Southern Comfort

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE

This morning I was planning on getting up at 6 again to do my hike. When Early Bird (THE wife) woke me up she said it was really cloudy outside and not TOO hot. Awesome. I'm sleeping in. I set the alarm for 7 and looked outside. Still cloudy so I'm sleeping some more. I finally got up and got ready for my hike. The thermometer showed the outside temperature to be less than 90º. Awesome. What it failed to show, however, was the humidity. Walking outside was like walking into a damp sponge. It felt like I was in Georgia.

The cloud cover protected me from the of the desert sun but it adds to the humidity level. While the humidity is ONLY about 40%, it feels very sticky to this desert rat.

We go and hike the Kahlua Trail. I will be doing this a lot because creating a trail is not easy. I could bring equipment and work the trail but that feels like cheating. The wilderness ethic is to leave only footprints and that's how I intend to create this trail, with footprints.

Of course, a pick ax and shovel might work better on this terrain.

I know people have been here before because I find this ancient fluid transport device.

I wonder whether to go down here.

Or maybe up would be better. I'll figure it out eventually.

Someone has been here and left this rock monument. I won't be leaving any of these or any cairns. Once I figure out the best path, I'll be able to follow it instinctively.

Looking back I wonder if maybe going high might not have been a better choice.

I'll let Kahlua ultimately decide. After all it's going to be her trail.

One thing we are going to do, though, is make the trail too tough for mountain bikes. They rip trails to shreds and I don't want that for Kahlua.

This terrain is so tough it tore someone's boots to shreds. That's why a trail will be so nice.

On the way back I spot something conspicuous in the wash.

It's a water meter cover. They'll charge for everything in this town.

I bet next they'll charge this guy for parking.

I enjoyed a respite from the intense heat but I don't think I'd like this weather all the time. When I finish the hike my shirt is soaked with sweat. That never happens on a normal desert day. It's usually too hot and too dry and I'm sure it won't be too long before it's both of those things again.