Quicksand Fans

I did visit the bog again, at last. During our lockdown it has been dry for weeks, of course it just has had to rain for a couple days when i was finally able to travel to that area again.
I tried to do a couple videos but that little compact camera did not work as planned for most of the time. It did freeze, just shut off itself or fall over. I have to get a better solution.


Nature is beginning to take over and the forest is getting greener again.


Thats the only sequence that can really be used. That particular spot was okay, there have been others that have been deeper and/or stickier


Same spot, when i was trying to get out. Sticky enough that i really had to cling to that fallen branch of that tree


Just did a photo in the sunset. That type of area extends really far to the left and right and is truly bottomless. The plants and even the trees are some sort of floating on top of the liquid mud. You can see that the trees beginn to fall over by themself when they get too heavy. Navigating through that area means jumping from branch to branch. I have been there before and that mud gets brutal when the area dries up in late summer/early fall. I did try to shoot a video but that dumb cam just did freeze after a second.

bogbud wrote:I did visit the bog again, at last. During our lockdown it has been dry for weeks, of course it just has had to rain for a couple days when i was finally able to travel to that area again.
I tried to do a couple videos but that little compact camera did not work as planned for most of the time. It did freeze, just shut off itself or fall over. I have to get a better solution.

1.jpg
Nature is beginning to take over and the forest is getting greener again.

2.jpg
Thats the only sequence that can really be used. That particular spot was okay, there have been others that have been deeper and/or stickier

3.jpg
Same spot, when i was trying to get out. Sticky enough that i really had to cling to that fallen branch of that tree

4.jpg
Just did a photo in the sunset. That type of area extends really far to the left and right and is truly bottomless. The plants and even the trees are some sort of floating on top of the liquid mud. You can see that the trees beginn to fall over by themself when they get too heavy. Navigating through that area means jumping from branch to branch. I have been there before and that mud gets brutal when the area dries up in late summer/early fall. I did try to shoot a video but that dumb cam just did freeze after a second.

If the camera batteries are charged the most likely problem is a bad or too slow memory card. In the field that can often be fixed, temporarily, by reformatting the card but the real solution is a new one. Also, note that cards have different speeds and things may lock up if the card is not fast enough.

Fred588 wrote:
If the camera batteries are charged the most likely problem is a bad or too slow memory card. In the field that can often be fixed, temporarily, by reformatting the card but the real solution is a new one. Also, note that cards have different speeds and things may lock up if the card is not fast enough.

Never thought about that.
The SD-card i use with that cam has a No.6 on it. I've seen also cards that have a No.10. Is that what you mean?

bogbud wrote:

Fred588 wrote:
If the camera batteries are charged the most likely problem is a bad or too slow memory card. In the field that can often be fixed, temporarily, by reformatting the card but the real solution is a new one. Also, note that cards have different speeds and things may lock up if the card is not fast enough.

Never thought about that.
The SD-card i use with that cam has a No.6 on it. I've seen also cards that have a No.10. Is that what you mean?

Yes, that is exactly what I mean. You really need a 10.

I'd settle for a 9 but that's a different topic.

You'd be pleasantly surprised what you can achieve with a simple compact camera, alas limited to 30 minute grabs of sinking action! I've never had a camera freeze up on me yet. Great big by the way

Fred was right. I did buy a Class-10 SD-Card and no freezing of the camera at all.

Yesterday i just wanted to do some exploration and to scout that bog a bit more. It has been dry for about two weeks now and i did not expect too much trouble. So i skipped my bulky chest-waders and just did wear my normal tight-fitting rainpants, -jacket, household rubber gloves and to add some kinkyness my heeled Aqcuo-boots. The water-level of the bog had indeed dropped considerably and i did nowhere see standing water but lots of lush plant-life and dry looking earth. As i was about to find out it was all a big deception that bog did prepare for me.

I tried to create a series of pics (those a screenshots) that show my near demise in some mudpit that only exists in dry conditions. Under normal (wet) circumstances i would start floating but not exactly here. That mixture of soil/peat was all loose and soft and gave way like i never expected. The bog around me was also farting and hizzing a lot as trapped air was released while i just went deeper and deeper.

I also had the feeling that wearing all that tight gear and especially those heeled, skin-tight boots did allow a much easier sink than with my more loose fitting heavy waders i wear in that bog normally.

Second batch of pictures.

In the end i was still "quite" dry as my gear did hold of most of the mud. The bog was able to squezze itself into my jacket because the pants were too tight to tuck the jacket into them and also the gloves were too short of course.

It was also so much of unexpected fun to sink with far to unprepared gear and will be my favourite outing as long as it is dry and warm.

what a totally amazing bog, and such great looking mud! The location is perfect too - no chance of being seen as nobody would be able to get close or they sold sink to their demise

Love the Acquo boots combined with the tight fitting rain pants - very lucky to be able to wear such awesome boots and then find out the mud completely sucked you down and under

Thanks so much for sharing your enviable sinking experience - very inspiring

I must admit a bit of envy, especially at how deep you have gone.

Of course, I remember the UK trip. The models still comment about that trip, too. And yes - I got quite muddy myself rescuing Leila when she got stuck in the thick mud.

Good luck with your explorations. I hope someday to get back to the UK - but use local models if possible.

Michael

bogbud wrote:

MichaelL_Photo wrote:Ominous! Scary! Lonely looking place!

Perfect for sinking. I really like the 3rd photo from the top - the one with the green tree limbs - I can imagine a damsel stumbling in there, trying to use the branches for a rescue, but her hands slipping due to the moss...

Enjoy your location!

Michael

Thanks Michael,
when I'm Sinking there I do imagine the same thing
Do you remember your trip to the UK and the videos you did shoot there? The mud is exactly the same stuff Leila did get stuck for real and had to be rescued by you. (Except at this place it has no bottom).
I'm longing to get there again as soon as possible, but i have to wait this current shutdown out.

ace pics,. great sink,. would have been awsome to watch it unfold on the video