Last night was indeed cold. Much colder than I had anticipated. W didn't sleep very well mainly because we are all overly alert to every noise (was that a bear?). We were in bed by 9:30 last night and up by 6:30 this morning. The boys seemed to do better, although they were cold, as well. Grady talked a lot in his sleep, too, which woke me up several times.
This morning Jake cooked cowboy coffee over the fire, in addition to French toast, sausage and cantaloupe. The coffee is old school, boiled water and coffee grounds tossed into a giant kettle and sent to boil over the fire. You better be able to deal with a few grounds in your mug because the are no filters.
As we get to know Julie and Travis better, we start to realize how lucky we are to have companions like them on this trip. They have been dating for 5 years and own about a dozen horses. Julie is a full time farmer, working soy bean and wheat fields with her grown sons. Travis is in construction with his family business, doing mostly road and civil work. They are both incredibly hard working, salt of the earth people. They are not afraid to pitch in and help, which helps everyone in the camp. Travis is especially great helping with the mules, along with Steve and dad. They are warm and funny people who enjoy a good chuckle. We are so lucky to have met them.
At about 8:30 we walked upstream to try our hand at fly fishing in Little Rocky creek. The fish are small but active and we can easily see them in the clear water. Dad was the expert and caught several fish. Grady preferred playing photographer and snag remover for us instead of fishing. Colby struggled for a while and lost patience quickly, but after help from Steve he was able to cast and land a couple. Mom and I both did well, catching a couple and getting lots of strikes. Steve broke his pole within the first 5 minutes so he spent most of his time helping Colby. It was sunny, warm and beautiful on the creek. We didn't keep any of the fish but sure enjoyed catching them.
Lunch consisted of hot dogs roasted over the fire, Pringles, mini candy bars and fruit. The main beverage is water from the creek and purified in a hanging purification bag or Tang. Colby discovered this drink and is in love with it. There is also hot chocolate and tea for those who don't want cowboy coffee.
After lunch , Jake led us to a super secret spot for some truly divine fishing. We hopped rocks across Little Rocky (some with more agility than others) and made our way up a steep incline. We are at about 8,000 ft in elevation, which kicks just about everyone's butt in regards to breathing. So even this short but steep hike was difficult and required several catch-your-breath rests. As we climbed, the rocks got larger, including several large boulder waterfalls. It looks like some giant pushed a pile of boulders over the mountain and they came crashing down. The beauty here is astounding and difficult to even describe.
We made it to the top to find the most stunning lake I have ever seen. It hangs right at the top of a mountain, surrounded on 3 sides by giant boulder and overhangs. At the base is a slice of spongy green shrubs that provide the perfect spot to cast a line, or you can toss a line from one of the several boulders that overhang the water. Steve caught a fish the instant he dropped the line into the water. It was a bright orange spotted trout, with the most brilliant colors you can imagine on a fish. In the excitement, Grady slipped n the rocks, scraping his knee and tearing whole in his jeans. Cowboy boots on rocks are a dangerous thing, as Colby found out later. After he caught another gorgeous trout, he slipped and fell, too. Thank goodness this lake is not on a map and is easily missed by the average hiker. It is a pristine piece of Wyoming.
The rain came in later this afternoon so we headed back to camp. Going down was certainly easier. The drops turned fat and heavy, requiring us to suit up in our finest rain gear. We all huddled together under the blue tarp and tried to keep warm while the storm poured.
Thankfully the rain let up just before 5, allowing Jake to prepare his famous fried chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes and baked beans. Now I am normally not a fried chick and gravy kind of girl but Jake has fully converted me. He cooked the chicken and the gravy on the fire in front of us, telling stories as he cooked. That gravy was honestly some of the best I have ever tasted and the hearty meal did wonders to warm all of us. We even enjoyed some cherry spice cake that was cooked in a Dutch over on the fire. Soooo good.
The boys are planning to sleep in our tent tonight, with the hope that the heat from 4 bodies will help take the edge off the cold. Jake also lent us the tarps from the pack mules to lay over our sleeping bags. They are covered in horse hair but are welcome if they will help us get a warm nights sleep.
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