New Year's Eve

The days are the same, high 30's about to be low 40's and perfect weather for hiking. We've got about 10 days before it gets in the low 30s as the high and even that if there's not much wind is great hiking. I didn't see any foxes for a couple days so I thought we had a mountain lion but Jax and I have hiked the property the last few days and no carcass of a kill anywhere and last night there were five foxes so the evenings are good. All three feeding area are full of birds in the mornings and no hawks for four or five days. Life is good.

Jax and I went back in The Fingers and the middle finger so to speak at the very end was where Linny had one of her scenes in the horror movie The Canyonlands filmed here. The two big rocks right in the middle of the first picture below is right where Linny was filmed. Those rocks have since come down and crushed the spot she was standing on.

Life

Had three night where nobody showed up to eat so I assumed the mountain lion was here but Jax and I walked the property and didn't find any tracks at all. Little bit of beach at the bottom of the creek, nice trail around the corner to the boat ramp. Left a two seater and two, one seaters down there in case somebody wanted to go and put the rest away for the winter. Gravel pit is all cleaned up and the Base Camp raods are all in good shape.

The dock sank last year and is back and working.

Wandered over to Dripping Springs again and hiked the north side of the entrance.

Same story everywhere out here this year. It's quiet. I see or hear one or two vehicles per day and that's abou it.

Christmas

Jax and I hiked next door to the house and the folks staying there hiked with us down Boulder Canyon.

Christmas Eve

Jax and I hiked up Hurrah Pass and thnn back down again.

Dripping Springs, Four Fingers and a Thumb mine

When Jax and I got to the third obstacle on the road to Dripping Springs instead of going left into Dripping Springs we went right. Many years ago I discovered a mine that still had everything in it. Plates and silverware on the table with four chair, a bottle of wine, carton of Lucky Strike, jackets hanging up and two pair of boots sitting there. In the early days I hiked it with guests. Then I sent a couple of familites up there one day several years ago and they told me there was a cave in right by the mind and they could see some of the stuff in there but the opening was narrow and they didn't want to take a chance. Jax and I headed out to see what it looked like now. You can see the mine top center of the first picture. Gonna be a climb.

We're taking the old mining road zig zagging back and forth. It's the long way but also the only way.

We're almost up to the Four Fingers and a Thumb rock and the next turn should take us to the mine. Jax finds a dead Kangaroom rat and when we get 500 feet or so from the mine a huge rock slide has buried the road.

I don't see a safe way around it. Time to head back.