Getting out on that road to the TH is fun. Met Forest Protection Officer (FPO) Bill Shoemaker of the Red Rock Ranger District at the TH. I joked that I hoped he wouldn't have to call in a Dustoff for me. As we started down the trail I heard a very distinctive whup-whup-whup. Next thing I knew two Apaches dropped down from the Rim of the canyon and hugged the River downstream - Way cool,

At Parsons Spring I helped FPO Bill remove - hmm?? how to say this Politically Correctly - I guess I can't call it an Illegal Firering, so perhaps an Undocumented Firering. I'm probably preaching to the choir but - RESPECT THE WILDERNESS and don't start fires in the wilderness this year.

The ledge is fun. I had a footfault on crossing #4. Went upstream from Crossing #5 for about an hour. The trail climbs up the canyon after 5 but the campsites are on sandy beach ledges along the creek. Can't get much more than 40feet from the creek on any on of the campsites.

Lots of (what to call them?) Yahoos(?) on the way in as I was hiking out.

This is definitely a 4 and with the Apaches it was a 5 (any hike with two Apache Longbows hhas to be a 5), but I'm giving it a 4.4999999999999 which rounds to a 4.

ps - the unusual cholla is a Whipple cholla Opuntia whipplei