Dripping Springs Bench

A few weeks or so ago when Jax and I were pushing cows out of Dripping Springs some of them went on a bench area to the west instead of down the road we were trying to get them down to the bottom. Heading out just a little ways on the bench area I realized how massive it was and I had never hiked any of it barely three miles, maybe four, from the lodge. We passed through some of it again trying to get up to the mine with the collapsed road. On this day we're taking it all the way to the end. It did not start well. Jax took a large piece of cactus in his left front paw. There were five deep needles and when I pulled the whole piece out three long ones stayed in his foot and I had to pull them one at a time. Jax is such a trooper. When he gets stickers he deals with it but when he gets cactus, he just freezes and waits for me. He doesn't wimper or anything, just freezes.

After all the needles were out he starting hiking again like nothing happened.

The bench area just kept going. We did at least a couple miles and we aimed for a high point.

We had never been this far to be right under Four Fingers and a Thumb.

We could have gone another mile or two but I was a little nervous about getting back before dark so I say "White truck". Jax turns around and heads back.