May 29, 2015
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…