Last weekend we met a young man who was mountain biking the Arizona Trail. He was tying his bike onto his ittsy bittsy daypack, and we met him later at Mormon Flat.  About a mile after we passed him, we found one of his valve stems.  Oopsie.

on his way to the Arizona Trail

Got a call to fill in as emergency WFR for a springs survey, so spent the last week hiking around Grandview Mesa and writing down plants and springs information.  Lots and lots of cactus flowers.  The last night an un-forecast storm roared in.  I had brought a wee little MSR emergency shelter tarp because it only weighed 7 ounces, as opposed to my tarp tent which weighs 20.  It took three of us and a lot of moving rocks around to pitch it, and this was the dry spot I spent the night in.  I finally had to wrap my head up in my rain parka to keep it dry.  Most of the night I was thinking: how much difference would 13 ounces have made?  

Missed the peak of the redbud this year.  We tried the week before spring break, then there weren't enough trees to justify hiking down or out that way on the Clear Creek Trip.  Went through March 30 with a group, and some of the trees were full bloom, most had passed bloom.  I have pictures from years past with all the trees in full.  Oh well.

Regular Skeleton this weekend, Friday and Sunday.  Sunday took a young friend.  Trails getting more crowded.  Lots of graffiti as expected.  A couple of rangers told me if I find any last names, let them know, because they have resources that I lack to track these clowns down.

The loveliest of trees, the Redbud now
Is hung with flame along the bough.
Poised along the Canyon trail
They make the very sunset pale.
Now of my 80 years (I pray)
Sixty will not come my way.
Take from three score years a score
Only leave me twenty more
And since to look at things in bloom
Twenty springs is little room
To the Canyon then I came
To see the Redbud hung with flame.

Apologies to A.E.Housman,