Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Monday Hike

Linny couldn't come back to the lodge with me but Linda did. As we're driving back I called Michelle to see what Jax was up to and she said he hadn't been hiking since he left here and he just sits around in the house doing nothing. I said I'm coming right through Provo on the way back to Moab and will be there in about half an hour. Michelle said she was going to get gas right by a freeway exit and would meet me there. Jax jumps out of the car, into the truck and on Monday we're hiking.

There were two guys staying at the lodge working on Doug's hogan on top of the cliffs when I left. When I got back Johnny said they had left Friday saying they had another job to do and would be back in three weeks. Linda, Jax, and I swung by to see how much had been accomplished.

As we're walking along the cliff road a bald eagle flies right up next to us just 30 feet away. I call Jax quickly but the eagle doesn't seem to care about him. I don't think to take a picture until he's past us.
As we're taking the main road back to the lodge I see a flicker of movement to my left. Jax stops and smells the air in the same direction. We look at each other and you can tell he knows that I know, and I know that he knows, there's something not right. As we start hiking over to something not right, a conspiracy of 20 or so ravens take off into the air. When there are that many ravens together it's never good news. As we walk over the hill there's a cow that has passed quite some time ago and smells the same.
Driving out to the lodge Sunday evening there were cattle tracks going up Hurrah and cattle scat that weren't there when I drove into town on Friday and we spotted five cows out on Dex's property. I'd already called the cowboys to tell them they still have at least five cows out here. I'll be calling them back to tell them this one won't be leaving.

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