The next hike we did was about a mile and a half walking the trails on Sam’s property. On this hike was Sam, Steve, Justin, and myself. Unfortunately, Chad had to leave, as he was made aware of a friend’s father’s funeral, so his trip was cut short so that he could support his friend.

On this hike, Sam took us around to the possible build sites for various structures he is planning. One of which is an armory, complete with a forge and smelter. I’m not sure if his wife knows about this yet, but I am FULLY onboard.

This was the last thing we did on this adventure, and I am hoping we make this an annual event. Next time, I am aiming for all six of us!

Things we learned on this half of the adventure:

• It is difficult for 2-wheel drive vehicles to get up a 30 degree slope with wet grass.

• If you are planning on doing a 2 mile swim after going on a 5 mile jog, you may want to drink some electrolytes and eat a bit of protein. (Again, looking at you Justin). Thankfully Sam had a paddleboard that acted as a convenient Justin-tow in a pinch.

• DO NOT put giant, top-heavy wood into a 1.5-foot-wide burn barrel. I’m not saying we tried to burn the forest down, but…well…there were some tense moments.