Down the Cliff & Back Up the Canyon (Red Bluff hike part 2)

Mississippi Travelog #5
Foxworth, MS - Thursday, 26 Apr 2023, 11am

After scouting the amazing Red Bluff canyon from the rim (previous journal in this series) we picked our way down a trail that descended the side of the bluff. It was steep in a few spots but less steep— and way less dangerous— than going straight over the edge. Near the bottom of the hill we crossed a railroad track. Just beyond that was the Pearl River.



The Pearl River itself isn't the cause of erosion in the remarkable canyone below Red Bluff. It's actually a side stream that's done all the work there. And while that stream is humble looking, it's evidently been powerful enough at times to wash out the railroad tracks. There are several wrecked rail cars in among the trees between the railroad and the river.

As for that humble side creek?



Well, that creek looked like the best way to get up into the canyon. We could tell in looking down into the canyon from above that the bottom was dry, so we figured the way to get there was to walk up this creek until its source disappeared undergorund.

"Walk in the water? Get your shoes soaked?" you may fret. Ha, we crossed that Rubicon hiking to Zim Zim Falls a month ago. The way we figure it now, hiking boots are made to get soaked. And the weather's warm enough here that being a little wet (or even a lot wet) isn't going to hurt.



Walking up the creek paid off. Sure enough, the water flows underground higher up in the canyon. Soon we were left with dry dirt to walk on and amazing rainbow colored views above us.

More to come!

I took it easy this weekend

"How was your weekend?" is standard smalltalk at work as we're waiting for people to join a meeting. People who know me and my propensity to travel often add, "Where did you go this weekend?" Today my answer was, "Nowhere! I stayed home— mostly— and took it easy."

Of course this is what I planned to do. Well, at least until Wednesday evening it's what I planned to do. Earlier in the week I had a trip booked for this weekend. Hawk and I made the choice Wednesday night to can that idea— or, more accurately, put the idea back on the to-do list— and take it easy around home instead. We needed a break between trips. It turned out it was totally the right call... because we really did need that break between trips.

So, what did we do with a not-traveling weekend? We soaked in the hot tub. Twice. We might have gone a third time but by then we were feeling lazy. We puttered around the house. Hawk worked on some of her crafting. I caught up on some of my blogging. I'm still backlogged, though. I've got at least 1 more hiking blog from two weeks ago in Mississippi to write, plus several current-events type blogs that are... increasingly less current. 😕 Plus, more stuff I want to blog about has happened— both current events as well as hiking. ...Hiking, because we did get out for a fun, short local hike on Sunday afternoon. I'll sort through my pictures from that later this week and see what I can share.

Gin Tasting: Drumshanbo Gunpowder vs. Hendrick's and Bombay Sapphire

It's Monday night. What better time to get soused on gin?! Okay, no, I haven't gotten soused on gin, but I have done a 3-way taste test of gins this evening. And it being a Monday was only slightly intentional. I've been waiting several weeks to do this.

The three gins I've lined up for tonight are Bombay Sapphire, Drumshanbo Gunpowder, and Hendrick's. Drumshanbo is the newcomer, so I'm putting it up against an old favorite and a more recent favorite.

Introductions:

• Hendrick's has been my go-to gin for the past several years. It's more expensive than most gins but its smooth taste makes it worth it. It's not only beaten every gin I've compared it to, it's won by a mile. Hendrick's is the defending champ.


• Bombay Sapphire was my standard gin for many years before I found Hendrick's. I admit, I started drinking it umpteen years ago mostly because of the attractive blue bottle. Like most people, I figured the fancy bottle meant it had to be good. 🤣 I'm including it in this comparison to benchmark the other gins against a widely known premium brand.


• Speaking of pretty bottles, Drumshanbo. Wow. It's not only blue like Bombay Sapphire, it's fluted. I hope they spent half as much money on making a great gin as putting it in a great bottle. 🤣 But seriously, I picked Drumshanbo as the challenger here because I've read a lot of good things about it.

Taste Test:

I tried all three gins neat. That's an unusual way to drink gin. With its harsher flavors it's typically better enjoyed in a simple cocktail. Gin martinis and gin & tonics are popular drinks. Gin, straight, isn't. But I tried all three gins this way to appreciate their characters undiluted.

• I tried Drumshanbo Gunpowder first since it's the challenger. It's got a surprisingly clean taste, not too harsh, with a tinge of tea leaves. That's what the "Gunpowder" in the name refers to, BTW. It's infused with gunpowder tea... not gunpowder.


• The reigning champ, Hendrick's, came next. I was shocked to find the champ wilting in the first round of sips. After the unexpected smoothness and interesting character of Drumshanbo, Hendrick's tasted a bit flat.


• I included Bombay Sapphire in this taste test as a benchmark with a common,premium gin. After the other two, sipping Bombay was like tasting kerosene. Okay, premium kerosene. 🤣 Cheap gin has a pretty nasty character (kerosene, could you guess?) and Bombay is way smoother than that, but the harshness of the juniper remains.


• I went back to the other two and took a few more sips of each. Tasting them neat like this I have to give the edge to Drumshanbo Gunpowder over Hendrick's!

So, Drumshanbo wins this round. Like I said above, though, neat is an unusual way to enjoy gin. I'll have to try these as gin & tonics— my customary way to enjoy gin— in another round! 🍸🍸😋