Day 3 Gooch Mtn to Lance Creek Camp

We broke camp at an early hour, perhaps 9AM. Carol aka Wildflower decided to hike together. We're a pretty good team. She loves to talk and shows great concern for others, those that we have met in our travels. It's her nurse quality, caring for others. Meanwhile, I'm a faithful listener with positive feedback.
What she lacks in a built in compass, Carol makes up for it with every ample medical supply one could need on the trail. I provide the compass and positive feedback. We talk about family and friends. We talk about accomplishments and goals and the little failures and challenges that life throws at us. There are rewards in life that go unnoticed until you have a willing listener.
We travel close to 9 miles and with hardly any elevation change. A welcome relief but we're aware the next day will be a hearty challenge heading up Blood Mountain.
We took a break when we reached Preaching Rock, an enormous slab of granite near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain, that invites hikers to relax in the sun while overlooking the expanses of Blood Mountain Reserve. I took the moment to remove my pack and lay flat on the sun-heated granite. The warmth brought fresh oxygen to the tender muscles in my back. A perfect therapy.
When it was time to move on, I flung my pack onto my back but I didn't realize the bear canister that was tamped down on the top of my backpack had broken loose. Before I could move to catch the canister, it bounced on the granite like a super ball, heading directly toward the cliff. It bounced once then twice before it bounced a third time, catching a sharp ledge in the granite which shifted its direction to the right. It rolled then, hitting another ledge that shifted its direction again toward the cliff edge, gone forever. But then again, the canister caught another ledge, popped up again and hit a tree, rolling a few more yards before laying up against a tree about 40 yards away from where I stood.
I started after it, but Garrett jumped first before I could. He retrieved my canister, including all my food supplies and most of my toiletries and medical equipment. It really could have been a tragic loss. Good kid!
We set up camp at Lance Creek Camp. Set up my tent and cooked a lasagna dinner. It was a brilliant day with all the adventure we could want.
Gaven, Garrett and Conner, our newest travel companion are all camping out in individual tents.
A beautiful night.Read more