October 5th
I left with my new, bright headlamp. For the first half hour I was cruising, but I could not believe how cold it was. Surely, I struck an odd figure walking down the road with a headlamp and my hands tucked under my armpits.
I was supposed to follow a trail off the road. Could not find it. I bushwhacked in the direction I should be going. Eventually, I crossed a path. It didn’t look exactly right, more like a horse trail. I followed it in the cold for ten minutes, but gave up when it went the wrong way.
Eventually, I got on track. This time the trail was marked by wooden posts with paint on top. The trail goes by a closed museum and then cross country along a fence line. Later, it climbed a forest service road and the temperature also warmed.
After following a small stream uphill, the trail veered off for some gentle climbs. Late in the day, the trail came down and paralleled a forest service road (not my favorite). Across the road, there was a cow path and a small herd was moving single file in the same direction as me. The game was on. Let’s make sure we all understand I was carrying a backpack, it was unfamiliar territory, and my trail took turns. So, the fact the cows hiked faster than me over a half hour period should NOT be a surpirse. Frankly, I think they cheated.
After crossing highway 92, the trail followed rolling ponderosa forests uphill. I eventually found a flat spot just before the route steepened. I cowboy camped. Around 9:00 I was woken by some branches snapping about 50 feet awauy. I turned on my headlamp and had about 40 glowing eyes looking back at me. It was a cow herd. Later still, there must’ve been two coyote packs fighting over territory because it was a pretty extensive period of growls and barks. Not the sounds of a hunt. Still, I managed to sleep.
backpacking over the hill 