porches. I paddled 8.32 Miles in 2hrs.

Upon my arrival at Raven Rock it was almost dark, and by the time that I portaged all my gear and got my kayak up to the camp it was pitch black!  Next I built a fire and proceeded to setup camp.  I was doing as much as I could so that I would not let me insecurities of me being out in the woods, almost as far away as I could be, alone bother me too much.  Up to this point I was still holding my own and was not wigged-out at all.  Eleven O’clock rolls around and it was time to call the wife to tell her goodnight.  Just as soon as I hung up the phone from here a BOBCAT starts growling at me !  Now, I don’t know about you but this send me to Wig-Out land !!  For the next four hours I focused on keeping my fire going, actively scanning the woods with my light, and an all encompassing worry about what is out there and what is going to EAT me!  Ughhhh, between that bobcat, the hundreds of bats flying over my head & the raccoons that were trying to sneak into my camp I was so freaked out that I ended up packing all my gear up and moving to the bath-house for the rest of the time.  The bath-house was not much better, yes, it had four wall but those walls were lifted up off the ground about 3 Inches !  HA, so now I had to worry about all the creepy-crawly things.  Needless to say, no sleep was had Friday night.  To add insult to entire experience, at some point before I moved to the shelter, something (Probably the bobcat) came into my camp and stole my entire food bag! On top of everything else, I popped all of my stitches on the kayak trip down and my finger was now bleeding.  WOW, What a night!!

Saturday 
Morning finally arrived and I walked to the trail-head, 2 Miles away, to wait for my kayak friend and while there I was talking to one of the park rangers about what he thought I might have experience.  He confirmed that he would be pretty sure that it was a bobcat as well.  He did however share with me that some guest of the park just last weekend reported watching some bears head into the park!  REALLY !  Don’t you think that is something that they should tell campers?? Anywho……

My friend finally arrived, and we carried his kayak back down the trail, 2miles, to the river and launched about 9:00.  He and I continued our kayaking down the Cape Fear to our extraction site in Lillington where my wife was waiting for us., The river was rough and we had a head wind the entire way. However we finished that
paddle in just over 1hr 30min.

Good time was had & was wore-out when I got home.

Lessons learned this weekend
I am NOT a solo camper
I have no interest in ever camping at Raven Rock again.  However, I probably will
I WILL have a better head lamp next time I camp.  I use to think that $40.00-$60.00 was overkill, YOU WOULDN’T IF YOU HAD JUST GONE THROUGH WHAT I DID.
ALWAYS bring extra batteries, not matter how long you THINK you might be gone.
Invest in a bear-bag to keep your food in.
I need a longer kayak for my September trip.
I need more water when doing primitive overnight kayak camping.  One 2l CamelBak is not enough.