May 18
Start: near spud patch canyon
Stop: near canada de las lomitas
30 miles
Total miles: 437
It’s hovering around freezing as we slowly emerge from our homes. We descend off of Mt. Taylor and hit a dirt road. 7 miles to a break. 7 miles to a murky pool of water in lava rock and lunch. Another 7 miles to a spring. Beads does the roundtrip mile to get water for both of us. Of those 21 miles, 17 are on a dirt road littered with lava rock. Ouch.
The afternoon sky fills with clouds. First they are pretty and billowy. Then they turn gray and mean. The wind gusts so hard that it turns me into a stumbling drunk. Misty rain begins to pelt us in the back. The back of my pants become damp and cold in the gale force winds. The sky begins to rumble all around us as we push the last few miles. Lighting flashes on the horizon. There’s gentle rain as we finally set up our tents. But in no time, the thunder and lightning is rolling hard right above us. Fireworks pop on all sides and the rain comes down hard as I get changed into my sleep clothes.
Journey Return 