Culbin Forest with Kacey and Tara

As the couple left. I had thought of following them, so I started out a discreet distance behind them, I saw them heading for the sand dunes that bordered the beach, I changed my mind, I returned to the path. I sat down for a moment to gather my thoughts, I took the satnav out of my pocket switched it on, the compass came on, I noticed the path I was sitting on was going into a East West direction, if I followed in an esterly direction I would come across a path running north to south sooner or later.
We set off, Tara looked at me as if to say, do you know where your going this time, I said to her this could be our chance to get out of here.
I was thirsty my throat was parched and i felt a little dizzy but now I had made a descision I was ok. I knew the path followed the coast and at the edge of the forest were houses, where I could get help and a drink of water.
I looked at my watch 1330, I had been out for five hours now the sun was high in the sky and the air was so warm. every now and again Tara ran off into the dense trees and always came back with her mouth wet so I knew she was finding water, I was temped to drink some of the water but thought better of it, it looked so black and peaty.
We walked along, no one about, Tara went to toilet I picked it up in a bag, and started looking for a doggy bin to put it in, forgetting about the rule of the stick, anyrate I couldnt play golf so would not risk it.
We carried on and spotted a rubbish bin, I was just going to put the bag in when I spotted a torn map, a bit stained but a forest map someone had disposed off it was torn in places but it was a map.
I was so excited, I felt like Long John Silver when he found the treasure map, this Map was more important to me than a Treasure map, my treasure was Kacey, My shelter, drinking and feedindg station.
I looked at the Map yes this path did go along to the east and yes there were paths going off, each path was numbered I needed path number twelve to take me back to the carpark.
We walked on and came to the first junction this path was path fourteen, I worked out the distance to path twelve, about a mile and a half maybe two miles, so of we set again, Tara must have felt my mood, she started to run about and play, we walked on came to another junction path 13, we were on the right trail at last.
I judged the distance again we had a mile to walk to get to path 12 then roughly about about a two mile walk back to the carpark, I worked out that we should reach path 12 in twenty minutes.
Wrong, fate had another suprise in store for me.
We walked on and on and on after twenty minute no path, we walked on another five minutes still no path, I decided to walk on another few minutes. at last we reached a path that branched of south at last we had reached the path, but there was no number, no post, with a number on it, but this was the path surely. I looked at the map, there was no other path heading south.
My mind was in turmoil, I felt dizzy again.
Then I realised what had happened, the number had been taken away and not replaced, that was it, so we headed down the path, Tara was not sure about this she held back looking at the way we had come, I called to her sternly, she came reluctantly. The path thinned out and started to go up steeply, we climbed steadly up the trees were wide apart, then I knew where I was, fool, I was a fool, this was not a path but a fire break, the sun was beating down on my head, I felt as if I were in the desert, as we walked on the ground grew softer my steps were getting heavier, I was walking in sand, I stopped looked at the map again, I was in total Panic where was I, how can this happen to me.
Sanity took hold i looked southwards at the map and saw a path running east to west again, all I had to do was walk east along this path and turn right when it reach a junction with path twelve.
After ten minutes we reached the path followed it along and reached the junction with path twelve.
Once again I felt on top of the world,
In front of me were a couple walking I recognised them, they were ambling along arm in arm, two lovers enjoying a stroll, As we passed them the guy said to me thats the way back to the car park I thanked him and on we walked, needless to say, in hindsite it might have been a bad idea to follow a courting couple heading for the dunes.
We reached the carpark, and saw Kacey waiting for us. Tara ran to the back door and waited for me to open the door for her to get to her water bowl, I got in and poured my self a huge glass of water, cool water, tasted like nectar itself, Tara stretched out on the floor, I stretched out on the Dinette seat, we dropped off into a deep relaxing sleep. we had got back about 1445, and had been out for six and a quarter hours five of them we had been lost.
I woke up to the knock on the door, the girl from the tent came to see how long we had been back and had we enjoyed our walk, they had noticed we had left early. I told them yes we had a fantastic walk.
I cooked some food, hotdogs potatoes and peas, after I had cleaned up i reflected on the day.
I had used the Satnav 3 months before on a long walk with Tara up near Fochabers in the forests near there. It had started to rain so when I got back to Kacey I had put the Sat Nav away in my rucksack and completely forgot to clear it, hence base camp or waypoint 1 was 76 miles away. In my rucksack I had a ordinance survey map of the area we were in, it was not as clear as the Forest Maps but it did show the main paths.
The map I had found was two years old. the fire breaks were recent, so were not marked on the map. and never again would I ever leave on a walk even a short one without water.
I had intended to leave the forest that day and head out for Loch Ness to explore around there, but as it was late I decided to stay another night and leave the next day.
I had a note book in my rucksack I took out, I got the SatNav out and marked our spot as base camp on the waypoint menu, I wrote down the waypoint position in my note book, crossed referenced it with my ordinance survey map and marked it on the map. Later that evening we walked the path 12 again to see how far it was from the firebreak, I was 150 yards from the junction when I got confused with the fire break.
In a forest situation like Culbin, all the trees look the same they are all spruce and are laid out in regimented rows.
The next day we decided to stay on until the Monday, as we enjoyed exploring the Forest and its paths.
There were toilet facilities there hence fresh water, and the toilets were cleaned everyday. I talked to the cleaner guy there on the Sunday and asked him if many get lost in the forest, he told me yes maybe four or five times a summer they have to send out rescue gangs to find poeple who are lost.
The couple in the tent left on the sunday night, that night a big german rig came in and parked where the tent had been. Also a camper van came in and parked at the side of me, a single lady who enjoyed boondocking or wild camping like I do.
As an after thought if I had stayed in rtegular campsites along the beaches as I intended it wouls have cost me £80 for the four nights I was away plus petrol, all it cost me in Culbin was nothing for camping there.
Kacey has gone now, I miss her terrible at times but with no power steering and costly repairs she went last April. Tara is still my companion on my walks and we have had some good adventures together