Two Days Off!?
- bobmillerjr
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
I'm about to head out with my thumb crew (see previous post), but wanted to quickly post my latest adventure following the last crew. I feel like if I don't keep up, then I'll just be piling posts on top of one another and never get caught up. Doing my best to stay current!
Normally when I am done with a crew in the field, on the morning of the fourth day with them (the first day is in basecamp, so actually day three in the backcountry), I have what is called a "hike in day". Basically I need to get back to basecamp that day in order to pick up a crew the following day. There's no deadline for when I need to arrive, I just need to be at the 8 a.m. Ranger meeting the following day and be coherent and lucid enough to get the crew. Some Rangers come in pretty late, and lucidity is widely variable! During that time, I can go anywhere I want, a perk of Ranger-dom.
I was very pleasantly surprised to find out, no doubt through some gremlins in the system, that I was given TWO days off following my hike in day. SO awesome! This means that for the crew I picked up on 6/25, I would leave them on 6/28 and need to be back on 6/30 (or 7/01 by 8 a.m., but I'm not up for that!). This gives me two solid days to roam around, and one day to get back into basecamp and do the boring things (laundry, paperwork, resupplying and getting ready for the next crew).
I just had to take advantage, and I did!
I had two goals. First was to visit Window Rock, which is on the west side of the ranch, just inside the Ute Park fire burn area. This was a place I visited with the California crew in 2017, and one of my favorite pictures is Ryan and me at Window Rock. Sorry bud if you're reading this, but you were 14, still on the small side and I swear your pack was bigger than you! But we made it up as we always did, and it was a unique view and experience. There used to be two trails up, but only one was rebuilt after the fire and it was only just opened, so I have to go.
Getting there from the previous camp was a challenge. The initial trail was fine, but the second half was missing. Well, I'm sure it was there somewhere, but between the burn and the downed trees and the regrowth of brush, I couldn't find it to save my life. I did find some short sections and some markers, but could never find the whole thing. Unfortunately, I was committed to that route, since the only other way was to double-back and take a different one. No way I was gonna do that! Besides, I had a map and compass, and new roughly where I was and roughly where I wanted to go. Schwacking it is! It was a fun challenge, but did add some time and miles and took some serious energy. Thank goodness it was still relatively early, though the sun was up. I eventually got to where I wanted to be, but I'm sure the GPS track looks like I was drunk and stumbling around aimlessly!
The route took me past the Demonstration Forest, where I had a chance to catch up with the visiting Foresters. Always a passionate group and I love to learn what they have to share. It's also a great place, since I think it's where the Forestry bug might have bitten Sean on our 2021 trek. Some more pleasant memories!
Up to Window Rock was straightforward if slow going. I had quite a few miles under my boots by this time. I had lunch at the top, and then headed back down for my camp for the night. I decided to stay at Clark's Fork (another stop on the 2017 trek, more great memories!). Besides the great hospitality of the camp staff, and the even greater jambalaya dinner prepared by the cook, I got to sleep on the flat roof of the porch under the stars! Clear night, picture perfect. Every time I rolled over I woke enough to stare in wonder. There are so many stars, that the familiar ones are often obscured by so many others. Just mesmerizing.
The next goal was to complete one of the Ranger "practicals" on Advanced Navigation. Besides the training we undergo initially, we are tasked with attending Continuing Training sessions (known as "CTs") and performing some self-learning that includes activities or exercises to demonstrate proficiency. We have a bunch to choose from, and this seem an obvious (and easy) one for me.
It required me to plot a course between some points and then follow that course as best as possible. The course could not use any roads or trails, entirely schwacking from point to point. This was WAY more difficult than I anticipated because of all of the dead and fallen trees. I drew a perfectly straight line on the map, but no one told the trees lying in my way to get up and move. In the end, it took me longer than expected and wasn't nearly as short as I'd hoped. I was scrambling over rocks and trees, skirting around thick bushes, ducking under broken (and sharp!) branches, for the ENTIRE time! Oh, and it started to rain at one point, so doing that with wet weather gear is fun (and hot). But I did it! And it was somewhat cathartic as I reached each peak. It was enjoyable to have the woods to myself and just enjoy what the ranch has to offer.
After the hiking to the starting point and the actual activity, I then headed for my second camp of the night at Abreu. I knew the staff here, and even though I arrived after dinner time, they had leftovers, which they gladly reheated for me over the wood burning stove (it's the original home and furnishings of the Abreu family from 1910). They didn't have a flat roof, but I slept on the porch and the stars were just as impressive.
The following morning I headed to basecamp, catching a ride so I didn't have to wait for the bus or hike in. I got right to the mundane and had the day to recover a bit.
All told, 37 miles and 6500 feet of elevation over the two days. I also bagged four new peaks. I ate some great food, met some great people, revisited some great memories and just had a great time! I know it's not the primary reason why I am here (the scouts are), but it doesn't suck.
Just enough time to post this and get out on the trail with my next crew!
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