The Hike, A Triology: Part Two

I'm passing over the top of the Amsas Back on my way home and look back to see Behind the Rocks with the La Sal mountains hidden in the clouds.

It's nice. I've missed hiking and if you know the feeling of being by yourself out hiking in the wild you don't need for me to say anything more. If you don't know the feeling I'm not sure there's anything I can say that will adequately explain it. There is still a lot of trail in front of me, then down Jackson Ladder, where the trail comes out at the bottom into Jackson Hole and I'll turn right and take the trail on this side of the river from the Pot Ash Plant.

I'm looking down at the Jackson Ladder trail and its nearly 3pm. I'm so screwed and it's my own mistakes. Still if I'd have gotten everything right and planned extensively my experiences with Mother Nature are she'll make alternations, changes, things to add to the challenge. She's creative like that. Take the test first. If you live, you've learned the lesson.

I use to bound up and down this trail when I was doing the grid search of No Man's Land ten or so years ago. Every day for a month on the north side of Amasa Back but I'm not feeling that today. The first time I ever climbed it 13 years ago I remember looking at this hanging rock that was pinched between others thinking it would be gone the next time I was here. Then finding this petroglyph and thinking this one doesn't appear to be very old.

Finally I'm close to the bottom but a much slower descent than in previous days. I can see the Saddle, and when I reach where the pipeline goes under the river to the Pot Ash plant I get my first glimpse of the Anti Cline in the distance which sits not far from my front yard. I've got less than two hours to go the final five miles, much of it sandy and or up hill before it's completely dark.