Tuesday 2/6

Late neighbors, setting up by flashlight last night. #35 will work. I’ll just sleep with no CPAP for a couple of nights. With a Portable solar charger, running the generator would be a non issue. Have you ever hear them? Solar chargers that is? Quiet!

Up early, a little cloudy, mid 50’s. Walk down by #51 and hop on the Windows Trail. About 7:30. Within minutes a mountain jogger comes past me from behind. Moving at a nice clip. I take a short boot adjust break and a safety meeting. these trails are rough. Lots of birds, lots. No aids, bad! I’m starting to think i am bird akin. Or else the bastards are trying to lead me astray, they’re always saying “come up this canyon, come up this canyon”.Nope. Stay on the trail. There will be plenty of people of this trail today. Going early is the way if you want that feeling of being alone out there. Mountain jogger comes trotting up the trail, so he went to the end or close. I high five him!!

You walk down the creek bed till you finally come to the pour off. I don’t particular care for large drop offs and have no need to see over the edge. I take a couple of pictures, strap the green chair on to Exos and head out. The middle of a narrow canyon with a 200’ pour off with a 3/4 mile hike left in the creek bed, i tend to not dilly-dally. Oh, and cloudy this morning, who’s to say there wasn’t a micro cloud burst and a torrential deluge rushing down the creek right now? I’m out of here.

Just before the trail left the canyon wall and entered the streambed there was a junction for Oak Springs Canyon. I backtrack to the wye and decide as long as i can see the trail i can proceed up this trail, which looks like it goes to the top of the ridge and a nice view of the park. It just follows the canyon wall up for a half mile or so and tops out on the ridge. Massive views. Hang out a bit then start back out. Nice trail, sharp rocks. Lots of people going in on my return. A good hike to the store yesterday and this one today and my knees are sore but what a nice walk. These sticks have held up good. I bent one, but was able to get it to slide again. I adjust, long going down ,short going up. If i use it like a XC pole, it helps! Thanks, Mike. Cruised back in 12:30 ish had lunch and cleaned up a little. The new Columbia pants do not retain odor. Zero. But after two weeks, I decided to rotate them with a pair of grey Kuhls, which i think will be as odorless.

It’s 4ish, decent dinner tonight, kinda clean out the refer. Fuel, update TTRLT.N, postcards;both buy and send, food, drive out to Boquillas Canyon Overlook and camp on the other side of the park. Busy day tomorrow, hope i have time for fun…i will. Oh Allie, the cup. I’m glad i lost the water bottle and not the cup. I have bought a couple of different decals but ended up putting them on the schooner. I’ll find the right one. Hmmm, how about a ATA? Uncle Jack’s logo / symbol is nice. Hmmm. How about a Texas flag?….i like that too.

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