Both the Spy Twins are working on their eagle projects right now. There are two sections of "The Great Western Trails Project" that needed signs put up along sections of the trail. The boys decided to do these for their projects. Nova Spy's project was on Rainey Creek. The boys had gone up with Mr. Bechtel the Saturday before and hiked in several miles on both trails just to get a feel for where they were and which sections would work with horses, etc.
Then on Tuesday the boys got done with school at noon. Granny Smith and I joined Mr. Bechtel and the boys. The goal was to get at least 2 posts in before dark. It was a gorgeous day. Just perfect.
We had a tough time getting really good maps. One with topo lines would have been helpful. (Possibly discouraging, but helpful!)
This map at the trail head was the best one. We started where the sign says trailhead and went 2.5 miles on trail 066. Then the trail continued on 081 past Hunts Corral past N. Fork of Palisades Creek and down the canyon to the last two sign locations
.
The first post was supposedly dropped at the first bridge. Everytime we crossed a little bridge like this we would look hopefully for a post, but no luck! Keep going!
Finally we found the South Fork of Rainey Creek (no bridge). The boys put the sign on the post and planted it 2 feet in the ground.
One Down. Six to go.
We pressed on up the pass. After awhile Granny Smith and I realized we were slowing the boys down so we turned around and headed the 3.5 miles back alone. The two of us got a bit scared, even though Mr. Bechtel gave me his pistol. Granny Smith kept asking questions like, "What would happen if we met a bear??" I tried to be nonchalant and mellow, but I was praying we wouldn't run into anything, because I couldn't see that working out well any way I thought about it. We sang the whole way back "Teeeeelllll you 'bout them sooobbbbin' women who lived in the roman daaayyys!" I did see fresh bear sign on the trail. (Which I did not show Granny Smith) and we passed a tree trunk that had just been ripped open. Fresh wood chips were scattered on the trail. But I didn't see anything so we just kept singing and made it back to the car just fine.
Meanwhile the boys hiked several more miles to Hunt's Corral and put up the next sign.
Then they sang the whole way out while jogging and trotting in the dark, which takes talent!
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