[photos and reference links coming in May]
So it’s a zero today. Amber makes oatmeal and I ask Caleb how he got into hunting. His respect for animals comes from deeper experience than what I can aspire to — life in Louisiana swamps, Texas grasslands, this place. It’s impossible to live without killing something else. He’s worked on farms, animal and vegetable. Industrial lettuce farms bury, slice, crush or poison every creature on their acreage. Looked in the eyes of cows knee deep in shit on the finishing lot. Wanted to be more self sufficient and ethical about sourcing food. He harvested his first black bear while out for something else; now he takes their meat from other hunters who don’t want it. Unfortunately bear isn’t on our menu today (he says it tastes delicious and sweetish). Hunters. I would like to get to know them more.
I don’t get much done. Spend an hour cleaning the bathhouse in exchange for meals and my campsite today, a great deal. Thank you Amber! Make friends with another visitor who’s been hanging around the store, Sean. Strumming, toking Southwest-phile who recently moved to Durango. Curly dark brown hair and a face kind of like my Dad’s from pictures when he was younger. He pitches me on John Wesley Powell’s account of his Colorado River expedition, which I am adding to my want to read list. We take his car to the Salt Creek trailhead and spend the afternoon exploring up washes. Salt Creek is a highly recommended Hayduke alternate but I find it very sandy, so I think I’ll take a different route tomorrow.
It’s supposed to rain tonight and sure looks like it. Rain brings cold and wind, but also water I’ll badly need, as I have no idea where my next source will be after I leave tomorrow…