HIKE TO LITTLE CANYON

Mike announced that since he had worked hard yesterday and completed chores, today he would take it easy and go for a hike. I volunteered to go along for two reasons: 1) I didn’t think he should go alone because of his shoulder, and 2) I am also interested in the topography here. Turns out I’m sure he would have been much better off on his own – probably could have done it in half the time. Leaving our property through the northwest boundary, we worked our way to the bottom of Little Canyon on property owned by the Little Canyon Hunting Preserve. While our trek wasn’t particularly treacherous, it surely wasn’t easy. Our route appeared to be an abandoned road, now overgrown with bramble bushes and other vegetation that make it difficult to traverse. Where we couldn’t find the old road, we used the deer trails. As we neared the bottom, six affection-starved horses eyed us with interest while keeping their distance. We came out on a shotgun practice range at the edge of a road running through the bottom. We had descended 1,000 feet in about 1/2 mile horizontal distance.

I can’t tell you how long we walked in descent – perhaps an hour -- and that wasn’t easy. Now we had to climb back out and the steepness that was behind me as I descended loomed in front to taunt me. I admit it – I was already tired. Mike, of course, needed no refreshment and was ready to climb. We agreed that he would go ahead and I would climb at my own pace. “I can make it to that rock up there,” I would say to myself, then choose another landmark when I reached the rock. I retreated into thought to keep from thinking about the climb. I mentally cut potatoes into our Swiss steak casserole from last night and made a seasoned gravy to pour over it. When we came to the place where our trail intersected the one on the other side of the ravine, we crossed over and hiked that trail. We were now moving in the wrong direction – away from our place -- but we were curious about this old road. We believe it to be the old road to Peck, perhaps the route that the Dobsons used to reach their homesteads. The road is now abandoned and just exists as a trail, largely unused. But alas! It did not afford a better way to get back to the farm, so we retraced to the intersection and then hiked on to the farm. In the end we somehow lost track of our path and used steep deer trails to re-enter our property. Of course, Nellie hiked with us and covered much more territory than we did. I envied her her four legs.

We were out about four hours. I was exhausted! Mike made us a bite to eat. EEEEK! I just got a tick out of my hair!