Chat
07-02-2018, 10:31 AM
This was one of the more interesting bits of the hike, although difficult to capture in pictures. I suggested we leave the trail and hike up a dry creek bed. It turned out to be a fascinating detour. Herb found a softball-sized chunk of fossilized dinosaur bone that was good enough to rival anything found in a shop, and we all found unique rocks to take home. At this point, the gravelly creek bed became a narrow chute of smooth sandstone that required some climbing. I was able to shimmy up by placing my hands and feet on either side of the chute and spidering up. I knew Finn and Herb's young goat, Barry, could jump high enough, but I wasn't sure about the dog or the other two goats who were carrying packs.
Here I'm looking down at them while Phil scales the crack. The photo is deceptive. The notch was deeper than it appears.
Finn originally jumped up after me, but then he went back and explored the far side of the notch and created a false path for Sputnik.
Finn leaped across the canyon when Sputnik came up his path. The dog was able to scramble up with a boost from Herb, and Herb's goat Shelby made a valiant attempt to scale the wall. But the weight of the pack pulled him back down and Herb had to take him back and find a detour.
Sputnik scaled this wall and then got stuck. He wasn't sure where to go. Finn had leaped across the notch with no problem, but Sputnik is not as athletic as Finn and was wearing the packsaddle. The walls of the notch sloped back as they got higher, making it a much wider jump than I was comfortable with. I'm not sure Sputnik was comfortable with it either, but he also didn't seem comfortable with the idea of hiking back down the canyon and finding a way around.
Sputnik had to land where Finn is standing, which is probably a good 10-12 feet across. He contemplated his next move for quite a long time while we waited for Herb and Shelby to take their detour.
I thought Sputnik would choose to go back down and take the detour as well, and I was about to hike down myself and encourage him in that direction, but he suddenly took flight and leaped across. I wish I'd gotten a photo of it! He sauntered up to me afterward like it was no big deal.
I love Sputnik's expression: "Do you mean we have to climb up there?"
*Sigh*
Here I'm looking down at them while Phil scales the crack. The photo is deceptive. The notch was deeper than it appears.
Finn originally jumped up after me, but then he went back and explored the far side of the notch and created a false path for Sputnik.
Finn leaped across the canyon when Sputnik came up his path. The dog was able to scramble up with a boost from Herb, and Herb's goat Shelby made a valiant attempt to scale the wall. But the weight of the pack pulled him back down and Herb had to take him back and find a detour.
Sputnik scaled this wall and then got stuck. He wasn't sure where to go. Finn had leaped across the notch with no problem, but Sputnik is not as athletic as Finn and was wearing the packsaddle. The walls of the notch sloped back as they got higher, making it a much wider jump than I was comfortable with. I'm not sure Sputnik was comfortable with it either, but he also didn't seem comfortable with the idea of hiking back down the canyon and finding a way around.
Sputnik had to land where Finn is standing, which is probably a good 10-12 feet across. He contemplated his next move for quite a long time while we waited for Herb and Shelby to take their detour.
I thought Sputnik would choose to go back down and take the detour as well, and I was about to hike down myself and encourage him in that direction, but he suddenly took flight and leaped across. I wish I'd gotten a photo of it! He sauntered up to me afterward like it was no big deal.
I love Sputnik's expression: "Do you mean we have to climb up there?"
*Sigh*