Mileage: 33.3 miles (1550.8-1584.1)
It rained on me pretty good last night. I didn't get wet, but the winds picked up and were really making my tent walls flap. It just kept me up for a bit, wondering if I'd staked it down good enough. I only had six stakes in the ground, instead of the customary ten. When I went to sleep it didn't look like rain. I should have learned my lesson by now. It flapped good, but held. I eventually made it back to sleep and by morning the rain was gone and it was mostly clear skies, except for a mass of clouds off to the west.
I got going by around 6:30am, a bit later than I wanted, but I'd turned my phone off the night before so just slept until I woke up with the sun. I had my poptarts and heated up some coffee before I started walking and then packed up.
Tons of antelope were out this morning, seemingly a herd over every small rise. Sometimes they'd let me get close, other times they'd run before I even saw them, only knowing because the tiny brown and white specks in the distance. Often, when a herd ran, one individual would stay behind and watch me, almost as if he or she was the designated lookout. This one would run away with the rest by the time I got within 75 yards or so.
The rolling hills were seemingly endless. As far as the eye could see there were more hills and plains in all directions. The sagebrush landscape was so empty and desolate - it felt a bit lonely to see such big empty space. The only other creatures I saw besides the antelope were the livestock. Black and brown cows of all shapes and sizes, with the occasional horse interspersed here and there. I said 'hi' whenever I passed the cattle and did my best not scare them - for my safety and their own, as they'd often all just run in one direction regardless of what was in the way.
I watered up at A&M reservoir, basically a man made lake, and noticed the clouds that I'd seen to the West when I woke up were starting to roll in. After I set out I got drizzled on a bit, but not enough to need my rain jacket.
It drizzled off and on, and big puffy clouds came in rest of day. After close to 15 miles from A&M, I arrived at Brenton spring, the last reliable water for close to twenty miles. It was a nice little trickle, secluded in the brush with a faint trail to where you could fill up. I cooked my dinner and took a break in the shade - the sun was really taking it out of me and my new shoes were working different parts of my feet than I was used to.
After my break I headed out for the final nine miles of the day, passing a few questions water sources along the way. If I had been desperate any of them would have done, but I wasn't there yet.
Coming over a hill to a farm pond I startled a Golden Eagle who had been eyeing some ducklings down below. He was a massive bird and at first I couldn't believe I'd been only a few feet away. It reminded me of a couple days prior when I did the same thing with a coyote. You never know what you'll find popping over a hill.
The wind had picked up in the afternoon but I found a semi-sheltered spot just below a hillock. I called it early so I could stretch some and wake up early. I prepped all my stuff for the next day - put my snacks in my waist belt pockets, mixed my cold coffee (I was running low on fuel), set my poptart out for morning, and put tomorrow's dinner in my pot. Ready for a new day .... after some zzzzzzzz's.
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