Mileage: 36.1 miles (1584.1-1626.2)
I was up by 5:15 and was walking about 25 minutes later. It was a cool morning so I wore my down hoodie - the same one I wore high in the San Juan's and low back in the New Mexican desert. It's served me pretty darn well from when I've been freezing cold to just mildly chilly, like this morning.
The sun hadn't quite risen when I started walking, but the sky off to the south and west was already a soft orange and blue. As the sun slowly made its ascent the hues of the western horizon changed subtly before they took on a bright blue it would wear until the sun made its way over to it, readying to set.
The antelope were once again plentiful - the guy at the motel in Rawlins told me Antelope jerky is just wonderful, as is Antelope hamburgers. I couldn't get the thought out of my head, imagining them as little burgers trotting upwards of 70mph. No wonder they were scared of me - they could probably see it in my eyes.
The day was blustery, much more so than the days previous. It did keep me cool, but the trail was headed due west, which unfortunately was directly into the wind. I ran into two sheep, the only two I'd seen in weeks - they must have escaped and definitely looked lost.
Puffy clouds rolled in in the early afternoon. Then I ran into the Oregon Trail at something called the Seminole cutoff. Then I started thinking about a question that I've been thinking about for a long time: "Who can really blame the settlers for killing all the buffalo?" I mean we all saw how fun it was in Oregon Trail the computer game, where you'd shoot 3,456 lbs of buffalo, but only be able to bring 115 lbs back.
Continuing with Oregon Trail (the game) I remember as I kid I'd name the other settler children after my little brother and older sister - Ben and Katie. At first, you think this is cute - but then I'd set their rations to "meager" and watch them slowly starve and succumb to hay fever or dysentery. Who knew that game was so realistic? Literally, I must have played hundreds of times and I'm pretty sure I never made it to Oregon (that's where it goes, right?). You should always ford the river.
Getting over to Mormon Spring there were a ton of Sage Grouse in the meadow. Each set shot off like gunfire right before I stepped on them, scaring the crap out of me four or five times in a matter of a few minutes. When I reached the spring it was just a clear pool in the rocks, but perfect for me to drink out of.
Later in the afternoon I saw some figures headed towards me in the road. At first I thought they were more Antelope or Elk. But then they were kind of bobbing up and down and coming straight at me. They were bikers! A couple from Australia in their 40's or 50's and an older fella. The couple was biking from Banff (Alberta, Canada) to the Mexican Border. Some much for Mexico to Canada! Well, it's a tad easier on a bike - they projected it would take them 70 days - but still that's pretty impressive!
They gave me some graham crackers, a fruit cup, some Kool Aid packets, and some extra water - I wish I had something to share with them! We exchanged a few stories and both headed on our ways. They were the first people I'd seen in three days. It's weird how it all of a sudden feels foreign to talk to another human after so much listening, watching, and talking to myself.
I finished the last five miles mostly downhill on the gravel road when I came to the Sweetwater River - my goal for the day! I took my first on-trail bath (which is crazy, I know - but there really hasn't been all that much water and when I did see it previously I was way up high and it was frigid!) It's a big contrast to when I was hiking in the Sierra's on the Pacific Crest Trail - I bathed nearly everyday - of course, the day time temperatures were much higher and the sun also much more reliable. I washed some clothes as well and then ate some cheese and graham crackers for dinner, before writing and heading to bed by 9am. Tomorrow, I'd hike into Atlantic City for a hot meal and the a few more down to South Pass to grab my package. I'd head out the same day as I'm in a bit of a time crunch to meet my dad in Jackson to hike with him in the Tetons for a few days!
No comments:
Post a Comment