one mud hole, one water hole
Posted by Zonie on April 20, 2020 at 04:32:06
I went to the state trust land today. It was sunny and in the lower 80's in the afternoon. I headed south from Dynamite Road and found one mud hole in which to wallow, plaster myself and cool off. I had to wait as there were plenty of off-road vehicles. I then headed south to coyote central. Many off-road vehicle riders waved to me, not the least concerned that I was covered with mud. The hike, however, was all dry until I reached the main ATV area. There was still a large water hole there left over from the winter rains. It will probably be a mud hole in a couple weeks. I waded in there. Going was difficult as the bottom was very uneven and the water too muddy to see the bottom, but it was cool and refreshing, and it enabled me to do most of the cleanup right there. A fellow sitting in a truck bed was watching me and when I emerged from the water, taking a tire with me, offered me some food, but I thanked him and declined. Maybe he thought I was entertaining. I then reversed course and headed back to Dynamite Road, having spent four hours there.
My socks were totally trashed, and my overalls had developed a tear, so I omitted those from the laundry. A rapid warmup is expected. The revised long-range forecast calls for next Sunday's maximum temperature to be 101°F. If I go back next weekend, I'll have to stay close to that water hole for survival. It won't do to hike long distances in dry clothes in such weather.