Off the Trail Again

[merlin]

After the first hard freeze Monday night, hard to imagine hiking in tee shirt and shorts today. But another off-trail adventure beckoned, with warm sunshine and a cloudless sky.

It is always somewhat treacherous to abandon the relative safety of the trail for steeper inclines, dicey footing, lots of sharp-thorned cacti, and scrambling on all fours back up to the top of the mesa. But the rewards of being amongst the amazing rock cliffs and formations, close to the earth, and the stillness and solitude, make the effort well worthwhile.

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[Lazydog1]

I love hiking in that type of terrain. Do you carry much water or are there streams / pools to get water?
When we were back in South Africa (we now live in the UK) my wife and I used to hike in very similar areas of semi-desert. Your photos bring back fond memories of those days. Thanks for sharing.

 

[merlin]

I love hiking in that type of terrain. Do you carry much water or are there streams / pools to get water?
When we were back in South Africa (we now live in the UK) my wife and I used to hike in very similar areas of semi-desert. Your photos bring back fond memories of those days. Thanks for sharing.

Much appreciate your kind words, David! We carry about two quarts for a 4-5 hour or so hike, but as kayakers also, are used to having only a little to drink en route.

Definitely no pools of water, and in the areas where there are streams or rivers, the water would need to be purified in order to be safe for drinking. Occasionally there are some hikes that have springs along the way, and these are generally safe.