HOPEWELL LAKE, CARSON NATIONAL FOREST, NM
A delightful day of hiking began with a frosty morning. The coldest part was when I filled up water from the nearby stream. My fingers always seem to get very cold. I think I learned to fill water in the evening instead of the morning
The trail conditions kept getting better as the day went on. I successfully navigated a cross country shortcut on the John Ley map that saved 1.5 miles. The navigation got easier the further I went. There was one challenging stream crossing that last week required a crew of 4 working together to cross. Today it was waist deep and the current was strong but I made it across. The cold water was kind of refreshing and it didn’t take long to dry.
The weather was probably the nicest I’ve had on the entire hike. It was sunny but just warm enough with a cool breeze.
The highlight of the day was coming up trail I worked on last year with the Central Texas Trailtamers and the CDTC. It is really nice to take advantage of that work and see familiar surroundings
When I got to the Hopewell Lake campground I saw Dr John with M80, Trooper, and Willow. Dr John camped with me by the lake and the others kept hiking