From Hurrah

Snake Kobae

To Hurrah

Last guests checked out, time to go hiking. Tom opens the gate at noon and they're off. Not taking even a single rest, five hours later Kobae and Tom are on top of Hurrah with only two hours to get back before dark. Not going to happen. Once Kobae found a place to settle in for the night Tom covers him up to keep him warm and hikes back to Base Camp for the truck and return him to his home.

Lockhart Basin

With all the things that can happen to someone out here, the only thing Tom has ever felt uncomfortable with is Lockhart Basin. The poor excuse for a road that goes to the Needles District and he does three or four water drops for hikers of the Hayduke and Discovery trails. On Monday Tom visited it for the first time this year and found a huge flood had taken out all the difficult parts in Lockhart Canyon and it's a nice trail now. Things change all the time so Tom enjoys it while he can.

Hanging Out With Who's Up and What's Up

Young Side-blotched lizards hunting on the side walk. A Carpenter bee pulls nectar from flowers of the Desert Willow. What's Up male Side-blotched lizard (shedding) that runs the front porch. Who's Up, female Side-blotched lizard that beats What's Up to the flies nine out of ten times. House sparrows, White Crowned sparrows, Black Headed Cow birds, and White Tailed Antelope squirrels. White Tailed Antelope squirrel taking Kobae leftovers. What's Up, Who's Up, and Kobae. What's Up is none too happy Who's Up is beating him to all the flies so he nips her a couple times and does some push ups to show her he's boss, then comes to Tom, gives him the evil eye and a few push ups to let Tom know he's the one who gets the flies. A small fly lands behind Who's Up and in her hurry to get the fly also gets a piece of cucumber which she has trouble extracting from her mouth without losing the fly. Once doing so, a few celebratory push ups. What's Up is keeping track of a fly airborne. When it lands What's Up stares at it as a good spotter does, then looks to Tom to make sure he saw the spot. He did and a few seconds later there is contact. Tom places a fly between Who's Up and What's Up and the result is the usual. Bugs, the rabbit joins them.

Hiking with Kobae

Linny and the Jets (Always Wanted To Say That)

Monday Evening

Getting Some Zzzzzzs

Always Exploring

Learning Curve? Apparently Not

Eight Hours Later

Michael and Katie had gone kayaking, Brian and Grant were mountain biking Jackson Hole, Albertina and Iain had ATV'd off to Chicken Corner and that left Kobae and Tom. Kobae headed down the driveway with Wind Caves written all over his face. But, the sun came out, so shade break. The sun went away, off hiking, the sun came out, shade break...........two miles, and eight hours later, Kobae and Tom arrive at the Wind Caves.

We Are Gathered Here (It's In His Head)

Minor League

The sidewalk, with Kobae leftovers, is where all the small Side-blotched and Fence lizards go to practice their hunting skills hoping that when they grow up, they will be invited to the porch with their idols Who's Up and What's Up.

The Way Home

It Calls Him

Sarcasm Switch: ON

Tom is equally surprised. He also thought Kobae would easily fit under the gate, three times.

Rock Squirrel

Compass Cactus

Perfect Circles

A single shredded blade of weed, spends the day, blending with the changing winds, to create perfect circles.

Dead End, Without Help

Kobae knows this canyon is a dead end unless Tom picks him up and lifts him over the ledge. Kobae hates being picked up and that's fine because it's not Tom's favorite activity either. Still, once or twice a week, this is the canyon Kobae picks to hike.

Kobae's Not Going to be Happy

It cooled down, Kobae came out, ate a little, then went hiking. Kobae can leave his food out because nobody messes with his food while he's gone. Today someone did.

The Road Home

Kobae Come to the Light

Because of Kobae's failed Base Jumping attempt in the last post, and resulting long detour, Kobae and Tom are late returning to Base Camp. The first four years when it got dark, Kobae was done. Last year Tom discovered he will follow a head lamp, just not very quickly.

The Path Less Traveled Again

You Got Shelter

Caught on the edge of a rain storm returning from the Mother Ship, Tom is nervous. There is lighting all around and thunder booming overhead. They are exposed and Tom wants to get out of the open area as quick as possible. Quick and Kobae, two words rarely seen in the same sentence.

Kobae and the Mother Ship

Tom has always thought Kobae's facial features look a little like ET. Maybe that's why he wanders the area evenings, trying to figure out where he came from, how he got here. Today a brief rain cooled everything and by 3pm Kobae was at the gate ready to go exploring. It initially appeared they were headed to Hurrah Pass. Then Kobae turned off and headed for the rock that looks like a fossilized star ship complete with windows. Reaching the bottom of the fossilized ship, Kobae stopped and stared at it for a long time, perhaps searching his memory banks. Kobae moved underneath and began smelling it, threw a little dirt on his back and appeared content to spend the night. Eyeing the approaching storm Tom eventually got Kobae headed back to the lodge.

Kobae and the Double Rainbow

Rabbit on Tee to Eight

Saturday Over Hurrah