Moments in Dirt and Ink

Carson National Forest Click for map. I've decided to do those other three peaks that circle Williams Lake even if I probably won't continue all the way to Wheeler again. It would be pretty cool to get the state high point by a second route, I've done the other state high point by two different routes , but the guy on Peakbagger who waxes poetic about how going from Kachina around to Wheeler is a most delightful learning route progressing steadily from class 2 to class 4 with generally solid hand holds makes me pretty certain I would have no business trying it, especially on my own. Others assure me that it will also be delightful to drop down and visit the lake, but requiring no more than a scramble. So the plan is to go up Kachina and continue to Lake Fork Peak and unnamed 12819 before retreating and dropping down, unless something makes me drop down sooner. Getting up to Kachina can be done by a cross country route or just following ski roads most the way. This...

Carson National Forest Click for map. Listening to the weather man is useless. It seems like the prediction for the day after tomorrow is more accurate for the coming day. I was going to go to the top of New Mexico yesterday and it would have been a beautiful day for it, but I let the worsening prediction made the day before persuade me to wait. Also the huge downpour in the night to add to the general level of water available for recycling was a factor making me uneasy. No more flinching, I'm off to the high point. I want to come down along the Wheeler Peak Trail, so I'm just going to walk the two miles up the road with an early start. That means my pancakes got cooked up the night before, but they're chocolate so they're still good cold. It's already getting a little light as I begin the chug up the good dirt road. In winter it is 4WD only as it has some steep spots, but for summer those spots are just a little washboardy. It's interesting that one st...