Day Twenty-Six

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I mined a lot that night. Instead of spiraling down, I dug a wide shaft into the mountain, three across, about ten high, and perhaps twenty deep. It took all night an countless stone picks, but I had wood and stone to spare so that was not an issue. It turned out to be quite effective, I hit two veins of iron and an extensive vein of coal for my trouble. For some reason, i did not take a single screenshot of my work. A pity, it was quite a comfy-looking room by the time the sun rose.

Creeper in the water.

All night I could hear moo-ing and splashing, as though some crazy bovine pool party was going on all night. Occasionally I saw a single cow bob past. I heard nothing sinister all night, though. Still I left my camp backwards. I had forgotten overnight just where I had camped.

Above my camp.

Skeletons burning to the east.

Off we go.

The lake was visibly shut off from the broader ocean so I did not build a boat. Instead, I stuck to the southern wall and worked my way up the hill to the east.

Heading east. Slowly.

My mistake. It was a bovine and sheep pool party.

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Out of the canyon was a plateau of sand split with rivers. Both the land and the ocean continued east, side-by-side. I considered going back to sea, but then I saw the mountain rising on the horizon. It was huge but hardly sheer. How could I not climb that? It was practically asking for me to climb it.

That's a tall mountain.

Getting closer.

Yo, cows.

The climb truly was a breeze. I did not have to dig out a single cube of dirt; a path always presented itself.

Starting my ascent.

Am I halfway yet?

Taking a break, looking back west.

More climbing (looking south).

Even more climbing (still looking south).

Another break and looking back west again (though I have moved further to the south than earlier).

I think I'm nearly at the top...

The climb was easy, but I had to be careful crossing the top of the mountain. Sudden drops and deep gulches seemed to suddenly appear underfoot.

A long way down.

Deceptively flat...

...then bam!

Looking south-east.

I moved around north of the second crater. The eastern side of the mountain fell away in gradual waves of earth and forest.

Looking east.

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Path leading down and to the south.

Nearly back to sea-level. Also, that has to be the highest floating land I have ever seen.

Crazy.

Back at sea-level (more or less) I walked around the northern side of the small hill and was confronted with a lake and another huge mountain, though this one did not look nearly as climber-friendly.

To the left I go.

Some crazy, cruciform earth-tree!

Worked around this wall, also, careful to not fall into the water.

Looking south.

And looking east at another mountain.

I swam the short distance and stood before the mountain. Instead of climbing it, I decided to walk around to the south and see if I could walk around it.

Looking north-east.

And heading south.

More sand and lakes to the south

East through the foot hills.

 The mountain looked like it went back east a fair way, and bulged out to the south. Still, I had chosen to walk around it so that is what I will do.

Looking east.

North-east through a dip in the mountain.

Strange monument to the south.

I headed down to flatter ground and followed the mountain south and east. After a bit, the path was not letting me go east at all and the mountain had now joined a wider range that went to the south. Looked like I would have to find a path across.

Looking south. No path east. Guess I'll have to go over it.

Water visible through a slit in the cliff.

I headed around south of the slit and found an opening into a vast, dark cove.

Looking north into the cove.

Looks dark in there.

...Yep!

The incline seemed more gradual at the cove's entrance. Here was as good a place as any to get over the mountain, so up I went.

Up we go (looking east).

Back west.

Up up up.

From the top of the range, the ground dropped almost instantly into the ocean far below.

Top of the range.

Hmmm....

A more gradual path down.

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I looked up at the sky. The sun was sinking, but I still had some time. Surely enough to get to new ground (not the first time I have said that!). I headed to the beach which, surprisingly, consisted of gravel.

Looking back west. Plenty of time, right?

I hear this is what beaches look like in England. :p

Moving on...

It was not long before islands approached from the horizon. I weaved around them as the ocean constricted tighter and tighter into thinner and thinner channels. Eventually I hit a larger continent.

Island.

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Land around the next bend.

Oh. Hello there.

I pulled up on the beach and checked the sun. I could probably make some progress inland before sunset.

Looking back west.

The ground was relatively flat, but as always there were hills to the north, slowly creeping ahead of me.

Mountains to the north.

Flat ground to the east.

Mountains ahead, but it is getting dark. They can wait until tomorrow.

I jumped down a small ledge, turned, and dug back into it to form my camp for the night.

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I'm getting good at this, if I do say so myself.

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Not a bad day, looking back at it. Some boating, some mountaineering, and plenty more land covered.