Lots of deer in the area. This morning they are bouncing all over the perimeter of the campground.
This day, I'm "on the trail" around 8:00AM...and, today, it's a little cloudy...and cooler.
I hike the "Manzanita/Smith Spring Loop"...it's only a short two-mile hike but, with lots of detours on smaller side trails, I figure that I hiked a total of almost five miles.
Back at camp, I rest for awhile, and then head out on the "Guadalupe Peak Trail"...but it's very rugged...and very steep. I can barely cover a mile and a half before turning back. But I did get a little closer look at the mountains themselves. They are very unique...unlike other mountain ranges ground out by ancient glaciers or "heaved up" by the clash of tectonic plates, the Guadalupe Mountains are actually the remnants of ancient coral reefs. Over 100 million years ago, this whole area was covered by a huge "ocean"...long since gone. Now these "reef" are all that remain.
Now it's afternoon, and time to relax in camp...listen to news on the satellite radio "boombox"...read a little. A group of backpackers return from the Guadalupe Mountain Trail by horseback...they've been out for over five days. Both campers and horses get packed up and head off. A few more hikers straggle back to the campground...pack up...leave, By the magic hour of 4:00PM, I am again completely alone here...not another soul for miles.
More margaritas...the prickly pear population here has been significantly depleted these last several days. I've got leftover steak and pork...so I chunk that up and throw it in a big pot of "gourmet" Ramen Noodles...it's a multi-national, one-pot meal. Another bottle of wine...my last bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir...sad.
The stars are out again tonight...even a few shooting stars. I finish the wine and break out the "CatDaddy" Carolina white whiskey. It only takes a few of those to properly position me for a good night's sleep.
According to my itinerary, I should be leaving here tomorrow for Big Bend National Park. But there has been a change in plans. I've been working on a "family matter"...something that will be really "special"...really historic. And, today, I've gotten the message through Facebook, that all is ready to go.
So...tomorrow, I'll be heading north and east...to the town of Lubbock, Texas. I am so excited about tomorrow, that I can hardly sleep (CatDaddy notwithstanding). Tomorrow is really going to be something!
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