Grindstone Escape Con't & Finished...

We were only going for an overnight trip so why not go luxuriously.  A little whisky and wine for the night before, a special breakfast the next day, we were in no real hurry to hit the trail, lounging and relaxing were a high priority for this trip.  The trees shaded our tent from the first morning light and the valley provided a false horizon keeping the air cool.  However, once the sun did come out so did the flies.  We hung anything still damp from the night before in the first sunny spots and watched the steam rise off them.  Once all was dry, we packed up to begin our ascent out of the valley.  We would start with a mild ascent for the first couple miles, then climb over 2,500 ft. elevation in just a few more miles.  With the afternoon storms being the only real concern, because we again would pass up and over the treeline completely exposing ourselves to any errant lightening, we didn't want to lolly gag in camp too long.  The flies helped with that motivation!

The Breakfast of Champions!

Better than Wheaties that's for sure.

Tang, Poor man's Mocha (coffee with my special blend of powdered milk, sugar and cocoa powder), Skillet scramble with sausage, potatoes, broccoli, onions, eggs and Parmesan, and corn tortillas.  The body needs good fuel if you expect it to perform at this level.

 

Jim was channeling his inner compass and aligning his pure manly magnetism!

 



With a heart rock in hand, Jim hugs the trees that sheltered us through the storm the day before.  We always like to pay respect to Mother Nature and all she provides for us.  He left the rock between the two trees as a reminder of our love for them.

 



We camped near Bear Creek and hiked along it's east bank up through the valley.  When it came time to cross, we found this beautifully constructed log bridge.  Who knows how old it is but we were grateful for it's help in avoiding soggy socks.

 

Remember those crazy screeching sounds that haunted the night I described in the previous post?

Well, here are the culprits... Newborn Elk!

On our hike up and out of the valley, Jim and I stumbled into the middle of a HUGE herd of elk.  It was attended by 2 bulls (that we saw) and numbered probably around 50.  It was hard to count because of the trees and it spanned both sides of the trail.  There were many ages represented, but once they sensed our presence it was the newborns that screeched with alarm as their mothers moved.  The startled herd moved up the valley and we followed, not because we wanted to but because that was the direction of the trail.  Proceeding with caution, I tried to get a few pictures of these magnificent creatures as we all co-mingled in the woods.

 



This small group of cows, adolescents and babies soon crossed the trail in front of us to join the larger group as they moved away from us.  We stopped hiking for a while to let them get far enough way that everyone felt a bit more comfortable.

 

We hiked to the top of the valley and connected with the trail we had hiked a month earlier.  (The hike that inspired this trip.)  Oh My, What a difference a month makes!  Look at these wildflowers and foliage!  I was trying to get a picture of the grand scheme of the growth, with Jim in the distance.  When I was going through pictures later for this post I realized that I had captured a picture of our little dragon friend from the previous trip! (center right)  Crazy I didn't see him then but the leaves are above his head now.

 

What a stunning array of color and diversity.

 



Descending the saddle and heading towards Taylor Lake for the final stretch, the thunder rolled to remind us to hustle up.

 



Ah!  Icy Beers!

I packed a treat in a cooler and stashed it in the truck before we departed to surprise Jim.  Nothing celebrates a great escape like a couple of cold beers and getting to the truck before the rains came.

 

On our drive back home we were stopped by a couple of begging marmots.  Curious little fellows, I am sure they were only looking for a hand out of trail mix or uneaten goodies from our packs.

 

Thanks for joining our journey.

Remember, if you ever make it out this way we can take you to these places too!

Grindstone Escape Con't...

After lunch the sky opened up on us.  Looking back on most of our hiking / camping adventures I've posted, I realized they are by far almost always sunny fair weather events.  Well, maybe that's because we boast over 330 days of sunshine a year here.  However, is does rain... sometimes.  Monsoon season is here and that brings afternoon thunderstorms to the mountains.  After some quick map consultation and a brief discussion of being above treeline, we opted for the alternative route that would keep us in the trees for the most part of the remaining hours that day.

 

Not always sunshine and happy rainbows,

sometimes it's soggy and sloppy.

 



"ABEL LUCERO 7 13 1923"

We came across old tree markings from the turn of the previous century.  These are common in the high country but not always easy to find.  Left by sheep herders and cattlemen to mark trails, camps and grazing areas.

Funny we were there on 7 11 2014.

 



Rocking W and XX

We saw these brands numerous times through out the area.

 



"LP 8 11 33"

So old the tree had fallen.



 Lazy W Brand

"WALTER JONES"

Jim found this one, hidden behind huge branches that had grown over it from the neighboring tree.

 

Of course rain meant stream crossings.

 



Not sure of the brand

"09"

This one was found near the entrance of the forest by a stream.

 



We knew we were at the half way point when the trails merged and the sign on the left read " Taylor Lake 8 1/2" and the sign on the right read "Taylor Lake 9".  We had just come down from the left and were now turning up the right to head up Bear Valley in search of a camp for the night.



We found a stand of pine trees that actually had dry ground beneath them!  Jim set up the tent in the few minutes the rain subsided and I hung up soppy wet things.  There was a rock fire ring and some logs set up just outside this wonderful treed canopy to sit on.  Judging by the poop, the deer and elk must use this camp to bed down as well.



 

 A sip and a rest!

No sooner was the tent up and secured and the rain came again.

Might as well sit under the dry pine and enjoy the view.

 

Flowers and Hubby

The rain stopped again and I got busy in the "kitchen".  I baked brownies, garlic Parmesan bread and a big pot of pasta. Yum!

 



A happy Hubby with a full belly.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

 

Yes, despite the rain I think it was a perfect day.  We didn't see another person since the mountain biker pedalled by at lunch.  The lightening was a bit intense at times.  In fact, when we first reached camp I was crouching down pulling stuff out of my pack and there was a flash so blinding and a boom so thunderous it rocked my body, I lost my balance and crumpled to the ground.  Shaking, I looked up at Jim with tears in my eyes.  He was standing and laughing.  Being the super logical one, he burst into this diatribe about being in a valley, being low, blah blah blah.  His logic fell on deaf ears.  Truth was I was rocked to my core and scared for the moment.  I just needed another moment to recover and gather my own logical senses.  A few more booms and the storm moved on and I was fine.  We proceeded to filter water, cook dinner and enjoy the fading daylight.  Then night fell and we crawled into the tent...

 

As we lay there reflecting on the day we began hearing the strangest sounds.  A screeching noise that seemed to travel up and down the valley.  First far, then near, then north, then south - almost like a couple of hawks or other birds of prey swooping through the valley calling to one another.  Not owls.  What other nocturnal bird lives here?  Stumped in the dark we lay there and let the sounds fade into the backs of our minds as we replaced them with dreams.

 

Join us for the answer to these mysterious sounds and our final ascent back to the truck in my next post. 

 

To be continued...

 



*My lightening fears should not go unrespected and laughed at.  Lightening kills more people in Colorado every year than any other state (Actually, I think we flip with Alaska for #1 & #2 most years.)  That very weekend on the opposite corner of the state, in Northwest Colorado (Rocky Mountain Park), 2 or 3 people were killed and many more hospitalized due to two seperate lightening strikes.  Yes, logic and education does play a big part in your safety in the backcountry but sometimes it's just plain nerve-racking.