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The Boulderfield, 2nd Day (pg. 2)... |
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by Jerry Cates |
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The banner above says this was the second day at the Boulderfield. In terms of sheer number of hours, that is correct, but it was the third calendar day at the Boulderfield, reckoning from my arrival on the evening of the 15th... Unlike the day before, the sky today was overcast. Worse, heavier clouds would, from time to time, billow over the Keyhole as shown in the photo below. I had thought about possibly attempting a second summit today, but the nasty weather got in the way... Another 8 hours on the Keyhole trail did not sound very inviting. Besides, I had only one floppy disk left for taking digital photos. The clincher, though, was the fact that the weather looked lousy.
So, before too long I packed up all my gear and started down the trail toward Goblin's Forest. I used up the last floppy disk taking photos of wild flowers near Granite Pass. On reaching treeline, I met again a family of three- a husband, wife, and young daughter- who had camped nearby at the Boulderfield. We talked, and the wife volunteered that she had heard my labored breathing that first night, and had become concerned. The daughter, a very pretty child with blonde hair and blue eyes, told her parents about a flower she found near the trail. I took her by the hand and led her to a small stand of Limber Pines to demonstrate why they had that name. You can bend each branch into a pretzel without breaking it. While there, I noticed for the first time that one of her arms was missing... She appeared to be a tough kid, with a strong spirit and a good, inquiring mind. I am convinced she will do great things when she grows up. Next: The Boulderfield, August 17, 1999, page 3... Longs Peak Menu ... Bugsinthenews ... Books About Longs Peak |
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