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| no partners | | Car camp; inspection of the route and I decided no way to haul a backpack down; convert to daypack ( which I had brought also).
Steep scree surfing and dodging loose volcanic rock interspersed with shin daggers, creosote and catclaw lite. When the steepness let up then it was weaving around profuse prickly pear. Had to cross some ravines; you haven't lived till you are hanging onto a large catclaw plant while trying to get up a steep slope so you don't slide back into a large prickly pear. Not too far down I could hear water running. I was more than a few miles upcanyon from my previous visit, and I could see the tops of the cottonwoods. Again some green some gold but it seemed peak had passed for most. I cliffed out then retreated and located an animal trail in, really the only way to get around the loose crumbly cliffs. As it was on the way down I placed my hand on a conglomerate rock and the whole thing just fell apart. Fortunately I was stable and it was no big deal.
The creek in the bottom seemed to have good volume and some depth in here; no keeping feet dry this time. I wandered up canyon marveling at the rearrangement the flooding in the last year or so had made. It was lovely and a bit on the warm side. I jammed a thorn under my fingernail eliciting creative combination cursing. The cold water felt wonderful; I watched droplets of blood congeal slightly then float away. I mused as to if my DNA would hold together enough to pass my campsite downstream.
Things tightened up and I just waded into this end of the narrows. Most hikers coming in from above don't make it this far. Their loss. I moseyed on back and took another animal trail out. Pulled the cactus spines out at the Jeep. Driving out saw a young snake that I moved out of the road and had a WWGD moment ( What Would Gummo Do) so gave it some water. I think it drank a little. Passed by a rancher home that I am just going to have to visit despite the signage. The pics will show what I mean. |
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