2020 Hog Hunt Day 1 - Drive Ice to SC

Fresh on the heels of a pretty amazing adventure in South America, I'm headed to South Carolina for hunting.  Normally I like to spread out my adventures since having something to look forward to, to break up the day-in day-out drudgery, helps keep me going.  And since most years have me at home for Christmas and New Year's, I'm usually buggering pretty good by mid-January for something interesting.  So even if not as critical, this year's hog hunting was planned at the end of last year's.  I'll head out while still thinking about Patagonia.  Queue Mort from Family Guy singing "There's Got To Be a Morning After" - because in this case there is no morning after.

The weather forecast put home near the edge of a winter weather advisory, with ice possible.  I was up early and decided if the first few miles were going to be slow, all the more reason to get going early.  I let the dogs out to a driveway covered in crunchy ice with temperatures just below freezing - not the best start.
It took me about a half hour to get ready and I was out the door.  Roads were a bit slippery, but not too bad.  I made my way down to the interstate where I got more nervous.  The temperature was just below freezing with light rain.  This is perfect conditions for black ice.  As I headed south, I did feel a few slick spots, but they were brief.  I was hoping for AWD magic to save me from all but the worst conditions.  And when a Charger went past me like I was standing still, I figure he's likely to find the slick spots for me.  Somewhere south of Lexington the rain stopped at around the same place that the temperature increased significantly.  A quick look at the radar suggested I was in the clear.

I continued on and got off the interstate on my Knoxville avoidance route.  I wasn't expecting a great sunrise, but there is something about this area - even from the driver seat of a vehicle.

I was listening to Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina.  I only made it through the first half on my trip south, but it was really good, if a bit repetitive in concepts.  He tells the story of what happens on the open ocean once beyond national barriers, what laws apply, even with significant grey areas and what laws are ignored.  The stories are riveting, and the writing really good.  Even with the repetitiveness, the tragic stories of commercial fishing were difficult to listen to.  To hear the waste of human lives and natural resources is utterly tragic.  I guess I feel better about hunting as a way to get my food?  He starts the book talking about Sea Shepherd and later Greenpeace; if these guys are the cure, they are nearly as bad as the disease - a point he only brushes on.

I realized I had forgotten my apples in the fridge at home, so I made plans to stop and get some once I got close to Rick's.  But I figure if apples are the only thing I forgot, I'm doing pretty well this year.

I got to Rick's and two other guys were there from near Philadelphia.  Mike and Wayne seemed pretty nice and they headed out to be dropped off in stands shortly after I got there.
I unloaded the truck put my feet up in the lodge with a bit of a headache.  For whatever reason, I wasn't in a great mood - something I hope (and expect) will disappear once the actual hunting gets nearer.

Mike saw hogs that night on the same stand I shot my orange pig last year, but it was too dark for him to shoot.  Wayne only saw deer.
We watched TV and talked for a bit before turning in early.