In Regards to 5/15

Holy Shit!

Today has been most wild. I woke up to the sound of pattering on my tent. I figured it was rain and just rolled over. It will finish soon enough. Much later it's still coming down. But isn't that shadows of sunlight filtering through branches overhead? My tent has a rain fly but the main body is all mesh. There's a narrow space at the bottom where I can look outside. I do so and see snow. Thick, wet, packing snow. Open the zipper and Oh Shit! Snow everywhere! It clings to all the branches in this dense wood an inch thick.

After taking pictures of this madness I pack up. Everything is wet. Everything is not better when wet. Some things are better left dry. Right glad am I to have retrieved Mom made socks. Wool continues to insulate when wet.

I head towards the way I came in, thinking I'll camp somewhere along the way so I can get to Khatgal in time. All this snow is dangerous. I can't make out landmarks from yesterdays scouting mission. I can't orientate myself to features on the horizon, snowfall continues to obscure my vision.

The passage eludes me, yet the challenge eggs me on. I find this wandering thrilling. I'm on an entirely different planet than I was yesterday. Blind luck and heedless abandon lead me onward. Perhaps histories worst escape plan.

I've wandered too far south. A slope I hadn't encountered yesterday. Head back downhill towards the lake, try to relocate previous days passage. Deer prints in the snow. I follow his path, a rocky outcropping, and the promise of a vantage point. Just what I needed.

The promise proves true, a sight of the river, my path out of here. Moving forward now, intersecting familiar ground. Past old ramshackle huts and corrals. Abandoned? A grove filled with songbirds, singing like they own the place. Return to tussocks.

Miles and miles of tussocks. Thankfully low points are frozen in this snow, no foot drenchings today. But this land is so difficult to hike. My ankles are slowly getting destroyed.

Almost out now. I can see the town across the river. A dog, menacing, chases after me barring his teeth and barking in a threatening way. Ranch children come out and chase it away with snowballs. Saved. Then the rancher calls out to me. I go to meet him and he offers his geir for the night. Double saved!

With my poor Mongolian and his poor English we manage to communicate. He will call my driver tomorrow and tell him to pick me up at the family ranch. Perfect. Now I've got everything that I need. A cozy geir to rest in and dry my wet gear. A friend to communicate my transportation needs. I am truly grateful and, after todays arduous hike, deeply in need of a rest. It's 4pm and I'm going to bed. Peace!

Pix for 5/15

In Regards to 5/14

I'm feeling lazy today. I don't know why. I just couldn't pull myself out of bed, even after having turned in early last night. I poked my head out the tent last night. Still in my sleeping bag I just stared up into the stars until it got too cold. It reminded me of a family vacation in Utah. I was sharing a tent with my brother David. Brother Mike came over and encouraged us to look out at the stars. We just laid there and stared. At the time it was the most stars I had ever seen in my life. It's a warm, happy memory.

Today after rising late I went on a scouting mission. My time here grows short so I must make my way back to Khatgal. My ride is to meet me there at 2pm on Sunday, the 16th. I don't know the guy and my phone doesn't work up here so if I miss the meet I may just be stuck. That would suck. So I should begin to head back tomorrow. On my mission today I felt clumsy, tripping over rocks and sticks alike. I hope I'm better balanced tomorrow. Clumsy like that with a full pack is just dumb.

I think I'll take another hike down to the lake to filter pump more water. Then back to camp for more sleep. It's been thinly overcast all day, not likely to get my awesome sunset, fire and stars. Damn. The night of the 11th was really the climax of this trip. Since then things have been beginning to drag. Maybe it's the food. Anyhow, I'll be back in UB soon enough for some final goodbyes and then it's fly to Hawaii. Sweet.

In Regards to 5/13

Yesterdays wind storm lasted several hours and into the night. I couldn't even read in my tent, my fingers were freezing. Later on I stepped out to piss. The wind had blown away all the clouds. The sky overhead was full of magnificent stars but the temperature had dropped well below freezing. I couldn't stay up for long so it was back to bed. The cold winds forced me to bundle up harder than ever before.

I slept late again. I just can't rise without some warmth. With nobody to motivate me I rely on the sun. Finally it heats up my tent and I roll out. Todays morning preparations include packing old clothes at the bottom of my bag. Before saddling up I gather wood and build a fire ring. If it's nice this evening I'll return and light a fire, watch the sun set, hopefully see some stars and night hike back to my camp.

Today's hike to find my current camp was weird. I had a headache the whole time, perhaps as a result of sleeping downhill. I had scouted a nice looking spot from Perfecto Ridge but today it eluded me. I eventually came across another nice ridge and called it camp.

An excursion to the lake took an hour. What's more I couldn't see my current camp from any vantage. I'm calling this place Camp Stealth because it cannot be seen.

Clouds have rolled in. I don't think I'm getting the sunset I wanted. Scratch the fire and night hike. Perhaps tomorrow night will prove more favorable.

Pix for 5/13

In Regards to 5/12

Snow last night. It pattered then slid off my tent with unusual sound. Coupled with my head down orientation made for a surreal night. I'm on only the slightest of grades but when I lie down I feel as though I'm hanging by my feet.

Anxious last night. I had my day's excursion all planned out and couldn't wait to begin. Overcast all night. I had hoped to see stars but no such luck. Morning came gray and chilly and I no longer wanted to rise. I slept in until what felt like very late, then made tea and was off.

I followed my ridge to shore according to my plan. I found it to be only 300 yards distance and easy to find so my return was clear. At shoreline I scouted for water sources. Some of the melted bits were treacherous to access. Have to be careful, falling in during this weather could prove deadly. I followed the shore to my Slope of Good Hope getting wet as I lay in snow to take pictures of miniature ice caves. I hope these pics turn out, the cyan shadows in the depths were awesome (note: in the pix below I had to alter the light levels and contrast to do these images justice.)

Back to the slope and I found my socks. Rest a bit, munch some G.O.R.P., drink some filtered lake water. Nice. Overcast day changes the tone, I'm feeling calmed today, humbled. I explore a bit more, further north than I first camp but soon turn back. Across the lake I can see storms brewing. Gusts of wind on my side alternate rapidly between chilly to mysteriously warm. Tornado weather?

Filter more water then back up to the ridge to camp. I can't tell what time it is, the sun is obscured by overcast sky. Exploring the opposite side of the ridge proves disappointing. Back to camp and I'm exhausted. Hunker down for a bit and maybe make some dinner in a while. The wind has kicked up something fierce.