Clouds at Sunset

While the primary purpose of our 24 hour outing was to test the latest batch of primitive pots in a campfire, and, while it was quite hot and fairly buggy, there were some scenic rewards:  A beautiful cloud smeared sunset for one.

Pit Firing

At the end of May, in our camp in the Swell, we put some of VSO's primitive pots into the campfire.  The firing failed.  There were problems with the clay that VSO mixed, but also we didn't achieve ceramic status because the fire was too cool.  Yesterday, we tried again.

We did a few things differently.  First, we dug a pit.  Second, I brought the saw so we could cut a good pile of wood.  Third, VSO used her new pyrometer to ensure that the fire reached 750F.  When the flames died down, we covered the whole thing with dirt and went to bed.  This morning we dug it up.  Success was mixed.  But, there was success:  Intact ceramic!

Shingle Mill

When we drove past the lower trailhead for the Shingle Mill Trail yesterday, the temperature was 98F.  EDO likes the trail and wanted to show it off.  I was not completely unwilling to walk on it (uphill) for a few minutes, but I didn't think we'd get far.  (I had just finished reading an article about a guy who went hiking in Death Valley yesterday and died of heat stroke.)  We continued up the Chalk Creek Road for a while and EDO pointed out that the upper trailhead wasn't too far away and that—if we had a shuttle—we could do a one-way hike—all downhill.

Well.  We did have a shuttle.  We had VSO.  So, we got out of GC2 at the top.  The thermometer on the truck said 88F.  Frosty!  It was about three and a half miles from top to bottom.  The upper elevation was around 9,300 feet and the lower trailhead was at 6,900 feet.  (2,400 hundred feet of vert.)  We made it in 90 minutes.  It was steep.  It was hot.  I don't know about EDO, but I was happy to see VSO and GC2.

Have I Mentioned the Heat?

EDO needed to return to Fillmore from Price, but instead of sending her to I-70 and through Salina, we decided to caravan to Skyline for a hike.  Afterwards, she would be in position to go down Fairview Canyon and across the Sanpete Valley to Nephi.  (And I could drive back to Price.)  The hike was Rolfson Canyon.  At first I thought we could walk up from the road to the snow drifts along the Skyline.  But we had just two hours to hike (total) and it was hot.  I walked very slowly.  After an hour, we were half way.  We stopped to look at some 100 year old arborglyphs, but it was time to turn around.  It was hot.  Clear and hot.  We were at 9400 feet and it was very uncomfortable.  Miserable.  I felt sorry for myself.

Cone Crop

I've started to notice pinyon pine trees loaded with cones.  The cones, when ripe, produce seeds—popularly known as pine nuts—that are edible by humans, but also a good source of food for birds and other wildlife.  The girls have harvested pine nuts for us on a couple of past occasions, but it is difficult to collect the seeds without coming home with fingers covered in pitch.

Horse Canyon

I'm still trying to get to know the forest.  So, yesterday, I left one of the Jeeps at the Horse Canyon Trailhead along Huntington Creek and jumped in with a colleague who shuttled me to Scad Valley.  The first part is uphill:  You have to climb from the trailhead to the saddle where the East Mountain Trail splits off, an elevation gain of about 800 feet.  But the rest of the way is downhill and it is a pretty nice walk.  I know that I have already mentioned this, but the spectacular wildflower season continues:  Everywhere I looked there was color.  I took my time and popped out at the Jeep around 2:30p.

Green Summer

Yesterday, we did a two hour out-n-back on the Left Fork Huntington Trail.  We started at the top and walked a short way into the gorge before turning back.  We were surrounded by lush, bright green flora.  It is true that summer has arrived, but after a very wet winter it will be a while before the mountain valleys turn brown.