Day 09

Day 9 - Cold and shady morning. Bit of a late start. The pass turned out to be from Hell. Going up had to climb and squeeze my way up a crack, had to take my pack off twice and lift it above me, then chimney up and over it. Some of the hardest climbing I've ever done. Scraped my arms and knees up good. Going down other side was easier for the most part, until I came to one steep section. Threw my poles off, an slid around under tree on my belly. Seriously thought I was going of fall of the cliff. Don't think I've ever been so scared hiking. Somehow made it down, smoked 2 cigarettes to stop from shaking. Canyon got easy for a while, then had to bushwack down to Salt Creek, got even more scratched up, tore the other knee out of my pants. Saw one little granary. Finally made it to Salt Creek at Aristocratic Pasture, more bushwacking to get onto trail, then lost trail and had to do one last bit of bushwacking. Saw a decrepit granary. Finally found trail again and cruised up it to park boundary. Not the greatest campsite, but lucked out and found water in the same spot Mike, Michele and I did on the Dark Canyon trip. My arms are entirely covered with scratches, cuts, and abrasions, and my knees don't look so hot either.