Also decided to bring the video camera to get some much-needed practice for my series of web stories which I am to begin scribing for work starting next year. As I was making my up the snow-slapped slopes - not nearly enough for good purchase but enough to hide the occasional cactus clumped together on the rocky slope - I started thinking about how falling would be a bad outcome as I clambered up a small 15-foot wall.
Oh I knew the myriad stands of scrub oak would catch and cradle me like one of their offspring. No, for a change I wasn't thinking about life or limb nor tree or twig, I was musing about the expensive piece of equipment in my backpack that would go smash under my body weight.
Trundled down one giant knot of rock at one point but was able to spin out of the path with a good edge on the right. And finally after slowly trudging up a piecemeal path made by deer and rock and erosion I arrived at the summit.
After spending about half an hour up top I made my way back on the serpentine route of the trail. However shortly after departing I found a nice gully that would cut out about 2 1/2 miles of meaningless hiking. My route got adjusted after some warning yelps by some coyotes unseen under the pine-tree canopy below me.
Instead I found my self downclimbing some cliffs and going Tarzan as I did more a control slide down into the forest on some slippery steep stuff (snow-covered slab does not make for good purchase).
Partway down the trail I realized my trials, which more resembled the flailing penitence of a Benedict monk of the Dark Ages, took from a casualty - my sunglasses. I was rather miffed since this pair actually survived almost three years.
And of course, I screwed up my thumb again. Damn being a homo sapian sapian and my opposable appendage@
If enough snow has fallen in the mountains today, I see myself getting some backcountry turns out at St Mary's on Thursday.
ARTIST OF POST - Mobius Band. Catchy and getting heavy play on my iPod.
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