Spring Break Part II: Cottonwood Canyon

When we last saw our hero, he had just discovered that he was on a death march through the desert without the proper maps or directions. This ant provides Larry with needed motivation. I tell Larry that if this little ant can carry his own weight in food, surely Larry can carry food for four days and two gallons of water (not to mention about twenty pounds of other stuff).



Not wanting to be outdone by an ant, Larry shoulders his pack and moves on down the canyon. Destination: ten miles up Cottonwood Canyon where we think we'll find a spring (according to the directions I left in the car, if we remember correctly. Much discussion is had on this point.)



Larry sheds his pack and his shirt to enjoy a glorious moment in the sun.



Meanwhile, I scan the horizon trying to figure out where the trail is.



Later in the day, miles and miles down the trail, Larry refills the water bottles from his gallon jug. We're almost out of water. Will we find water before nightfall?



We don't find water, but we find these cool thunder eggs embedded in a rock wall.



Look how much fun Larry is having carrying his 63 pound pack through the desert heat. (Let's see how well you know Larry. Can you answer this question: How do I know Larry's pack weighed exactly 63 pounds? Answer: He stowed the bathroom scale under the front seat of the Honda and weighed his pack at the trailhead.)



Finally, we see this lovely site, a lone cottonwood tree. There must be water nearby, eh?



There is water. We are saved.



We set up our luxurious camp, and all is well for now.



Tune in next time for Part III in which Larry and I become hopelessly lost--twice in one day--causing us to reexamine the meaning of life and the basis of our relationship.